Mystery of Moby Dick - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2123 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/05/13 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Moby Dick Essay Did you like this example? Moby Dick tells the story of a former schoolteacher called Ishmael, who joins a whaling voyage after a severe bout of depression. He befriends Queequeq, a harpooner, and the two quickly become friends. The voyage they sign up for is on the Pequod. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Mystery of Moby Dick" essay for you Create order They will be hunting sperm whales for three years, but their captain is Ahab, a strange man who isolates himself in his cabin. It is revealed he was attacked by a great, white whale called Moby Dick and lost his leg due to it. Hunting down the animal in Ahabs constant goal throughout, with Ishmael, Queequeq, and the rest of the crew along for the long, long ride. Ishmael is an unusual narrator, who often pauses the story and speaks of his own knowledge and experiences. He can be in a dire situation with his shipmates, or he can go off on a tangent about the biology of whales. Even still, the novel is filled with countless events, from discovering Ahab has secretly allowed an entirely different boat crew on board and having to endure typhoons, to watching the obsession with Moby Dick grow deeper and deeper into madness. The titular whale rarely shows itself, and its final appearance is towards the end of the journey, with one final battle between Ahab and Moby Dick. By the end of ever ything, Ishmael is left alone drifting in the ocean after losing against the sheer power of the whale. He is the lone survivor of the voyage and the only one who could tell the tale. Moby Dick can be interpreted in a number of ways, but Daniel Paliwoda contemplates if the animal is a religious symbol. Paliwoda believes Moby Dick is a representation of a deity and religious conflict, whether the beings is benevolent or malevolent is up for debate. In his criticism, he remarks how drastically Ahabs life changed after encountering the whale, much like how a persons life shifts upon discovering faith in any religion. In a sense, and one aspect the author does not point out, Ahab resembles a faith in religion gone too far. His fascination with Moby Dick is understandable, but he becomes overly zealous and drags everyone in his crew along for his goal; it is one of the largest plot points in the book. He can think of little else, blinded by his own beliefs, and refuses to give in, even until his last breath. He cares more about Moby Dick than he does saving the people who has traveled with him for so long. With Moby Dick still alive, Ahab wonders how he can live his li fe. Having been crippled by the whale, Ahab prefers not to be in life for anything else but to seek revenge. Everything in life irritates him because it dulls and numbs his purpose. He has no need of anything that does not bring him closer to killing the white whale, notes Paliwoda. In the same vein, the albino whale is barely in the story; it is constantly talked about by the other characters, and its name is the title of the book, yet it refuses to show itself. It resembles God, a being that exists in the minds of many, yet invisible and hiding from a physical existence. Its fury shows when it finally appears. However, it can also be argued that Moby Dick is more akin to the Devil, tempting Ahab until he reaches his watery demise. It torments the captains mind endlessly, plaguing every single thought he has; it brings an otherwise ordinary person into a deep, relentless sin. Ahab himself mentions he does not sleep well, and when he dreams, it is full of frenzies and clashing. Whil e both sides have validity and evidence, it may be best to view Moby Dick as the idea of a deity, instead of a specific one. In either interpretation, it is something that transcends humanity and its actions and mindset are far beyond our thinking. The fact that it can be seen as either is a contradiction within itself and that is the point; the novel contains so many ideas and themes that a concrete explanation is impossible to find. In Chris O. Cooks critique, he pondered on the contrast between the whale and his pursuer, Ahab. Ahab appears to only have one purpose throughout the entire novel, to battle Moby Dick again, and kill the great beast; for what reason, it is never fully explained if it is for revenge for his leg, or if he is unable to handle defeat. He has a definitive purpose in the story, acting as a driving force that leads the crew along. Interestingly, the whale holds this same push in the narrative, and yet it is far more ambiguous in nature. It does not have a clear meaning or goal, remaining a mystery until the last word in the novel. The titular whale is barely even present throughout the story, remaining elusive and physically appearing around three times. One is naturally tempted to regard Moby-Dick as allegory, even to the point of suspecting the literal element to be almost wholly arbitrary as merely the most convenient delivery system for whatever codified import the book intends. The nov el dares us to do this, even as it exhorts us not to; it is, of course, for doing precisely this that Ahab is ruined: He is powerless to refrain from imposing significance onto that which is mere existence and nothing more Cook here points out the strangeness of the two, comparing how we share similarities with Ahab even if we do not realize it. Ahab chases after Moby Dick; a human chases after something on a grander scale than he can hope to grasp. The persistent captain was injured and punished for his lack of knowledge, in his attempt to grasp what he did not have: the whale who symbolizes the limits of what is comprehensible by man. Despite the heavy warning, Ahab does not cease his journey to claim Moby Dick for himself, and it ultimately leads to his watery demise. Moby Dick does not even directly kill him; the harpoon Ahab throws misses and the rope wraps itself tightly around his neck, bringing him under the surface. In other words, he brought danger upon himself; it did not come to him. The death being by his own hands only lends more foolishness upon him. But in the great Sperm Whale, this high and mightily god-like dignity inherent in the brow is so immensely amplified that gazing on it, in that full front view, you feel the Deity and the dread powers more forcibly than in beholding any other object in living nature (Melville 386). To make the creature even more enigmatic, there are bizarre hieroglyphics upon its head that no one can translate. Cook even notes how the novels genre, difficult to pinpoint, adds to its charm and mysteriousness. It contains countless different elements that suggest it is an epic, a tragedy, a transcendentalist work, an adventure novel, or even a horror story. Melville likely delighted in his experimental writing, wishing it to be an amalgamation. The author ends his article with a devoid, yet truthful sentiment about the boundaries humans cannot cross: After all the prophecy has been fulfilled, Ishmael, lone survivor of the Pequod, floats to his eventual rescue on the empty coffin of his friend Queequeg. But those who try to find a moral explanation for Ishmaels survival will be stymied, as, once again, the answer is devoid of significance: Ishmael does not survive because of anything; rather, he is the narrator because he survived had he not, then someone else, or no-one at all, would be telling the story. It has been said that the function of the epic is to parallel and accordingly, assign meaning to the very fact of human existence. Moby-Dick, in the end, assigns to life the most terrifying possible explanation: utter chance (Cook). Ishmael did not earn his survival, not by skill or good works or courage; instead, he was the last one left alive because that was merely how it worked out in the end. He is not the chosen hero or the only one who can defeat the whale. He is a mortal man who could have easily died along with his shipmates and captain. In contrast to pondering Ahab and the whale, April Gentry discusses how Ishmael regards the beast. Ironically enough, he tells the reader to not read too much into the story and not to mistake it for an allegory; however, we cannot help but to do so. Ishmael himself is uncertain of what the great beast is a symbol of, as he considers how white is both a pure and feared color. He speaks of how it has always been holy and revered, And though in other mortal sympathies and symbolizings, this same hue is made the emblem of many touching, noble things-the innocence of brides, the benignity of age; though among the Red Men of America the giving of the white belt of wampum was the deepest pledge of honor (Melville 208). However, he does consider the negative connotations of the color: This elusive quality it is, which causes the thought of whiteness, when divorced more kindly associations, and coupled with any object terrible in itself, to heighten that terror to its further bounds. Witness the white bear of the poles, and the white shark of the tropics; what but their smooth, flaky whiteness makes the transcendent horrors they are? (Melville 209). He goes back and forth, contemplating various views and aspects, musing that it can be frightening due to lack of warmth and coldness, yet acknowledges that it is a mystic, divine color. Though, by the end, he does not know what is correct, just like many of us. He does not know what the whale is or what is it supposed to mean, but it just is what it is. Chapter 99, The Doubloon, is another example of how one singular item can be viewed in so many ways. Ahab studies a gold doubloon, pondering on what the inscriptions may represent. Ahab sees pride and structures in the coin: Theres something ever egotistical in mountain-tops and towers, and all other grand and lofty things; look here, -three peaks as proud as Lucifer (Melville 480). Yet, Stubb believes the symbols are the various signs of the zodiac, while Flask does not ca re and sees it as simple money to purchase cigars with; no one on the ship can reach an agreement on its meaning. It is commentary on how no matter how strong and detailed an argument is, people will always disagree and see it in a completely different light; additionally, it can also be commentary on how critics search for meaning in every aspect of a story, even if there is none to be found. The article continues on to state the same sentiment: Pips initial response to the coin, I look, you look, he looks; we look, ye look, they look, has been taken by many critics as Melvilles statement on the scene itself and on the issue of interpretation in general. Everyone looks, and sees what he will, says April Gentry. It is a bizarre paradox, but one that humans must confront again and again. Moby Dick is everything we lack, and yet in both the book and outside of it, the whale is still judged and viewed by mortal eyes as we search for meaning in its existence. Moby Dick is a book filled with countless possible themes and symbols, but the white whale is perhaps the most mysterious and intriguing. The whales ephemeral and otherworldly nature represents mans limited knowledge and wisdom, and in that same sense, can be a symbol for infinite possibilities. In a paradoxical way, the whales endless interpretations prove our restrained knowledge, as we are unable to identify it as something we do not know. The reason many interpretations often are opposites of each other is because, to us, all we can see is contradictions within something we do not understand. Like the concept of God and Satan, Moby Dick is beyond human comprehension, holding power that we can only strive to attain and driving us mad if taken too far. Mankind must make do with what it can. Rather than claiming the white whale represents the Christian God or the Christian Devil, it is more proper to say that it represents the concept of a god: an ephemeral being who knows everythin g and is everywhere at once. Melville did not intend for the whale to represent one specific aspect, rather hold the potential for countless interpretations; in this sense, he reminds us of how human we truly are.

Compare and Contrast Goffman’s and Foucault’s Explanations...

There are many theories regarding how social order is produced and reproduced , but this essay will focus on the similarities and differences between the two contrasting accounts of how social order is produced, provided by Goffman and Foucault. Social order is the term used to describe the unspoken rules of conduct in everyday life, or a stable social situation in which connections are maintained without change or if change occurs it is in a predictable way. (Taylor, 2009, p. 173) These differing views can be related to the governance of traffic presented in the case studies of the Buchanan report and Monderman’s thesis. This is a useful and relevant example which can be applied to the general theories which need covering first of all.†¦show more content†¦The repetitive practice and actions of these individuals create order, but as these practices change so social change comes about. Whereas Foucault suggests that we live in a disciplinary society, one where correct ive action is used to obtain and enforce obedience and order. (Silva, 2009, p. 322) From this point of view it is social order that shapes and constrains people, human behaviour being regulated by many different organisations. Foucault’s studies put forward three different types of power that are involved in the making of social order. He terms these sovereign power, that of the ruling authorities, who use punishment and laws to maintain social order. The second is surveillance, behaviour is controlled through the keeping of information about people. If people are aware of being watched they tend to regulate their own conduct. Foucault argues that the power of surveillance becomes internalised as individuals seek to make their routines and practices fit with the norm. The third is liberalism, where people are under the illusion that they are individuals with self-direction and personal choice, but have actually internalised social order due to the widespread discourse of indi vidualism. So for Foucault social order is achieved through these different levels of power permeating through society, creating disciplined self-control in the individual, what form this

Like a Winding Sheet Free Essays

Ann Petry’s â€Å"Like a Winding Sheet â€Å"defines a pivoting time line in history even though it is a fictional short story. This story took place in 1946 in the time when all the men would be at war and the women would be in factories making all the weapons and equipments that they would need. The women were the focal point in that era because they ensured that the men overseas were well equipped to be at war. We will write a custom essay sample on Like a Winding Sheet or any similar topic only for you Order Now The story was set in the summer of ’46 and had numerous place settings in which the conflict took place. The main characters of the story are Mr. Johnson and his wife Mae. Mr. Johnson’s love and fondness for his wife was a true testimony in this story. It also brought about the mere fact of racism and a man’s own conscience and mind playing tricks on him. LIKE A WINDING SHEET Like a Winding Sheet, written by Ann Petry in 1945, is a story that begins with a black man’s tough day at work, but takes a twisted turn. Johnson comes home after a hard day planning to kick his feet up and enjoy a relaxing evening at home with his wife, Mae. The bad sense of humour Mae possesses begins to send Johnson over the edge and suddenly, something in him snaps. Johnson brutally beats his wife, quite possibly killing her. This story is very shocking, exposing to us a reality of our society, racism. In this essay I will try to show you that racism, specially in the United-States, can be a source for an imprisonment feeling for individuals, in this case, the bl In Ann Petry’s 1945 short story â€Å"Like a Winding Sheet,†. Johnson is a black male struggling with racism and societal pressures. Johnson faces many challenges. As one reads, one cannot help but feel his anger, frustration and tenseness. Petry tells it in the following way, â€Å"The knowledge that he had struck her seeped through him slowly and he was appalled but he couldn’t drag his hands away from her face. † Petry goes on further to tell us, â€Å"He had lost all control over his hands. † This rage Johnson is experiencing is described as a â€Å"winding sheet†. Johnson’s everyday routine causes anger and frustration to build up inside him. Get up, go to work and come home; get up, go to work and come home. †¦ are reserved to white people. She sends him an indirect message saying to him that because he is black he does not have the right to enjoy a coffee. This is a prejudice to his liberty and to human equality in general. Again, he cannot do anything about these problems. That day was like any other for John. He was oppressed and disrespected all day and had to take it all in without a word. This pressure might not have shown many effect in the story but the simple fact that John tightens up his knuckles at each of these stressing events shows us that all the anger he feels is kept inside him. How to cite Like a Winding Sheet, Papers Like A Winding Sheet Free Essays A tremendous load of stress on a person, can lead to anger that can be difficult to control. People can turn violent or give up on their life, if they cannot cope with the stress. A winding sheet is a shroud in which a corpse is wrapped in for burial. We will write a custom essay sample on Like A Winding Sheet or any similar topic only for you Order Now Mr.. Johnson, the protagonist in Like a Winding Sheet, feels like he is tangled in a winding sheet, but instead of a sheet, it is his stress that has him trapped. Mr.. Johnson is having huge problems with his stress. In the beginning he just cannot get himself up from bed when he has to, so he does not come late in for work. Johnson is working night shifts, and still after ;o years he cannot get used to sleep during the day â€Å"l can’t get used to sleeping in the daytime It’s too light for good sleeping’ p. 2 line 8. Later on it begins to take a bigger part of his day, and every time he meets any form of confrontation, he feels the need to hit someone. In the end he has to react to the urge. Before going to work he is In a quite good mood, except that he is tired, he is grateful for living with his wife Mae. Johnson is happy about Mae and in the beginning he tries to reprise her by making breakfast, but he falls asleep because he is exhausted from work. When Mae and Johnson are arguing about him being late for work, describes a sign of him loving Mae â€Å"he couldn’t bring himself to talk to her roughly or threaten to strike her like a lot of men might have done†. The first time Mr.. Johnson meets the tingling, and where he has to stay strong mentally to not hit somebody, is where he meet his boss at work. She criticizes him for being late, again. He tries to apologies with an excuse about him having problems with his legs, but the foreman says she has heard enough excuses. Next she says â€Å"And the naggers is the worse I’m sick of you naggers†. Mr.. Johnson is African American himself, and starts to get mad at the foreman. First of he is very collected and tells the foreman that it is okay for her to get mad, but that nobody has the right to call him a Niger. This is where he first has the urge to hit someone â€Å"He felt a curious tingling in his fingers and he looked down at his hands. They were clenched tight, hard, ready to smash A mixture of his lack of sleep, causing stress, and the racist comments from his boss is pulling him towards the edge of his mental Tate. The second time Johnson feels racially abused is when he stands in line for a cup Of coffee. When it is his turn, the waitress says that there is no more coffee for a while. The waitress does a symbolic gesture â€Å"put her hands up to her head and gently lifted her hair away from the back of her neck, tossing her head back a little†, Johnson means that it is because of the fact that he is black that the waitress would not serve him coffee, and yet again he feels the urge to hit her. â€Å"What he wanted to do was hit her so hard that the scarlet picks on the mouth would smear so hard that she would never toss her head again and refuse a man a cup because he was black. Even though that he wanted to strike her, he controlled himself, even after the second racist comment in one day â€Å"But he couldn’t hit her. He couldn’t even now bring himself to hit a woman, not even this one It is clear that the racial abuse has taken its toll on him. The hair gesture the waitress did when refusing to give him a cup of coffee, keep going on and on in his head. Afte r he tried to get coffee, he took the subway home. He tried to get some rest on the way home, but the roar of the train was beating inside his head. The pain he had in his legs from work, started to affect his body even more â€Å"He told himself that it was due to all that anger-born energy that had pilled up in him and not been used and so it had spread through him like a poison. When he finally gets home from work and of the train, he notice that his wife is already home. This is here that he faces his anger for the third time. After saying hello to Mae, he is really irritated and even the way she chew gum irritates him. After minor discussion she curls her hair and lifts the hair to the side of her neck from the back, almost exactly like the waitress did it. A short moment later Mae confronts him asking why he is so irritated, but instead of replying he says nothing. Then Mae says â€Å"You’re nothing but an old hungry Niger trying to act tough Then the tingling in Johnson fingers and arms started again. He stroked her in the face just as quickly as the tingling returned to him. He did not realize he had stroked her before he stroked her again he couldn’t drag his hands away from her face. He kept striking her and he Hough with horror that something inside him was holding him He had lost all control over his hands†. At this moment all the anger that had been building up inside him was let out. All the stress, and especially the racially comments, was freed from him. The problem was that he let his anger out on his wife who he loved and cared for, but the anger had taken control over him, he was trapped inside his own body, just like a winding sheet. â€Å"he thought it was like being enmeshed in a winding sheet And even as the thought formed in his mind, his hands reached for her face again and yet again. How to cite Like A Winding Sheet, Papers