An Essay on the Major themes in Herman Melville's 'Moby Dick'
Moby Dick by Herman Melville has proved to be a remarkable piece of art. Perhaps this is because Moby Dick is so ambiguous that each reader closes the book at the end with different understanding of its meaning and message. Understanding the major themes in the book can help the reader understand the book better. Themes in literature serve as guides to readers. However each individuals interpretation of the themes will vary. This essay will discuss interpretations of the themes in Moby Dick. This paper will also discuss chapter nine titled "The Sermon", focusing on an analysis of Father Mapple's understanding of Jonah's prayer. The four major themes identified throughout the book …show more content…
The interesting aspect of the theme duty is how each character perceives their duty on board. For instance there is a contrast between Father Mapple's perception of duty and Ahab's perception of duty. Father Mapple insists that the first duty of all shipmates is to God. The duty as a crew member is simply not more important than the duty each individual has to God. Ahab has a different ideology, he believes his duty is to himself, and to get revenge on the white whale. Ahab and Starbuck have two incidents of confrontation regarding opposing views on duty. This is evident in chapters thirty- six and one hundred and …show more content…
The two are united under awkward circumstances as a result of a shortage of beds at the Souter - Inn. Ishmael thinks that the person he is meant to share a bed with is a heathen and possibly a cannibal, whilst Queequeg has no knowledge he is sharing a room with anyone. Their meeting becomes quite auspicious as it is the beginning of a unique friendship. The two characters develop alongside each other as they become more open to ideas of diversity. They share similarities in that they both had left their homes for similar reasons. The both share an ideology that people can learn from one another and exchange cultures. Queequeg attends services at the Whaleman's Chapel in New Bedford, despite not being a Christian and Ishmael makes a burnt offering to Queequeg's idol, Yojo. This demonstrates that the two had bonded over religion. Ishmael and Queequeg shared such a friendship that symbolically in the end it is Queequeg's coffin that saves Ishmaels life when the Pequod sinks. The symbolisms of Queequeg's coffin changes as the novel progresses. At first it implies his impending death and also serves as a link to his home land. The coffin is interestingly shaped like a canoe according to the Kokovoko custom. Ironically shaped to serve as a life buoy for Ishmael. Friendship was not uncommon for the crew of the Pequod. Unsurprisingly Ahab had no interest in establishing friendships. As he
Moby Dick by Herman Melville has proved to be a remarkable piece of art. Perhaps this is because Moby Dick is so ambiguous that each reader closes the book at the end with different understanding of its meaning and message. Understanding the major themes in the book can help the reader understand the book better. Themes in literature serve as guides to readers. However each individuals interpretation of the themes will vary. This essay will discuss interpretations of the themes in Moby Dick. This paper will also discuss chapter nine titled "The Sermon", focusing on an analysis of Father Mapple's understanding of Jonah's prayer. The four major themes identified throughout the book …show more content…
The interesting aspect of the theme duty is how each character perceives their duty on board. For instance there is a contrast between Father Mapple's perception of duty and Ahab's perception of duty. Father Mapple insists that the first duty of all shipmates is to God. The duty as a crew member is simply not more important than the duty each individual has to God. Ahab has a different ideology, he believes his duty is to himself, and to get revenge on the white whale. Ahab and Starbuck have two incidents of confrontation regarding opposing views on duty. This is evident in chapters thirty- six and one hundred and …show more content…
The two are united under awkward circumstances as a result of a shortage of beds at the Souter - Inn. Ishmael thinks that the person he is meant to share a bed with is a heathen and possibly a cannibal, whilst Queequeg has no knowledge he is sharing a room with anyone. Their meeting becomes quite auspicious as it is the beginning of a unique friendship. The two characters develop alongside each other as they become more open to ideas of diversity. They share similarities in that they both had left their homes for similar reasons. The both share an ideology that people can learn from one another and exchange cultures. Queequeg attends services at the Whaleman's Chapel in New Bedford, despite not being a Christian and Ishmael makes a burnt offering to Queequeg's idol, Yojo. This demonstrates that the two had bonded over religion. Ishmael and Queequeg shared such a friendship that symbolically in the end it is Queequeg's coffin that saves Ishmaels life when the Pequod sinks. The symbolisms of Queequeg's coffin changes as the novel progresses. At first it implies his impending death and also serves as a link to his home land. The coffin is interestingly shaped like a canoe according to the Kokovoko custom. Ironically shaped to serve as a life buoy for Ishmael. Friendship was not uncommon for the crew of the Pequod. Unsurprisingly Ahab had no interest in establishing friendships. As he