"Comprehensive, Combining, and Subtle": Ishmael's Philosophy of Connection in Melville's Moby-Dick
This paper explores the lived philosophy of Ishmael in Herman Melville’s epic, Moby-Dick, particularly as it contrasts with Captain Ahab. Furthermore, this paper examines how Ahab’s narcissism ushers him towards death, while Ishmael’s collectivism guides him towards life. While Ahab is obsessed with...
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ftcolumbiauniojs:oai:ojs.cu.submissions:article/8719 2023-05-15T18:26:46+02:00 "Comprehensive, Combining, and Subtle": Ishmael's Philosophy of Connection in Melville's Moby-Dick Ferrante, Catherine 2022-01-10 application/pdf https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/meliora/article/view/8719 eng eng Columbia University Libraries https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/meliora/article/view/8719/4641 https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/meliora/article/view/8719 Copyright (c) 2022 Catherine Ferrante https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Meliora; Vol. 1 No. 2 2767-7052 Herman Melville Moby-Dick Ishmael Ahab Subtilization Connection info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Peer-reviewed Article 2022 ftcolumbiauniojs 2022-08-26T12:14:08Z This paper explores the lived philosophy of Ishmael in Herman Melville’s epic, Moby-Dick, particularly as it contrasts with Captain Ahab. Furthermore, this paper examines how Ahab’s narcissism ushers him towards death, while Ishmael’s collectivism guides him towards life. While Ahab is obsessed with himself and his goal of killing Moby Dick, which leads to his own demise, Ishmael is focused on exploring people and their respective philosophies in order to express the infinite spiritual aspects of human life. Ishmael learns from his mistakes, listens to the perspectives of others, and searches for spirituality through various religious and secular means. The form of the novel mirrors its narrator’s wide and wandering curiosity, as Ishamel shares with the reader both the narrative story of the Pequod and worldly facts about the sperm whale. The novel’s form enhances Ishamel’s actions within the story, revealing a nuanced philosophy that values human connection and curiosity. While some scholars have made claims that Ishmael’s narrative style reflects his confusion or ambiguity, this paper argues that it is actually evidence of a life-sustaining philosophy, one which eventually saves Ishmael from being swallowed by the whirlpool caused by Ahab’s pride. Article in Journal/Newspaper Sperm whale Columbia University Libraries Journals Ahab ENVELOPE(-62.178,-62.178,-65.434,-65.434) Captain Ahab ENVELOPE(-57.617,-57.617,-62.000,-62.000) |
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collection |
Columbia University Libraries Journals |
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language |
English |
topic |
Herman Melville Moby-Dick Ishmael Ahab Subtilization Connection |
spellingShingle |
Herman Melville Moby-Dick Ishmael Ahab Subtilization Connection Ferrante, Catherine "Comprehensive, Combining, and Subtle": Ishmael's Philosophy of Connection in Melville's Moby-Dick |
topic_facet |
Herman Melville Moby-Dick Ishmael Ahab Subtilization Connection |
description |
This paper explores the lived philosophy of Ishmael in Herman Melville’s epic, Moby-Dick, particularly as it contrasts with Captain Ahab. Furthermore, this paper examines how Ahab’s narcissism ushers him towards death, while Ishmael’s collectivism guides him towards life. While Ahab is obsessed with himself and his goal of killing Moby Dick, which leads to his own demise, Ishmael is focused on exploring people and their respective philosophies in order to express the infinite spiritual aspects of human life. Ishmael learns from his mistakes, listens to the perspectives of others, and searches for spirituality through various religious and secular means. The form of the novel mirrors its narrator’s wide and wandering curiosity, as Ishamel shares with the reader both the narrative story of the Pequod and worldly facts about the sperm whale. The novel’s form enhances Ishamel’s actions within the story, revealing a nuanced philosophy that values human connection and curiosity. While some scholars have made claims that Ishmael’s narrative style reflects his confusion or ambiguity, this paper argues that it is actually evidence of a life-sustaining philosophy, one which eventually saves Ishmael from being swallowed by the whirlpool caused by Ahab’s pride. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ferrante, Catherine |
author_facet |
Ferrante, Catherine |
author_sort |
Ferrante, Catherine |
title |
"Comprehensive, Combining, and Subtle": Ishmael's Philosophy of Connection in Melville's Moby-Dick |
title_short |
"Comprehensive, Combining, and Subtle": Ishmael's Philosophy of Connection in Melville's Moby-Dick |
title_full |
"Comprehensive, Combining, and Subtle": Ishmael's Philosophy of Connection in Melville's Moby-Dick |
title_fullStr |
"Comprehensive, Combining, and Subtle": Ishmael's Philosophy of Connection in Melville's Moby-Dick |
title_full_unstemmed |
"Comprehensive, Combining, and Subtle": Ishmael's Philosophy of Connection in Melville's Moby-Dick |
title_sort |
"comprehensive, combining, and subtle": ishmael's philosophy of connection in melville's moby-dick |
publisher |
Columbia University Libraries |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/meliora/article/view/8719 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-62.178,-62.178,-65.434,-65.434) ENVELOPE(-57.617,-57.617,-62.000,-62.000) |
geographic |
Ahab Captain Ahab |
geographic_facet |
Ahab Captain Ahab |
genre |
Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Sperm whale |
op_source |
Meliora; Vol. 1 No. 2 2767-7052 |
op_relation |
https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/meliora/article/view/8719/4641 https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/meliora/article/view/8719 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2022 Catherine Ferrante https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
_version_ |
1766208738787590144 |