Themes: God and Religion
The conflict between the individual and nature introduces the theme of religion and God's role in the natural world. Critic Harold Bloom has referred to Ahab as “one of the fictive founders of what should be called the American Religion.” Although Melville wrote his novel in the cultured Berkshires, near the eastern U.S. coast, and set it on the expansive ocean, it's important to remember that America was expanding westward during this time. For Ahab, it doesn't matter whether the white whale is an “agent” or a “principle.” He chooses to fight against fate rather than accept divine providence. Father Mapple, who gives a sermon early in the novel, and to a lesser degree, Starbuck, embody the traditional and dominant religious beliefs of nineteenth-century Protestantism. Ahab’s defiance of these beliefs is neither romantic nor atheistic but is anchored in a tragic sense of heroic and unavoidable duty.
Expert Q&A
What similarities exist between Moby Dick and the biblical story of Jonah?
Both Moby Dick and the biblical story of Jonah feature protagonists who are religious men encountering a whale and turning away from their faith. Captain Ahab, unlike Jonah, never reconciles with his faith, leading to his and his crew's destruction. Jonah, however, repents, saves his crew, and fulfills God's mission. While the whale causes Ahab's downfall, it ultimately saves Jonah, highlighting contrasting outcomes of defiance and redemption.
What does Melville convey about life's meaning and man's capacity to comprehend it in Moby-Dick?
What are Herman Melville's religious views in Moby Dick?
Herman Melville's religious views in Moby Dick are complex and reflected through his characters. Melville perceives no "heavenly city" or "perfectibility of man," and Ahab's defiance of God, symbolized by the whale, leads to his tragic fall. In contrast, Ishmael survives by gaining spiritual knowledge. The novel suggests that defying God results in dire consequences, while obedience and spiritual growth are paramount.
In Moby-Dick, how does Queequeg's friendship affect Ishmael's religious views?
Queequeg's friendship profoundly influences Ishmael's religious views, initially causing suspicion but ultimately fostering tolerance and respect. Ishmael, disillusioned with traditional Christianity, begins to admire Queequeg's beliefs and even considers participating in his rituals. This shift reflects a broader critique of the era's missionary zeal, highlighting Ishmael's radical departure from norms by embracing the "Golden Rule" and showing genuine Christian love and respect for Queequeg's faith.
What is the importance of the following passage in Moby Dick?
"But this intensity of his physical prostration did but so much the more abbreviate it. In an instant’s compass, great hearts sometimes condense to one deep pang, the sum total of those shallow pains kindly diffused through feebler men’s whole lives. And so, such hearts, though summary in each one suffering; still, if the gods decree it, in their life-time aggregate a whole age of woe, wholly made up of instantaneous intensities; for even in their pointless centres, those noble natures contain the entire circumferences of inferior souls."
This passage highlights Captain Ahab's extraordinary emotional resilience and noble nature, emphasizing how his intense suffering and determination enable him to persist in his quest against Moby Dick. Despite being physically crushed and seemingly defeated, Ahab's willpower revives him, underscoring his heroic, albeit doomed, struggle against the whale. His relentless pursuit and the greatness of his soul are admired, reflecting the depth and intensity of his character.
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