Combat and Catastrophe

This chapter discusses the implications of Ahab's confrontation with the White Whale for the novel's interrelated themes of theodicy and eschatology. Since Ishmael is the only one who survives the wreck, the novel's conclusion shows that the messianic zealotry and metaphysical dualism...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cook, Jonathan A.
Format: Book Part
Language:English
Published: Cornell University Press 2021
Subjects:
White whale
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.7591/cornell/9780875804644.003.0007
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spelling crcornellup:10.7591/cornell/9780875804644.003.0007 2024-06-09T07:50:07+00:00 Combat and Catastrophe Cook, Jonathan A. 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.7591/cornell/9780875804644.003.0007 en eng Cornell University Press Inscrutable Malice page 240-270 ISBN 9780875804644 9781501757167 book-chapter 2021 crcornellup https://doi.org/10.7591/cornell/9780875804644.003.0007 2024-05-14T12:54:02Z This chapter discusses the implications of Ahab's confrontation with the White Whale for the novel's interrelated themes of theodicy and eschatology. Since Ishmael is the only one who survives the wreck, the novel's conclusion shows that the messianic zealotry and metaphysical dualism of Judeo-Christian apocalyptic are ultimately self-defeating. The chapter examines Moby-Dick as a Christian tragedy with salient apocalyptic symbolism. It explains the similarities of the White Whale's role in undermining Ahab's overweening pride and God's final words to Job about Leviathan. The last chapter and epilogue of Moby-Dick thus resemble the traumatic ending of King Lear, wherein the future is in the hands of exhausted survivors. Book Part White whale Cornell University Press 240 270
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collection Cornell University Press
op_collection_id crcornellup
language English
description This chapter discusses the implications of Ahab's confrontation with the White Whale for the novel's interrelated themes of theodicy and eschatology. Since Ishmael is the only one who survives the wreck, the novel's conclusion shows that the messianic zealotry and metaphysical dualism of Judeo-Christian apocalyptic are ultimately self-defeating. The chapter examines Moby-Dick as a Christian tragedy with salient apocalyptic symbolism. It explains the similarities of the White Whale's role in undermining Ahab's overweening pride and God's final words to Job about Leviathan. The last chapter and epilogue of Moby-Dick thus resemble the traumatic ending of King Lear, wherein the future is in the hands of exhausted survivors.
format Book Part
author Cook, Jonathan A.
spellingShingle Cook, Jonathan A.
Combat and Catastrophe
author_facet Cook, Jonathan A.
author_sort Cook, Jonathan A.
title Combat and Catastrophe
title_short Combat and Catastrophe
title_full Combat and Catastrophe
title_fullStr Combat and Catastrophe
title_full_unstemmed Combat and Catastrophe
title_sort combat and catastrophe
publisher Cornell University Press
publishDate 2021
url http://dx.doi.org/10.7591/cornell/9780875804644.003.0007
genre White whale
genre_facet White whale
op_source Inscrutable Malice
page 240-270
ISBN 9780875804644 9781501757167
op_doi https://doi.org/10.7591/cornell/9780875804644.003.0007
container_start_page 240
op_container_end_page 270
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