I finally finished reading Moby Dick: or, the White Whale. I have to say it was difficult for me to read and I literally got to the end by reading one percent at a time. However, I do not regret having read it. I believe part of the reason why I found it difficult to read was because the style of the genre was not quite what I was expecting- as I thought it was going to be a fictional novel just telling a story about a whale- and because the technical sailing descriptions sort of wore on me quite easily. I'll just get right into my brief review and personal thoughts; bear in mind that before I read the novel all I knew was that it was a famous classic about a whale called Moby Dick- no more.
One of the main thematic elements that struck me in the novel was colonialism. Now it's a rather broad subject and there were of course many themes branching off of it such as racism, white superiority, living in diversity and the like. I found that despite the date of the novel's publication it sounded so contemporary when the narrator, Ishmael, spoke about different cultures, peoples, nations ranging from the Dutch, French and English to the Turks and their pilgrimages to Mecca, the Japanese and of course some African tribes. He seemed to be well informed about different cultural and religious practises, such as a small detail like the Muslim call to prayer. I find this significant because of the date and because how many present-day people in the West still seem to feign ignorance about these cultures and how living amongst them is still a new experience and learning process, when in fact history and literature shows us that it's been a good few hundred years or more that we've been exposed to each other and already know a lot about each other if we only just learned to value that knowledge. Moby Dick does indicate an idea of friendship between races but the novel does give a sense that the white race still maintains superiority.
What I wasn't expecting from the novel was a research-based and academic style in describing whales as a species. Without a doubt it was a valuable part of the book in which there is much to learn but it does deviate from a "story-telling style" and attempts to be quite factual. Ishmael, describes the history of whaling, different species of whales, the anatomy of sperm whales including the head/ skull, its inner mouth, the eyes, the "water" spout, the tail, and the skeleton especially the ribs and the vertebrae. We also learn much about the purpose of whaling: seeking the precious sperm oil, and an even rarer treasure, ambergris, as well as how whale herds travel and their groupings.
The novel describes how a whale ship is run and explores the different tasks and responsibilities as well as the charm and courage of being part of such a team. The reader is allowed a sneak peak into moments of danger and toil without risking as much as the sailors do as well as being able to compare whaling ships to merchant ships. It also describes the nature of hunting and the technical, strategic and national developments. While the novel briefly discusses the question of sustainability of this industry and the extinction of whales, it doesn't necessarily discuss the justice of such an industry existing in the first place.
The legend and mystery of Moby Dick is of course what drives the plot and I felt that there was more suspense than actual "contact" with the whale himself. And while I can imagine it would have been difficult to get to know the whale in any more detail without turning him into a caricature, I still read the book longing to read more about him. The plot of Captain Ahab seeking his revenge with Moby Dick was, for me, the stubbornness of human pride and ego facing a power greater than it and not being able to let it go in humility but instead seeking one's own destruction as well as being blinded enough to sacrifice others in the passion. In this case it was the human not being able to dominate over one animal in a species which it feels it has the right to hunt and thus should be subjugated to him. For me, Moby Dick represents the power that humans will never be able to dominate over in any field and it is a reminder to recognise one's place before losing everything in greed and pride, as the frequent Biblical references indicate.
Overall I felt Moby Dick raises important issues related to hunting and our human responsibility towards nature and animals as well as our treatment of fellow human beings. It delves into the necessary mental and physical stamina needed for sea voyages and some of the many risks sailors face, from madness to loss of life. A must read for anyone who loves whales, sea creatures, wants to know more about the history of whaling or even read about early multicultural living.
No comments:
Post a Comment