Howdy, faithful readers! I've just fulfilled my quota of assigned reading for tonight for 19th-century Am. lit.-- the first 38 chapters of Moby Dick, to be exact. Throughout those 144 pages, I discovered a number of critical plot nuances in the novel. Accordingly, I will share a few of them with you.
First, many of the characters have Biblical names. I feel that this device is symbolic of the importance of religion in 19th-century America. Secondly, narrator Ishmael makes some very interesting observations about his fellow shipmates, especially Queequeg, Tashtego, and Daggoo-- all men of color. More specifically, while he comes off as being a bit condescending to them, Ishmael also seems to imply that these men appear to be more devout in their spiritual practices and rituals than many white Western Christians. This global perspectivism is a major theme of literature of this time period. Finally, all of Melville's characters have a great deal of pathos, or emotion-- another characteristic of 19th-century American literature. One example of this is the misunderstood Captain Ahab. We learn that he has been depressed since losing a leg to the eponymous beast shortly before the story takes place and that he actually has quite a nice life on land, including a supposedly happy marriage to a "sweet girl" and a child. These are just a few of the things I've discovered while reading this once-maligned classic.
This has been another installment of "My Reading List for..." Stay tuned for many more to come.
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