Moby Dick Essay Research Paper Subject English

Moby Dick Essay, Research Paper

Subject: English – Melville: Moby DickGood and Evil in a Morally Indifferent Universe in Moby Dick The moral ambiguity of the universe is prevalent throughout Melville’s MobyDick. None of the characters represent pure evil or pure goodness. EvenMelville’s description of Ahab, whom he repeatedly refers to “monomaniacal,”suggesting an amorality or psychosis, is given a chance to be seen as afrail, sympathetic character. When Ahab’s “monomaniac” fate is juxtaposedwith that of Ishmael, that moral ambiguity deepens, leaving the reader withan ultimate unclarity of principle. The final moments of Moby Dick bring the novel to a terse, abrupt climax.The mutual destruction of the Pequod and the White Whale, followed byIshmael’s epilogue occupies approximately half a dozen pages. DespiteMelville’s previous tendency to methodically detail every aspect of whalinglife, he assumes a concise, almost journalistic approach in the climax.Note that in these few pages, he makes little attempt to assign valuejudgements to the events taking place. Stylistically, his narration isreduced to brusque, factual phrases using a greater number of semicolons.By ending the book so curtly, Melville makes a virtually negligible attemptat denouement, leaving what value judgements exist to the reader. Ultimately, it is the dichotomy between the respective fortunes of Ishmaeland Ahab that the reader is left with. Herein lies a greater moralambiguity than is previously suggested. Although Ishmael is the solesurvivor of the Pequod, it is notable that in his own way, Ahab fulfills hisdesire for revenge by ensuring the destruction of the White Whale alongsidehis own end. Despite the seeming superiority of Ishmael’s destiny, Melvilledoes not explicitly indicate so. On the contrary, he subtly suggests thatIshmael’s survival is lonely and empty upon being rescued: “It was thedevious-cruising Rachel, that in her retracing search after her missingchildren, only found another orphan.” (724) That single instance of theappellation “orphan” as applied to Ishmael speaks volumes when taken inlight of the destruction of the Pequod and her crew. Melville’s inclusionof Ishmael’s survival as an epilogue, a suffix attached to the dramaticdestruction of the Pequod, suggests that Ishmael’s survival is anafterthought to the fate of Ahab and the rest of his crew. Ishmael’s quietwords at the beginning of the chapter, “Why then here does any one stepforth? Because one did survive the wreck,” (723) indicate a deep humilityon Ishmael’s part. The question is then raised of why Ishmael is the sole survivor. It isclear that Ishmael significantly differs with Ahab concerning theirrespective perspectives of the White Whale. Ishmael clearly indicates inthe chapter “The Try Works” how disagreeable he finds the mission andmentality of those around him: ” the rushing Pequod, freighted with savages,and laden with fire, and burning a corpse, and plunging into that blacknessof darkness, seemed the material counterpart of her monomaniac commander’ssoul.” (540) Here, Ishmael breaks his usual detached observancy and boldlydivorces himself from Ahab’s mission and those whom Ahab has recruited toaid him. Ishmael further distinguishes himself from the rest of the crew by beingthe sole non-exploiter of whales in general. Melville makes it clear earlyon that Ishmael initially chooses to ship on the Pequod for the experientialvalue of whaling. It has been indicated that his outlook on the whale isthe only significantly benign one. Whereas Ishmael is terrified by the”whiteness of the whale,” Stubb sees economic gain in the valuable whaleoil, subtly hinted at by his overbearing gloating upon his first kill. Inthe harpooneers, we see a violent savageness, even in Queequeg’s otherwiseloving nature. To Ahab, the whale is a emblem of pure evil. Even prudent,rational Starbuck looks on the whale as a dumb animal, which it is his dutyto exploit.The terror that Ishmael perceives is a consequence of his own vague fear of

the whale’s “nothingness.” What Ishmael fears is the mystical, terrifyingmanifestation of white in the natural world, coupled with its subversion ofthe sense of purity attached to whiteness in the human world. Ishmael isdistinguished from the rest of the crew in his ability to consider theperspectives of the others. In his role as narrator, Ishmael’s ability todetachedly analyze the viewpoints of those around him may be what saves him.Note also, that in his narration, Ishmael is the one character to cast anyreverence upon the grand scale of the whale. Unlike the values the othersplace on the whale, Ishmael is capable of viewing the whale solely for itsbeing, as one of the many viewpoints that he considers through the course ofthe novel.In contrast, Ahab’s views of the whale are singular and focused. Melvilledescribes it as a “monomaniacal” obsession, but it is clear in Ahab’scomplexity that there are other factors at work. Ahab remains virtuallyunidimensional until the chapter “The Symphony,” where he freely shares hisfeelings with Starbuck. In allowing us to see the subtle complexities ofAhab’s obsession, Melville makes it clear that Ahab is not an inhumanmachine of revenge. Ahab’s questioning of “what nameless, inscrutable,unearthly thing is it; what cozzening, hidden lord and master, and cruel,remorseless emperor commands me?” (685) replaces his previous portrait asthe depraved lunatic. The reader is now left to questio