Setting the Stage
“I know
it’s kind of cliché to pick Moby Dick
as your first Melville, but…” says Rory Gilmore as Dean asks her how she is
liking Moby Dick. Dean gets kudo
points for asking Rory about the books she is reading (take some hints boys)
and begins the first Rory’s three relationships
But, back to Moby Dick…What
a feat for sophomore in high school, right? It is perhaps regarded as one of
the longest in the American cannon. While not long in page numbers, the writing
style can be difficult to follow and story is drawn out and dry at times. Many
people groan at the thought of reading Moby
Dick, but I believe people should take a chance on it. It isn’t as
overwhelming and dry as one might think.
Is it cliché to read Moby
Dick as your first Melville? I do not think so. Moby Dick is his most well known and well regarded book so why not
start there? There is a reason that this is the book he is remembered for and
not his others. I guess Moby Dick is
my first official Melville. However, I did read the stage adaptation of Billy Budd as my venture into reading
all the books in my high school’s book room (I will have to explain this to you
all at some other point).
What is the great
American novel?
This question always brings up so much debate. Is the great
American novel Huck Finn? Is it Moby Dick? Is it The Great Gatsby? Many people will insert their idea on what they
think the great Huck Finn
is an example of one of the greatest satirical works in American literature?
Maybe Moby Dick is an example of one
of the greatest uses of metaphor in American literature? And, maybe, The Great Gatsby best shows how
Americans felt during the height of the Lost Generation? Each novel serves a
purpose and shines a light where needed by the American people when they read
it.
Biblical Allusions
Given that I just taught allusions to my 10th
grade students, I think it is fitting that I discuss them in this post. An
allusion (with an “A” folks. We ain’t talking about illusions…) is a reference
to a well known person, place, thing, or idea. Within literature, especially
classic literature, the most common form of allusions is a biblical one. When
reading Moby Dick, the most obvious
biblical allusion is that of Jonah and the Whale. We are all familiar with the
story of Jonah, whether in detail or not. Basically, Jonah is eaten by a whale for
not doing exactly what God wanted him to do and has to fight his way out of the
whale’s stomach. The story of Jonah could be read as a story of fighting
against one’s fears and uncertainty similar to Moby Dick. The whale (Moby Dick) is Captain Ahab’s obsession and
possibly his greatest fear (after all, the whale did make him lose his
leg). While not fighting his way out of the
whale’s stomach, Captain Ahab is fighting his way out of the whale’s mental
hold on him and the fear that holds him back.
The Bible
is perhaps the oldest source an author can allude to and contains may universal
stories that appear across many faiths. Religion has been around since the
history of the human race, but does that make it natural? Humans need something
to believe in and Melville captures this in Moby
Dick. Of course, he references Christianity and its stories, but he also
provides examples of pagan religions and does not belittle them. Melville
emphasizes the importance of having faith, but also presents the same emphasis
on the natural, scientific world. By focusing on religious rituals of all
faiths and scientific thought (his analysis of whales and almost textbook like
description of them), Melville shows two theories of thought, which are often
at odds, as compliments.
Where is it?
One of the biggest criticism’s of Moby Dick is that it takes until page 233 for Moby Dick to even be
mentioned in the novel. It is quite frustrating because with a title like Moby Dick, one might expect the focus of
the entire novel to be Moby Dick itself.
But the more you read, the more you realize that the point of the book
is not the whale, but what the whale represents: the great unknown, the thing
that keeps everybody moving forward, the goal that keeps you working hard.
Novel? Textbook?
Play? All of the Above?
What surprised me the most about this novel was its
narrative structure. During the majority of the novel, the story was told
through a first person perspective through the character of Ishmael. However,
the novel contained stage directions. And, at times, it even included dialogue
as in a script for a play. Then, without notice, it would switch to almost a
textbook style of writing in which the author explained the science behind
whales: different types of whales, what they looked like, they’re reproductive
structures, what they ate, where they were located, etc. Melville included
minuscule details about whales that are, overall, not very interesting to the
reader. Why would Melville include this in his novel? More so, why would he
change his narrative structure several times throughout his novel? While part
of me (okay a lot of me) found the scientific/informative section of this book
boring, I did like how he presented his story. The narrator Ishmael did not
have access to all the events or all the necessary background information
needed to make the reader understand all parts of the novel. Therefore, it was
necessary to present this valuable information in another manner. Although
sometimes it is tedious to read, part of the appeal of the book and why it so
well regarded is because of the manner (or manners) in which it is written.
“For all men
tragically great are made so through a certain morbidness.”
This quote stuck with me the most while reading this novel.
If you look back at history or the greatest characters in literature, they are
not heroes or strong because their lives were hunky-dory. Most of the time, at
some point in their lives, they went through something dark or conquered some
sort of hurdle which made them want to make a difference. Just think about it.
Pictures
- Book cover:https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a6/60/44/a66044fca7735a735a6d11f4f978abc2.jpg
- Herman Melville: https://www.poets.org/sites/default/files/styles/286x289/public/images/biographies/HermanMelville_NewBioImage.jpg?itok=R51xUZIo
Quote:http://cdn2.headlineshirts.net/media/catalog/product/cache/3/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/m/o/mobydick-v1-1312.jpg
Quote:http://cdn2.headlineshirts.net/media/catalog/product/cache/3/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/m/o/mobydick-v1-1312.jpg
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