Homosexuality in Melville's, Moby Dick
Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is fraught with sexual imagery. The elaborate descriptions with which the author establishes his indulgent style of writing aptly reflect the often indulgent behaviors of the characters. Melville's choice of words is loaded with sensuality. This is most noticeable in the relationship between Ishmael and Queequeg. The evolution of their relationship throughout the text associates homosexuality with negative consequences. As the book progresses their interactions become increasingly more erotic. This negativity culminates with the death of Queequeg. Thus, intimate relationships between men are negatively depicted through a range of literary devices. The subject matter is reflective of Melville's attempt to construct a social commentary about homosexuality.
This story is a vehicle to express something entirely unrelated to the surface meanings. Sexual references are often disguised by Melville's clever use of diction. Such references take many forms in the text but become most evident in Melville's description of a scene. Chapter 94, A Squeeze of the Hand, is illustrative of this. Melville writes, "I squeezed that sperm till a strange sort of insanity came over me; and I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers' hands in it, mistaking their hands for the gentle globules. Such an abounding, affectionate, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes" (322-323). The word "sperm" is short for spermatozoon, a mature male reproductive cell. The word appropriately symbolizes the all male crew by referring to the biological essence of masculinity. Therefore, the langua...
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...ortant a factor as the men in the relationship. This pushes the relationship out of the realm of intimacy and debases it. It is only through the outcome of their relationship that we are reminded of this reality. In general, the relationship is a tragedy about an intimate same sex relationship. The relationship between Ishmael and Queequeg tends to transcend intimacy and approach eroticism. The views expressed in the text do not necessarily reflect the author's opinions. Rather, the text is an expression of an opinion about sexuality that does exist and that the author wishes to comment on.
Works Cited
Melville, Herman. Moby Dick or, The Whale. Reprinted New York. Random House, Inc. 1992.
Sources Consulted
Baym, Nina. (1998) " Homosexuality and Melville." University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign http://www.english.uiuc.edu/baym/essays/melvillehomo.htm
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Before exploring Ishmael, Ahab, and Moby Dick and their Biblical counterparts, it is important to understand Melville's background. He grew up as a baptized Calvinist in the Dutch Reformed Church. His parents trained him to obey God at all times, even if God’s commands seem unjust and cruel. However, he quickly turned against his faith after his father died. During his travels, he witnessed diseases, catastrophes, and hatred throughou...
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