Post Two: Moby Dick

For the record, I love this novel so far, and I understand why it is a classic of American literature.  Now that the praise is out of the way I can discuss some of the aspects that I find incredibly enjoyable.

            There is much experimentation in this novel.  From the real beginning of the novel, laying out all sorts of allusions and glimpses of stories that mention whales, broadening your understanding of the mythos of whales, simultaneously narrowing your focus on the danger and majesty of these epic creatures of the sea.  To the opening that everybody already knows, “Call me Ishmael,” the reason for doing this is as ambiguous as it is ambitious.

            Daring experimentation is apparent throughout the novel.  With chapter titles like, “Enter Ahab; to him, Stubb,” you could assume it was stage directions.   The chapters “Cetology” and “The Advocate” are there to expand the knowledge of the reader about the whales of the ocean and whaling in general, making both topics easily digestible and tangible.  While there are chapters that lay out characters and who they are in little tastes, there are chapters as well that are pure characterization, and these happen to be my favorite.  And the references to the Bible and Shakespeare are fantastic.  Speaking of the Bible, Ishmael becomes a beacon of understanding and acceptance early in the novel.  While he was afraid of Queequeg at first, his patience pays off and they look past their differences in ideology and race, and just get along.  This is the product of a mind who has gotten past the easy way of looking at the world by assuming and judging everyone around them instead of making an effort to get to know them.  And realizing that race and ideology are superficial ways to choose whom you want to be around.  All signs of a very forward thinker in his time.

            I’m excited and afraid of what happens in the rest of this book.  I sense a looming threat of tragedy, and I don’t want to see any of these human characters die (especially Queequeg).