Bill Carroll Dr. Chipman AP English Literature 1/17/2017 Better A person’s desire to be superior to one’s fellow man is not an uncommon sentiment. Capitalism, the world’s most successful economic system, is primarily based upon the assumption that a person is willing to work harder than their neighbor to become more successful and/or wealthy, and therefore superior to their less diligent fellows. However, it can also create severe prejudices against other people as a way of artificially creating superiority, usually by a defining physical or mental trait (skin color, sexual orientation, mental illness, etc.). Thus, this concept is explored in detail in many modern works of literature, notably F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Herman …show more content…
F. Scott Fitzgerald personifies this trait perfectly in Tom Buchanan in his novel, The Great Gatsby. Buchanan is shown to be not only a racist, but also to attempt to be the dominant figure over anyone else he comes across. This is evidenced in the beginning of the novel: ““I’ve got a nice place here” …Turning me about by one arm, he moved a broad flat hand across [the property].” (Fitzgerald 7). The fact that he is wearing riding clothes to expose his muscular body to Nick is an early show of dominance, but also the way he forces Nick to turn around and stare at the house before taking him inside is a show of his desire to be superior. Tom is also shown to enjoy asserting his dominance over Daisy, especially during the conspiracy scene: “He was talking intently across the table at her, and in his earnestness his hand had fallen upon and covered her own.” (Fitzgerald 145). The act of Tom covering Daisy’s hand with his own serves as a metaphor for their relationship: Tom is in charge, and Daisy does whatever Tom wants her to do. Tom is also shown to be a racist, praising a book called Rise of the Colored Empires, as follows: “Have you read Rise of the Colored Empires…Well, it’s a fine book, and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be—will be …show more content…
Captain Ahab is so arrogant and proud of himself that he has what is known as a god complex. This is evidenced even at the beginning, as Ahab is described by Captain Peleg: “He’s a grand, ungodly, god-like man, Captain Ahab.” (Melville 63). This line is already setting up Ahab as the god-like figure which he perceives himself to be. Ahab also perceives himself as a god, above any criticism or slandering, as evidenced by this line: “Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.” (Melville 116). This line proves Ahab to be unbelieving in any higher power, and far above anyone who would speak ill of him. Finally, it is Ahab’s hubris that brings him down, believing that he can kill Moby Dick, even after he is nearly killed the first time. At this point, Ahab still believes that he can kill Moby dick, thus purging all evil from the world entirely. However, Ahab’s arrogance comes back to bite him, as he continues to pursue the whale even when he should have backed off. This fatal error results in the deaths of Ahab, his ship, and his entire crew save Ishmael. Overall, Ahab’s perception of himself as a god is what ultimately led to his downfall, in that he believed he was invincible, as well as believing that he could conquer any whale he came
Analysis: Melville's Great American Novel draws on both Biblical and Shakespearean myths. Captain Ahab is "a grand, ungodly, god-like man … above the common" whose pursuit of the great white whale is a fable about obsession and over-reaching. Just as Macbeth and Lear subvert the natural order of things, Ahab takes on Nature in his
At the beginning of the novel, Tom tells Nick at a party that “if we don’t look out the white race will be--will
"He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it. (280)" At first glance, a modern reader might mistake this quote for that of a social justice warrior complaining about the patriarchy and not a line proclaimed by Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. However, as one deconstructs Herman Melville's classic, he will observe that this gaffe is actually justified. Despite originating over a hundred years before the equality movements, Captain Ahab symbolizes one of their ambassadors because of his hatred for the system that wronged him; his driving will to enact revenge; and being disdained upon for his actions. To commence elaboration, the first characteristic exemplified by Ahab that establishes his symbolism is his loathing for the body that ruined him.
Ahab’s quest for the whale is not an honorable pursuit of God, but man’s vain endeavor in his hatred of God to destroy the all-powerful deity. The symbol of the whale as God makes sense as it is white a color that is associated not only with purity and honor but the deity of God himself. Because this whale caused him personal damage in an earlier encounter, Ahab views the whale as an “inscrutable thing”, making it his life’s quest to get revenge (335). Not only does he associate the whale with this damaging experience, he connects the deity of God with “the white whale that razeed me; made a poor pegging lubber for me forever and a day!” (334). His quest for vengeance distorts his ability to have a relationship of God as who can endure the pursuit of such a being if the pursuit is driven by enmity? Ahab’s pursuit of Moby Dick, “Be [he] agent, or be [he] principal” is driven strictly by hostility and a lack of righteousness (335). Only those who have experienced the sweetness of reconciling grace can look at the tremendous
Daisy has learned of Tom’s cheating and lying and has grown to be weary of the things that Tom says. In chapter 6 at one of Jay’s parties Tom states “Do you mind if I eat with some people over here?” he said. “A fellow’s getting off some funny stuff.” “Go ahead,” answered Daisy genially, “and if you want to take down any addresses here’s my little gold pencil.”
The first few times that Ahab is introduced to the reader and to his crew, he appears to be inhuman. Even his description when he first appears on deck states that he “seemed made of solid bronze” (Melville 117). To compare him to a statue is to distance him from humanity – he is not a breathing, emotional being. However, as the book continues, it becomes blatantly obvious that Ahab hates his obsession and is greatly disturbed by the fact that he is obsessed. This self-hatred makes Ahab human because he knows that he is leading himself to his death and yet he is so possessed by his obsession that he can do nothing to stop it. Every human being can relate to this feeling, for at one point or another, everyone feels like they have lost control. Though Ahab may be an extreme example, he is simply a strong representation of a characteristic human sentiment.
... and conflicts in the book and leaves the ending in question. Following this logic, Ahab could never kill Moby Dick as Moby could never kill Ahab. Like matter and anti-matter, they would merely cancel each other out.
In addition Ahab in "Moby Dick" is considered not only as an evil and sinful person but is selfish and greedy. The reason why he is sinful, evil, selfish, greedy, mainly is because he didn’t care what the other people on the ship wanted or that what he was going to do would or could bring dangers, and what he was doing was a waste of time, because instead of getting vengeance on "Moby Dick". He could be hunting whales for food and selling what’s left of them and make money.
Ahab is dedicated towards regaining control of his life by conquering the whale. His obsession with Moby Dick is what fuels his desire to spend months and months at sea. Ahab is so involved that he tries to get into the mind of the whale. He becomes obsessed with the whale’s every move. Similarly, the narrator is highly analytical of Bartleby’s behavior. He feels the need to know exactly what it is that makes Bartleby ‘tick’. Eventually the narrator is mentally defeated by Bartleby and is forced to change the location of his offices in order to avoid him. Ahab on the other hand is constantly chasing his antagonist and does whatever he can to get closer to Moby Dick.
Ahab’s character is unpredictable; at one moment he is a raging and insane captain while at another, introspective and sensible. He is monomaniacal; he only focuses on finding and killing Moby Dick. When describing how Ahab lost his leg and how his obsession came about, Ishmael compares Ahab to the Hudson river (196). Similarly to how the river flows narrowly and leaves nothing behind, Ishmael writes, “in his narrow-flowing monomania, not one jot of Ahab’s broad madness had been left behind; so in that broad madness, not one jot of his great natural intellect had perished” (196). While Ahab may be obsessive and goal-orientated, or a monomaniac, he still maintains his intellect. His decisions leading up to the end of his
Going Insane in Moby Dick People's dreams can make them insane. One person can be entirely focused on a particular event, so that the event soon begins to take over their life and influence others. Captain Ahab's intent is to find and kill Moby Dick, the whale that maimed and disfigured him years ago. His obsession with this whale puts many others in danger, such as Ishmael, Starbuck, and himself. Captain Ahab uses his shipmates as bait for Moby Dick.
Even Melville's description of Ahab, whom he repeatedly refers to as "monomaniacal," suggesting an amorality or psychosis, is given a chance to be seen as a frail, sympathetic character of the character. When Ahab's "monomaniac" fate is juxtaposed. with that of Ishmael, that moral ambiguity deepens, leaving the reader with. an ultimate unclarity of principle. The final moments of Moby Dick bring the novel to a terse, abrupt climax.
Because it is beyond his control, he fears that he may lose his authority and power. It explains a little bit further into why he hit Myrtle in the nose. If she became too much or too full of herself, he would have lost his authority over her. He couldn’t let her have the upper hand, which is why he hit her. However, when thinking about Tom as a person, he is fairly sophisticated. He exhibits this black nature by his wealth and elegance. He attends black tie events, where black suits are most often worn. He is extremely conservative in his beliefs and dealing with what his fears are. He wants to keep the traditional patriarchal society, He wants Daisy to complement him, which is why his wife wears white, to balance out what his black nature represents. Tom and Daisy are polar opposites being that his black nature absorbs all color and shows an absence of light in any way. With Daisy being the exact opposite, it demonstrates how Tom’s black soul keeps him and Daisy hidden from everyone else in a
The novel, Moby-Dick, can teach you many things if you can remain focussed long enough. However, the most prominent lesson that can be learned from the work is not that complicated and rather apparent. This lesson can be summed up in one sentence; don’t become to focussed and obsessed with one goal to the point that you exclude the more important things in life. This lesson is represented with Ahab’s peculiar obsession with hunting and killing a whale. By setting this as his most significant goal in life, he begins to ignore more important things such as the lives of his crewmen, and eventually his own life. This mistake wound Ahab up dead. Although the novel isn’t trying to say that if you over obsess with a matter or issue in your life that you will die, it’s simply trying to say that if you put minor self-centered goals before what’s most important, you will more than likely regret it. This lesson is very true, and can be related to real life instances when compared to examples such as government dictatorships or social relationships. For instance, many dictatorships are lead by one person with overwhelming power over his or her nation. This, in most cases, ends up with a greedy and uncontrollable leader who leads their country to certain downfall. Also, on a much more common scale, some relationships can symbolize this lesson. For example, say one person is very much so attracted to another.
Because Ahab is the captain of the ship, he assumed that he ultimately had higher authority than God. God, in his mind, was in the wrong, by letting Moby Dick “dismember” (Melville 161) him; leading into Captain Ahab’s growing fixation with the beast. While being infatuated with Moby Dick, he is forced to ignore the obvious signs from Nature that were telling him to change his plans if he desired to live. However, Ahab chose to ignore the warning signs that were thrown at him throughout the novel. One omen that Ahab chose to pay no heed to was when the Pequod “was left to fight a Typhoon which had struck [it] directly ahead” (482). The result of that typhoon was that the ship changed directions, heading West rather than East. Ahab realized this when he “turned to eye the bright sun’s rays” and claimed that “[he’ll] be taken now for the sea-chariot of the sun” (495), meaning that the Pequod was pulling the sun along wi...