Melvilles Moby Dick Essays - Moby-Dick, Fiction, Literature

Melville's Moby Dick Melville was born in a time of American history where inspiring works of American literature began to emerge. It was also a time when America had not completely separated its literary heritage from Europe, partly because there were successful literary genius flourishing there. Melville proved to be a genius of his own, with his many works such as Moby Dick, Billy Bud, and Bartleby. Three distinct themes could be seen throughout most of his literature; whales and the whaling industry, commentary on the universe and human destiny, and ideas about God and nature. Moby Dick is an incredible work by Melville most often referred to as an epic, a tragedy, a novel, an exposition on the whaling, and a spiritual autobiography. It is often overlooked that a deeper, more symbolic, meaning may have been the driving force behind Moby Dick. Herman Melville was born on August 1, 1819, to Allan and Maria Melville. He was the third of eight children in the Melville family. He was generally described as silent and slow; his mother thought him to be a very dull child. In 1832 Melville suffered tragedy when his father died. Finishing school when he was fifteen, Melville took service as cabin boy aboard the St. Lawrence. After returning to his home in New York for some time after serving as cabin boy, Melville took berth as an ordinary seaman aboard a whaling ship called the Acushnet. After approximately four and a half years as a seaman on various ships, he set down, again in New York, to write of his experiences. Within six years he had published five books. Shortly thereafter Melville was married and moved his family to a farm near Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was at this location where Moby Dick was written. Moby Dick was first published in 1851. Melville continued to write, both poetry and stories, until three months bef ore his death in 1891. Melvilles perspective on life was that God created the universe with an infinite number of meanings and man is always trying to determine one specific meaning (Robertson-Lorant 65). It is possible that Melville, through writing, was seeking out some of his many destinies bestowed upon him by God. The basis of the name Moby Dick can be traced back to an article in the New York Knickerbocker Magazine in May of 1839 (Madden). An article entitled Mocha Dick: or the White Whale of the Pacific recounted the capture of a giant sperm whale that had become infamous among whalers for its violent attacks on ships and their crews. The reasoning behind this whales name was quite simple; the whale was often sighted near the island of Mocha, and the use of Dick was a generic name similar to the use of Jack or Tom. It is not shown that Melvilles work resembles this article in particular way except the use of the name and basic idea. The reasoning for the transfer from Mocha to Moby is possibly the biggest mystery. Melville never explained where the name had come from. It is possible that the name was something he had invented and just liked the sound of. Many scholars, however, are not convinced of this and have taken time to look for another reason behind the change. By July 1846 even the Knickerbocker Magazine had forgotten its earlier version [of Reynolds article], reminding its readers of the sketch of Mocha Dick, of the Pacific, published in the Knickerbocker many years ago. That account may well have led Melville to look up the earlier issue, in very month he rediscovered his lost buddy of the Acushnet and fellow deserter on the Marquesas, Richard Tobias Greene, and began The Story of Toby. May not Toby Dick then have elided with Mocha Dick to form that one euphonious compound, Moby Dick? (Madden) As far as anyone has figured, the name Moby Dick does not represent any certain symbolism pertaining to Melvilles spiritual self or experiences at sea. The central character in Moby Dick is Ishmael, a Christian, schoolteacher, and part-time sailor. Ishmaels role in Moby Dick is to interpret the happenings about the Pequod and its crew. He discusses his reasons for going to sea and interprets and looks for understanding