Moby-Dick: Obsession, Diversity, and the Dangers of Monomania

So, I finished reading Moby-Dick! I thought it was a pretty awesome book that contained a lot of philosophical depth (Pun intended) and I would love to share some of the amazing things I've found. I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum. Let's begin!

1. Predeterminism and Free Will

Moby-Dick dives into a concept that Theologians and Philosophers have discussed for ages: Does man have free will, and if so, to what extent? Melville uses words like "predestined" or "predetermined" at several points, even using it as an adjective at some points. All of this serves to indicate that the events which take place at the end were already determined to take place, there is also a lot of foreshadowing going on as well. At the same time, there are points when the characters in the book are forced to make a decision that only seals the events that take place at the end. While each character could have chosen differently, it would be unlikely because this decision would be contrary to their previously established nature. Near the end of the book, the captain of another vessel comes aboard Ahab's ship and asks Ahab to help search for some missing crewmembers. Although I hoped that Ahab would help this captain, I strongly suspected that he wouldn't because it had already been established that Ahab's obsession with vengeance had caused him to put aside any interest in his fellow man. As a result, Ahab's refusal wasn't exactly shocking. Another important decision is made by a character named Starbuck who serves as the second in command of the Pequod. Starbuck notices Ahab's obsession and realizes that it could potentially lead to the death of the entire crew. Starbuck is faced with an ethical dilemma: Is it right for him to shoot Ahab (Who has become a madman at this point) so that he may preserve the lives of the rest of the crew. This decision becomes even harder for Starbuck because he is a Quaker and Quakers believe that it is wrong to use guns (Even in self-defense), much less using a gun to kill someone. Because we are already familiar with Starbuck's beliefs, his ultimate decision is not surprising. While we have choices, our decisions stem from our values and can serve as part of a greater plan.

2. Pouring Yourself into the Lives of Others

This book shows the importance of personally investing in others by providing both negative and positive examples. On the positive side, we have Ishmael befriending a harpooner named Queequeg who comes from a culture very different from his own. The two become closer than brothers and remain so throughout the book. Melville paints a contrasting picture of investment early in the book when Queequeg and Ishmael go to church. They arrive at a building filled with people silently and despairingly mourning their loved ones lost at sea. Father Mapple, the pastor, walks in and goes up to the pulpit which is designed to look like the front of a ship and is accessible by a ladder. Mapple climbs up to the pulpit and then pulls the stepladder up after him. Although he delivers a relevant sermon that makes numerous references to sailing and uses language that the people can relate to, Mapple never takes the time to personally bond with his congregation. After his sermon is concluded, he kneels until everyone leaves- not speaking to anyone. We should invest in the people around us.

3. Whales are Actually Pretty Awesome

I was not all that interested in whales when I started reading this book. I knew that they were huge aquatic mammals but that was pretty much it and I never really cared enough to learn more. Because Ishmael is a former school teacher, we are given a detailed education on whales. We are exposed to the whale from several angles including full chapters on a sperm whale's head, tail, skeleton, blubber, as well as the differences between a sperm whale and the seemingly similar right whale. You learn some pretty interesting things too. For example: sperm whales have an eye on each side of their body which gives them two distinct views of the ocean but they are blind to anything directly in front of them. They also have blubber that helps them keep the same internal temperature regardless of their surroundings. I also found that whales are pretty cute. During one of their whaling trips, Ishmael's small whaling craft finds itself in the midst of a sperm whale nursery. Melville's description of nursing mother whales, tiny baby whales and larger pregnant whales produced a vividly adorable image in my mine, one that I found was pretty accurate when I googled them later. I am now quite fond of whales and I think I can blame Melville for that.


4. Finding Philosophical Insight in Everyday Things

For most of the books I read, it is B.Y.O.P.I. (Bring your own philosophical insight) but in Moby-Dick, there is so much philosophical insight that is already there because Ishmael is a very philosophical fellow (This probably has something to do with the fact that Melville is a very philosophical fellow). While it certainly helps to bring your own insight as well, there is so much that is already there which helps to demonstrate that even the smallest everyday things can be a source of rich insight. When Ishmael is discussing the difference between a whale that has already been claimed (A Fast Whale) and a whale that still remains for the taking (A Loose Whale). Ishmael mentions that some things such as religion are loose whales and that human beings are simultaneously loose whales and fast whales (Still wrapping my head around that one). Finding the philosophical in the everyday shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to us, Jesus did the same with his parables.

5. Captain Ahab is a Lot Like Richard III

I love it when something I am reading connects to something that I have already read. In this case, I noticed some interesting similarities between Captain Ahab from Moby Dick and Richard III from the Shakespeare play of the same name. Both of these men are "deformed" in some way and see this as part of their identity and their motivation for their actions, Richard is literally deformed while Ahab comes to identify strongly with the leg that he lost to Moby-Dick. Both of these men claim that their deformity prevents them from enjoying the world in a normal manner. Richard III starts of the play with a speech discussing his inability to live a normal life and Ahab has a similar speech after his desires are made clear. Both Ahab and Richard are fairly transparent in their desires (Ahab desiring vengeance and Richard wanting power) and yet they are both able to deceive, hiding their obvious motives for a time. They both persuade people to follow after them and help them in their goals. Both begin to deteriorate as the story progresses. Near the end, both characters receive an epiphany about who they are as well as the depths to which they have sunk...this realization does nothing to prevent them from meeting their ultimate fate. There is one big difference between the two, Richard is evidently an evil man whom you are not supposed to pity, a man who doesn't even feel pity for himself (I pity him, but I'm weird). Ahab on the other hand is a decent man who is corrupted by his feelings of victimization and his need for revenge. Ahab is a man we can all pity while normal people do not pity Richard.

6. Don't Use the People Around You As Commodities

One of the first signs that Ahab's obsession is a bad thing can be seen in the way that he treats the people around him. To Ahab, every human being is just a pawn that can be used as a means of achieving his final goal: destroying Moby-Dick. Ahab only cares about people to the extent that they benefit him and his personal agenda and this is not a healthy lifestyle. Whenever Ahab would encounter another ship (Which happened surprisingly often), he would as one question: "Hast seen the White Whale?" This question is void of even the familiar touch of the word "you". The answer to the question was all that Ahab cared about, anything else that was going on onboard that ship, even when the ship had injured captains, missing crewmembers, of dead crewmembers, even when things seemed fishy, like an insurrection was upcoming, none of this mattered to Ahab. Once Ahab got his answer, he would leave the ship behind, unassisted, in the midst of its troubles.

7. Melville has a Unique and Diverse Narrative Style

I didn't really notice this until my sister asked me about the narrative style in this book but there are actually several in here at the same time. The book starts in the first person with Ishmael narrating his experiences then it jumps into the third person at several points as it mentions the events that take place on the Pequod. The book turns into a play for a chapter or so with both dialogs and soliloquies present. As you read there are times when you feel like you might be reading a play, a dictionary, an encyclopedia on whales, a philosophy book, and a whaling manual. Yet, in the midst of all this diversity and transition, the structure feels perfectly normal and it all fits together pretty well.

8. Obsession is Dangerous

I think many of us, even if we haven't read Moby-Dick, are familiar with Ahab's deadly obsession with the White Whale. It is a cultural icon, with allusions present in Star Trek: First Contact, Anamaniacs, and The Pagemaster among others that I can't think of at the moment. Obsession is unhealthy and dangerous because it causes you to lose perspective on your personal values and interpersonal relationships. In addition to the outward destruction that Ahab faces, we are told that he is presented with an internal destruction that is far more terrifying. Melville describes Ahab's obsession as a force that is eating away at him from the inside out until this process begins to take on external properties in Ahab's physical appearance. Obsession is something that possesses you rather than the other way around. Ahab is clearly a slave to his own obsession.

9. Melville is Not a Big Fan of Oneness

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Melville has monophobia (Fear of singularness) but it does seem that Melville is very concerned about the consequences of having a singular, domineering mind overshadow the unique contributions of a diverse group of people. In one of my favorite chapters: "The Doubloon", the crewmembers each look at a coin that is nailed to one of the ship's masts. These people are all looking at the exact same coin with the same image engraved on it and yet they come up with very different interpretations of what the image means. Starbuck sees an image that points to God's presence and guidance while another crewmember, Stubb, sees it as a call to maintain a positive mindset at all times. Yet another crewmember sees only what this coin will get them after they possess it. Ahab's monomania, his obsession with Moby-Dick and nothing else, is poison to the diversity on board his ship. Dissenting voices such as Starbuck's are silenced and it eventually gets to the point where the crew of 30 act as though they are one mind- Ahab's. This suppression of diversity only leads to trouble.

10. Just Because You are On the Same Ship Doesn't Mean You All Have the Same Vision

Amid Ahab's diverse crew, you find a group of people who all have very different reasons for sailing on the Pequod. One character has lost everything of value to him and sees the whaling voyage that he is on as an indirect means of committing suicide. Ishmael is a schoolmaster who enjoys new experiences and tends to retreat to the sea whenever he is feeling stir-crazy. Ahab, as we know, only cares about destroying Moby-Dick and harvesting him for oil. It's fine if you have differing visions from those around you, however it is important to know what the people around you are trying to accomplish so that you don't find yourself at cross purposes with them. After Captain Ahab reveals his plan to hunt Moby-Dick, Starbuck is fine with it- as long as they encounter and defeat Moby Dick in the process of indiscriminately hunting whales. When it is clear that Ahab is willing to sail all the oceans looking for this particular whale and seems oblivious to well being of his crew, Starbuck and Ahab find themselves at cross purposes. Even on a whaling ship where it seems like it should be easy to discern what it's ultimate purpose should be, it is still easy to encounter a difference in vision.

Moby-Dick, The Great American Novel? 

I have heard people call Moby-Dick "the great American Novel" and I think they may have a good point. It is a great book, it's definitely American and it could be described as a "novel". At the moment it is one of my favorite books because I am pretty excited about all the things I have found while reading. I think this book is quite good at capturing America, it is full of a lot of differing perspectives and styles and yet it all fits together into a cohesive whole. An excellent picture of "Out of Many, One". This unity is different from Ahab's domineering command because it allows the individuality of every person to prosper. I think this unity is something that Melville would have wanted to continue, even when it gets challenging...this might be my longest spiel yet, but I hope it was interesting and I look forward to sharing things from the next book I read. Until then, bye