Moby Dick And The Goney Analysis

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Recommended: Discuss symbolism in Moby-Dick

The initial ship that the Pequod comes into contact with in Moby-Dick is with a whale ship named “The Goney” (Melville 194). Although the two whaling ships pass by each other in close proximity, the men aboard the Goney, a Nantucket ship named for the Albatross, remain silent until monomaniac Ahab presents the captain with the familiar question “Have ye seen the White Whale?” disregarding any Gam etiquette of a friendly introduction and invitation to board the Pequod. (195). In response to Ahab, on account of the wind, the captain of The Goney attempts to respond with his trumpet, though he drops it “into the sea” and therefore fails to respond to Ahab’s question (195). Thematically, the interaction between The Goney and The Pequod endorses …show more content…

Melville includes this Gam structurally in order to promote both the economic and thematic elements of whaling- setting a basis for each level of interpretation of the novel to further develop. Melville includes the Jungfrau Gam to thematically emphasize Ahab’s limited mental capacity and the notion of searching for the truth, or inscrutable meaning of reality, in the wrong places. Ahab, despite knowing that the Jungfrau is extremely inexperienced and limited in knowledge regarding whales, continues to “abruptly accost” the Jungfrau’s captain regarding Moby Dick, of whom they are ignorant to (277). Ahab’s increased isolation and obsession with Moby Dick encourages his lack of judgment and decreased cognitive capacity. Melville seeks to endorse the consequences of becoming consumed with monomania that simple distinctions become impossible and isolation increases. Moreover, Ahab leaves the Jungfrau to chase a finback whale, which is nearly impossible to catch. Although Ahab can recognize the foolish task of this chase, he cannot recognize that his own task is unobtainable. Furthermore, the economic view that the Jungfrau has been unsuccessful reflects Ahab’s quest, in which his undying ambition to uncover the meaning of reality through Moby Dick has the potential to turn up empty, yielding no

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