Human-Kind and his perceptions: The White Whale of Moby Dick

Melville was an exceptional Romanticist writer in the 19th century, and arguably, the best of the period. He was born near a time when new ideas were emerging constantly in Europe, known as the Great Enlightenment. In his powerful, critically acclaimed novel Moby Dick, he brings into question whether or not perception, and therefore the many emotions at our disposition due to perception, is beneficial to mankind. Ishmael, the narrator of the book and, in turn a victim of perspective himself, tells the story of Ahab as he leads his ship to seek the great white whale that ultimately leads to his, and most of the ship s own destruction. The true story, though, is portrayed through the white whale, the most opaque body of symbolism in the entire story. Through the symbol of the white whale, Melville implies nature s inscrutability and its ability to reflect the person perceiving its power and greatness. The white whale is not unlike the origins of Stone Hedge or primitive language, in that each brings titillating myth, philosophy, religion, and legend by its side because of the enigmatic nature of each. The whale is seldom ever mentioned in a straightforward way, and is perceived through the eyes of the characters in many different ways. Ishmael even doubts that he can hope to read the awful Chaldee of the Sperm Whale s brow , (79.6). The whale is rarely seen by the characters themselves, but is generated in each of their minds only through perception. Only through perception can the whale hope to be slightly illuminated in a mind as inventive as each and every person on this earth. The whale is essentially, then, the manifestation of all of man s inner being, which Melville, along with anti-transcendentalism says is mostly malevolent. Through Melville s novel, one can only interpret the whale through each of the characters of the novel, who, in turn can be analyzed through their examinations. Perception is the source of all the plot events in the story, and therefore is the only vehicle in trying to understand it. Although Melville had anti-transcendentalist beliefs, he shows, if unwillingly, the constant pervasion of the theme as nature being a reflection of humankind s emotion and feeling. The whale exudes a feeling of divinity to some, and vengeance or the amalgamation of all anger, from Adam down (41.19), to yet others. It is, therefore, the only function of these interpretations to give insight into each of his/her very own inner being. Ahab s personality shines through the story because of his thoughts and ideas about the whale, and in fact, only really thinks about the whale during the story. Ahab, the main character, is simply the most quintessential example of this reflexive property of nature, and the reason for his inclusion in the story. Nature s incomprehensible power and its capacity to echo humankind s inner-being is shown strongly in the symbolism of the white whale. Ahab is the prime example of this, showing the extremes one will go with only perception as a harbinger. Perception is therefore seen in this story as a destructive force opposing man, and his endeavors. Perception holds the key to all

emotion, and all action. Melville leaves us with a maxim; perception is the greatest invisible force, notorious for the destruction of mankind.