Mans Uncertainty in the Universe Exposed in Moby Dick The culture this great author was a part of was the time in American history where inspiring works of literature began to emerge. It was also a time when American writers had not completely separated its literary heritage from Europe, partly because there were successful literary genius flourishing there. Herman Melville was born on August 1, 1819, he was the son of Allan and Maria Melville. During Hermans childhood he lived in the good neighborhoods of New York City. In 1832 Herman suffered tragedy when his father died after trying to cope with the stress of debts and misfortunes. After a short time in a business house in New York City, Herman determined he needed to go to sea. He spent years traveling on a variety of ships, including whaling ships. Melvilles perspective on life is that God created the universe with an infinite number of meanings and man is always trying to determine one specific meaning. Due to his difficult life experiences, the lessons that Melville weaves into his writing are, exposition on whales and the whaling industry, commentary on the universe and human destiny and thoughts about God and Nature. The protagonist in this book is Ishmael, a Christian, schoolteacher and part-time sailor. Ishmaels role in the hunt for Moby Dick is to interpret what is happening. He discusses his reasons for going to sea and interprets and looks for understanding a number of reasons for any specific action where other characters only understand one reason. It is hard to say what changes take place in Ishmaels personality during the story, since he is the narrator he doesnt talk about himself, he only talks about what he sees. We can learn about Ishmael through his relationships with others. Ishmael befriends Queequeg who is a cannibal. Even though Queequeg is very ugly Ishmael sees that Queequeg has an honest heart, great honor, and a lot of courage. This friendship had a positive influence on Ishmaels behavior because it taught him not to judge on outward appearances. Another relationship that was very short was the relationship between Ishmael and Captain Ahab. For the first few days aboard the Pequod Ishmael always saw Ahab in the shadows. When Ishmael finally saw Ahab he had shivers run through his body. Ishmael felt Ahabs attitude of determination, dedication and hatred towards Moby Dick in Ahabs appearance. This relationship was a negative relationship because Ishmael now feared Ahab and did not want to become friends with such an evil person. The conflict that Ishmael experienced was that he saw how Ahab was such an evil man and that Ishmael was a good natured man and did not want to be corrupted by Ahab. To resolve this conflict Ishmael stayed away from Ahab. Representative Passage on Imagery and Figurative Language Yonder, by the ever-brimming goblets rim, the warm waves blush like wine. The gold brow plumbs the blue. The diver sunlong dived from noon,goes down; my soul mounts up! she wearies with her endless hill. Is, then, the crown too heavy that I wear? this Iron Crown of Lombardy. Yet is it bright with many a gem; I, the wearer, see not its far flashings; but darkly fell that I wear that, that dazzlingly confounds. Tis ironthat I knownot gold. Tis split, toothat I feel; the jagged edge galls me so, my brain seems to beat against the solid metal. Chapter LV A. The details being used to make us feel like we are watching a sunset is that it says the warm waves blush like wine. The gold brow plumbs the blue. The diver sunlong dived from noon,goes down; my soul mounts up! The similes the author uses are the comparison of the colored waves of the sunset to wine. I believe that when the author is talking about the Iron Crown of Lombardy he is talking about the sun. When it says Is, then, the crown too heavy that I wear? he is talking about the sunrise as the sun first starts ascending. I think that noon is where it is says Yet is it bright with many a gem; I, the wearer, see not its far flashings;. I also think that Tis ironthat I knownot gold. Tis split, toothat I feel; the jagged edge galls me so, my brain seems to beat against the solid metal. means he wants to take off the crown signifying sunset. The objects that are representative of larger ideas are Moby Dick who is a symbol of all of the things in the universe. The color of the whale being white could mean so many different and conflicting things that it cant be narrowed down to one meaning. The coffin that was turned into a buoy that saved Ishmaels life could suggest that the meaning of any object lies in the beholder of the object not the object itself. The place that is a representative of a larger idea is the sea. The sea represents a mans life, it symbolizes the fears that a man must overcome in life in order to gain a fuller understanding of life. The sea is a constant presence throughout the novel. As the sea is constantly in the background of the scene. References to previous literature are outlines on the Sperm Whale, but the literature he is referring to do not have name of the works only the names of the authors. I know of only four published outlines of the great Sperm Whale: Colnett, Huggins, Frederick Cuviers, and Beales. Representative Passage on Tone and Authors Philosophy What a pity they didnt stop up the chinks and the crannies though, and thrust in a little lint here and there. But its too late to make any improvements now. The universe is finished; the copestone is on, and the chips were carted off a million years ago. The metaphors Melville is using indicates the condition of man and about mans uncertainty in the universe we live in. His tone is that of questioning man choosing his own destiny through his own actions. Melvilles attitude is that of Mans absolute insignificance in the universe. There is nothing Man can do to improve the present state of the universe once he has acted on his decision. Aspects of his philosophy which can be inferred is Mans continual struggle with himself in this universe. The vastness of the universe and mans place in it is difficult for the average man to comprehend. At best he can just figure out one meaning, but there could be more. I. Evaluation This novel has influenced my attitudes and beliefs on the destiny of man and has shown me that there is more than one view of every object. It showed me that I need to be open minded and examine things from more than one point of view before I judge the object. In this novel one of the authors goals was of indicating the condition of man and about mans uncertainty in the universe we live in. Melville also shows the reader about Mans absolute insignificance in the universe. I believe the author was very successful in achieving these goals. Herman did a great job of representing objects with things of deeper meaning. Throughout the book you are shown Mans insignificance in the universe by the relationship of the crew to the ocean. You are also shown of how a Mans decision once executed cant be changed, an example of that is when Captain Ahab throws the spear into Moby Dick. The spears rope got wrapped around Ahabs neck and when the whale dove Ahab went with it. There was nothing Ahab could do to escape. I. The topics in this novel are very true but an adventure loving reader will read this book and focus on what went on rather than what the novel was trying to say. This book could be significant to a reader who wants to know about Mans relation to the universe. The difference this novel will have on society is that it will help a person find their relation to the universe. Bibliography Melville, Herman. Moby Dick, Spencer Press, Inc. 1936 Webmaster Unknown. Herman Melville
Scout and Jem still are unable to accept her and are detached from her strong traditional southern views. As a result Atticus receives many criticism the way he brought up his children and is forced to act. 'Our Father was actually fidgeting. "No, I just want to explain to you that--your Aunt Alexandra asked me...son you know you 're a Finch, don 't you?" (177) However Jem and Scout notices this and become resentful towards the changed Atticus. As Atticus struggles with the Tom Robinson case, Aunt Alexandra plays the role of their mother since they only have Atticus “I know what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work." (170) however she also knows that instilling manners and acting as the motherly figure was the role of a woman, during that time period. Throughout the book, Atticus has struggled with the job of filling both the father and the mother. No matter how hard he tries, the roll of the mother can never be filled by Atticus. His character does not have the same personality traits that a mother would. All Scout needs is a loving mother, but when Aunt Alexandra comes, she does not nearly fill that role. She is even harsher and the spot still remains vacant. "...you 've got to do something about her," Aunty was saying. "You 've let things go on too long Atticus, too long” (36).This quote shows how Aunt Alexandra is demanding and looks as if she is trying to be the stricter side, which I dont think Scout needs "Atticus, it 's all right to be soft-hearted, you 're an easy man, but you have a daughter to think of." (136-137)I think Alexandra is totally wrong here. Scout does not like to listen to a demanding person telling her what to do. Instead of listening, she will simply do the opposite. A less harsh and caring mother would give Scout something more to mature. Alexandra is really into
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Aunt Alexandra is the aunt of Jem and Scout, and the sister of Atticus. Aunt Alexandra portrays the themes of racism and ignorance throughout the novel. Jem and Scout do not like Aunt Alexandra. “… Aunt Alexandra would have been analogous to Mount Everest: throughout my early life, she was cold and there.” (Lee 103). Aunt Alexandra is from the old south and she expects people to act formally and maturely. Aunt Alexandra lives with Scout and impacts Scout’s life by telling Scout how to act. “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. When I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants.” (108). Aunt Alexandra also displays
Aunt Alexandra is a negative influence on Jem and Scout. She is a refined lady with great knowledge about good conduct, and tries to impose this especially on Scout in ways that are unsuccessful and even hazardous to her growth and self esteem. She is strongly opposed to Scout’s attire which consists of overalls and pants, and demands that she act lady-like by changing into a skirt or dress. She is making Scout conform to the ideal vision of a stereotypical girl in the Nineteen-Thirties, which gives Scout a message that her individuality is unacceptable.
Analysis: Melville's Great American Novel draws on both Biblical and Shakespearean myths. Captain Ahab is "a grand, ungodly, god-like man … above the common" whose pursuit of the great white whale is a fable about obsession and over-reaching. Just as Macbeth and Lear subvert the natural order of things, Ahab takes on Nature in his
Ishmael examines the sea in various ways, and from various perspectives, but in all his examinations, the sea invariably assumes the role of an escape vehicle from the world of the living—temporary or otherwise. When the novel first begins, Ishmael compares his own escape to Cato the Younger’s ultimate remonstration of tyranny: “With a philosophical flourish, Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship” (14). Though Ishmael lists no political motivations for escaping, he does imply that it is life’s tyranny that engenders the need for it. In any case, the ocean is a means of escape for both him, and, as he asserts, all men.
The first religion and its views on women that will be discussed in this essay is Islam. Islam is a religions founded in Saudi Arabia almost two thousand years ago, by the prophet Muhammad. In fact, Muhammad dedicated much attention towards women in the Koran, the holy book of Islam. However, even though much was dedicated to women in the Koran, it was not dedicated to them in the sense of equality. Women in Islamic culture were apparently much lower on the totem pole than men, "The men are made responsible for the women, since God endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners...If you experience opposition from the women, you shall first talk to them, then [you may use such negative incentives as] deserting them in bed, then you may beat them (129)." Excerpt...
At first glance, Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick, appears to be the story of a man, his captain, and the whale that they quest to destroy. But a closer look reveals the author’s intense look at several metaphysical ideologies. He explores some of the most ponderous quandaries of his time, among these being the existence of evil, knowledge of the self and the existential, and the possibility of a determined fate. All of these were questions which philosophers had dealt with and written about, but Melville took it to a new level: not only writing about these things, but also doing so in a lovely poetic language backed by a tale packed with intrigue. He explores the general existence of evil in his antagonist, the white whale, and through the general malice that nature presents to humans throughout the novel. The narrator, Ishmael, gains a lot of knowledge about himself through his experiences on the whaling voyage, where he also is able to learn much about the phenomenon of existence itself. Also, through Captain Ahab, he sees more about the existence of man and the things that exist within man’s heart. Especially through Ahab and his ongoing quest for the white whale, and also in general conversation amongst the whalers, the issue of fate and whether one’s destiny is predetermined are addressed in great detail, with much thought and insight interpolated from the author’s own viewpoints on the subject.
That there are various perspectives to the white whale as symbol is a result of the value which Melville
Among the numerous themes and ideas that author Herman Melville expresses in Moby Dick, one of the less examined is the superiority of the primitive man to the modern man. As an undertone running through the entire book, one can see in Moby Dick the same admiration of the "noble savage" that is so prevalent in Melville's earlier tales of the simple and idyllic life of the cannibals, even though the focus has been shifted to the dangers of seeing things from only one point of view and to the struggle between good and evil.
Before exploring Ishmael, Ahab, and Moby Dick and their Biblical counterparts, it is important to understand Melville's background. He grew up as a baptized Calvinist in the Dutch Reformed Church. His parents trained him to obey God at all times, even if God’s commands seem unjust and cruel. However, he quickly turned against his faith after his father died. During his travels, he witnessed diseases, catastrophes, and hatred throughou...
Herman Melville believed deeply in his notion that the common-man receives no justice, only the elite member in a society. Perhaps his belief originated in the society that he lived in, or the situations such as a Civil War, that impacted his viewpoint. Throughout this story, the reader is repeatedly introduced to the consistent idea that the common-man is on his own, and the situations that he encompasses are distorted and augmented as time passes.
Written during a period of American history characterized by great expansionism, Herman Melville's Moby-Dick may be read as a reflection upon both the rapidly changing geographical frontiers of America, and the accompanying shift of social, political, religious and cultural boundaries. The Pequod's world is governed by laws other than those of the American mainland. Figuratively situated at the frontier of the New World, the ship evokes the mythic American pioneer with the independent spirit, aggression and courage to wrench a nation from the wilderness. Melville lays out a version of the frontier myth that sees redefinition of national identity in terms of man confronting his other, reaffirming the self, and - through Ishmael's survival and narration - returning to civilization having defined what he is not.. Captain Ahab and his obsessive quest for the white whale symbolize in its most extreme form, an American desire to face the wild unknown and to promote national ascendancy through the confrontation.
Some critics have divided the book into sections, like acts in a play. The first, from Chapter 1 to Chapter 22, describes Ishmael, portrays his growing friendship with Queequeg, and serves as a kind of dry-land introduction to themes-whaling, brotherhood, and man's relationship with God-explored in greater detail at sea. The next section begins as the Pequod sails and continues to Chapter 46. Here you meet both Captain Ahab and, in description if not yet in the flesh, his great enemy, Moby Dick. A long middle secction, from Chapter 47 to Chapter 105, shows the Pequod at work as whales are hunted and killed and other whaling ships met. It also shows Ishmael pondering the meaning of these activities. The plot slows as Melville takes time to gather and display proof of the importance of the Pequod's voyage. Then, from Chapter 106 to the book's end, we're caught up in the excitement as Ahab steers his ship nearer and nearer to Moby Dick and final disaster.
The breeze from the Indian Ocean moved across my skin like freshly ironed silk as I stood on the fantail of the aircraft carrier looking up at the night sky. It is an impressive sight to look upon the fires of those uncountable stars. If you were to take the grandest starlit sky that you could imagine, then imagine it after God has thrown another bucket of stars across the dark. That is like the night sky at sea can be.
The role and place of Women in Islam has changed drastically, in a positive way, over the past millennium: the changes can be greatly attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, and the Qur’an. To understand the changes in women’s rights and freedoms, one must understand their role and place before Islam was created, which happened in the Arabia Peninsula, now Saudi Arabia (Angha). Before Islam was formed women lacked many of the basic human rights, and they were treated as more of a burden in their culture then someone who should be respected, but that is not the case today. Though women in Islam have gained many rights, there is still some controversy over whether or not women are still being oppressed and treated like second class citizens compared