Herman Melville's Moby Dick; or the Whale
Herman Melville's 1850 masterpiece, Moby Dick; or the Whale, is one of the most influential novels in American literature. It is still a staple of college syllabi and on the lists of Best American Novels.
Genre-Bending Exploration of Class and Race
This novel, a genre-bending work that explores class and race in the context of whale hunting, is a major source of inspiration for many artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers. It has been adapted into a number of movies, including a 1956 color production with Gregory Peck as Ahab.
Inspiration and Realistic Descriptions
The novel was inspired by the story of the Essex, a whaling ship that was destroyed by a sperm whale in 1820. Its detailed and realistic descriptions of whale hunting, life aboard the ship among a multicultural crew, and the quest for the white whale are mixed with exploration of good and evil.
The Driving Force of Ahab's Quest
Ahab's lust for vengeance against Moby Dick is the driving force of his quest and the novel's central question, which poses a difficult ambiguity that has intrigued readers for almost 160 years. The question is whether Moby Dick is a symbol for something divine or an anthropomorphic creature of nature, or if he is just another big, clever fish that will leave men alone if they stop bothering him.
The Whale's Ambiguity and Interpretations
He is a powerful force but also a complicated figure who inspires a variety of interpretations from the Judeo-Christian God to atheism. The book's ambiguity, which is purposeful and intentionally obscured, has led to many discussions about the meaning of the whale.
Ahab's Obsession with Moby Dick
When Ahab first appears on the deck, he is balancing gingerly on his false leg, a stump made of a sperm whale's jaw. He announces his desire to pursue and kill Moby Dick, the legendary whale who took his leg because he sees it as the embodiment of evil.
Ahab's Determination
As the Pequod continues to hunt whales, Ahab's obsession with Moby Dick intensifies. He is so determined to hunt the animal that he nails a gold doubloon to his mast, a prize for anyone who can sight it.
The Revelation of Ahab's True Obsession
The ship encounters other ships that have lost their crew in an encounter with the whale. The captain of the Samuel Enderby, a ship that was damaged in a previous hunt by the whale, is unable to understand Ahab's obsession. When the crew of a ship from Java, whose captain was killed by the whale, reveals that he has a boat crew made up of Parsees (an ethnic group from India), Ahab is finally able to reveal his true obsession.
The Special Harpoon and Invocation of the Devil
Ahab now focuses on the task of forging a special harpoon that will kill Moby Dick. He orders the blacksmith to forge the harpoon from the nail stubs of racing horses, then tempers the barb in the blood of the three harpooners. He then baptizes the harpoon "in nomine diaboli!", invoking the devil's name.
The Defeat of Ahab and the Survivor
In the ensuing battle, Ahab and his crew are defeated by Moby Dick. He kills them all, except for the narrator Ishmael, who survives thanks to the presence of a coffin that was built for Queequeg when he was gravely ill.
