Moby Dick Ishmael Analysis

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As I began to read the assigned chapters, Ishmael's descent into whale anatomy assaulted my senses once again. The previous chapters were packed full of drama and enough excitement to lure the reader into a false idea that maybe Moby Dick was turning into something reminiscent of a blockbuster action drama in the form of a novel. Melville says not quite. In fact, he reveals new information about Ishmael's reverence of whales. In chapter 102, Ishmael states, “The skeleton dimensions I shall now proceed to set down are copied verbatim from my right arm, where I had them tattooed...there was no other secure way of preserving such valuable statistics” (pg. 346). I see. As keen readers have noticed, Ishmael has a fixation on whale hunting that borders on sacrilegious. However, him casually remarking that he had a tattoo of whale anatomy permanently etched on his skin was …show more content…

For men who spend months upon years fantasizing about whale death, I was pleasantly touched by Ishmael's deep thought into a matter that wasn’t as prevalent in Melville's time at the height of whale hunting. Ishmael at one point states, “Comparing the humped herds of whales with the humped herds of buffalo, which, not forty years ago, overspread by tens of thousands...to show that the hunted whale cannot now escape speedy extinction” (pg.352). What a nice and thoughtful sentiment to make PETA proud. Not so fast because Ishmael then proceeds to reject the previous argument and proclaims the whale as “...immortal in his species, however perishable in his individuality” (pg.354). A curious rebuttal to a seemingly reflective and intelligent previous argument. I took this reasoning as Ishmael once again viewing the whale as his object of worship. Of course, not normal enough for extinction but all powerful, divine and will rule the seas forever and ever- for all time-

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