Posted by Mike on April 23, 19102 at 22:21:23:
In Reply to: ishmael - moby posted by emily on January 24, 19102 at 10:36:16:
Hi Emily. My name is Mike. I'm a junior at a high school and we're reading Moby- right now. One thing that we're talking about - and this thoery is a little out there but has been brought up by many well respected literary critics - is the theory that Ishmael is Ahab. If you think about it, this makes more sense than it originally suggests. First of all, Ishmael and Ahab never actually converse - there is no evidence in the novel at all that suggests that they even spoke to each other - except for the last page and I'll get to that in a second. But what could be happening here is the ultimate literary technique - a trick, to play a game on the reader, and shock them into realizing the true message of the novel. Basically, Ishmale does the same thing to the reader that Ahab does to his crew. By being this Narrator that is all knowing, he can suggest many different themes to his readers. He promises us that this book will give us answers and warnings. Melville purposefully makes the narration drawn out and all-encomping to make it seem like this book holds everything. And it does. It goes from political theory to pyschological insights to religious messages to philosophical theory to good vs evil themes - you name it, it has it. Even the most information anyone would ever want to know about whaling. All of this information is crammed into this book, as what? As an answer. The reader thinks that by coming to this book he is going to recieve some knowledge or wisdom, and the narrator Ishamael leads him on the whole time - getting him more involved and more involved, and the more time and effort you put into understanding all the messages, the harder you fall at the end, when you realize that it was all a trick. That Ishmael is really Ahab, and what better way to gain control of people than to come with the pretense of wisdom and advice and then to break it down right at the weakest point of the reader. Melville may be condemning the notion of going to books for answers, just as Ahab goes to the whale for answers. Perhas Ishmael is the good side of Ahab. The duality of human nature - kind of like Darth Vader in star wars - how there is still some good left in him - he tries to warn us of making this quest. He says "you think you can come to this book and get information, no. I've tried that. I've tried getting the whale, and to teach you what its like and to warn you, I'm going to show you that all this time and effort trying to yze this book has all been in vain. Because the messages mean nothing and you cannont conquer the book just as I could not conquer the whale. It was all a trick. Ishmael is Ahab playing the ultimate trick and teaching the reader a lesson. We cannot search for truth in a book, or anything of this earth.
Anyway, its just a theory. Something to think about. I'm not saying I agree with it, but its worth some consideration.
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