Notes+2

Meagan's crazy thoughts after today's crazy teaching session:

OK so... why would Melville chose Ishmael as his main narrator? I mean, the guy knows nothing about whaling right? Or maybe that was the point, this gives him a way to explain about all the other things Ishmael knows or is learning about. Ishmael is also so inexperienced and unhardened by the whole whaling experience that he is the ideal of transendentialism (whatever that big word was). OK, so we know this from Conlay. Ishmael gives a clear, unbiased perception of the events on the Pequod, but why is merely 10 percent of the book about the adventure. Well, no one wants to read a book that has no plot or conflict. So Melville wove all these intricate themes, questioning, beliefs, ideas, opinions, and criticisms into the text of a novel so that people would read it. He probably set it up like a play (where the ship's deck is the stage) so that it would be easier for the reader to envision while Melville was filling there heads with this (at least to me) nonsense. I mean, how does cetology affect the novel other that it's what the whalers are involved with. Why was there so much talk about racism and culture? Why was the crew a complete melting pot of these different cultures? What other topics did most of us skip while reading this dreadfully long book did Melville include? But more importantly, why did he include them? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY????????????????????? (Temper tantrum)... Does it help the reader understand Melville's ideas about life in America? Is it a mechanism for him to get his beliefs out in a novel with a very simple and enjoyable plot? Why was the novel only popular after Melville's death? Were people only reading for enjoyment beforehand? Did they not recognize the genius? Why does literature have to be so complicated...

So we know that (thanks to Conlay) depending on how you look at the novel, you see that there are several protagonists and antagonists in the novel, as opposed to the single that reigns in western literature. Ahab can be seen as either of these in contrast to the Great White Whale. Ishmael would be an obvious choice as he is the narrator and only survivor of the Pequod, yet does he do anything heroic. Not really, he just observes and analyzes what happens and recounts it for the reader. What about Starbuck, wasn't he good. He saw Ahab's madness, but saved his own butt by not stabbing him for the good of the crew. Is he a tragic hero that ultimately suffers death, then, like Oedipus? Queequeg is another protagonist with a large backstory. He lets Ishmael lead him to the ship that causes his demise. Each crew member gets his time in the spotlight of the novel with a chance to explain themselves, except Ishmael. The reader hardly knows anything about him other than his is extremely bright, soft, and analytical... But why would Melville create a more complicated plot with many characters and their stories and sides to everything unless he were trying to make the novel more complicated. This was more than just a grand whaling adventure, these are Melville's thoughts on something much deeper... maybe transendential...blah blah blah... (that stupid big word). But how would explaining cetology be of importance to that? Might it help the reader understand the gorey occupation of whaling? Ahab was not "playing God" but he was trying to lead the crew like he were God (hence the scene with the static electricity). We know there is humanity somewhere in him, but his desire for vengence drives his mind to this evil place... So if Ahab is trans.. (meh) at its worst, is Ishmael really at its best. Did he try to control or influence people for the better. Did he try to help the crew? Did he put himself on the line to help Queequeg and his other amigos? So is he really connected with God other than his insane and often analyses and knowledge about subjects semi-related to whaling.

But the main question is WHY WHY WHY oh WHY did Melville have 90 percent of his novel not related to the plot. What is the significance of these interruptions. How does it relate to the several characters involved and Ishmael's innocence and lack of knowledge on this ship and of whaling? That is what we must find out. This is what we must create and argument for and back it up with some scenes... Oh man, what have we gotten ourselves into dear amigas...

What was Melville trying to convey (eh?) about life, whaling, society, government, anything with the digression and narration...??? Are we all related to one another like the characters were on the ship, and if one thing or person goes wrong, they may lead us astray. Are people too indicidualistic? should the opinions of others be solicited more? does ahab serve like a king or tyranny? is this an expression of checks and balances and separation of powers? does this challenge the idea of being loyal to one another? what about democracy? does this convey that there should be more? it might help if we go back and read those boring chapters we kind of skimmed over... maybe melville talks about government somewhere in there. What about the relationship between queequeg and ishmael. i bet all of us thought some homosexuality was going on there? but does the derive from the relationships of other cultures? maybe the whole lesson of it is that power corrupts absolutely, but we all have power, so some of us are corrupted, but some are able to keep sane.

Basically, Melville was one smart dude and is very very very clever...

-Meagan...

Trandecionalism, sp/...... Alright here goes nothing, it is the idea that everthing in a community is equal and important in its own way. So with ahab, he is the ultimate side of trans. being god and throwing of the balance of the community. Ship sinks. However, with ishmael, a nothing character leading the book, it allows you to believ that there is no real main character, In fact, all the stuff about cetolgy and crap is just important as everything else. It gives the ship, the useless info, ahab, the ishmael the crew, all a chance to.

Tansedentilism is in fact justas iportant as everything else in the story. Ishmael goes full circle. Ishmael is one extreme Ahab another, everything getsthrown off, but once ahab is gone, it goes right back to the natural order of the world Harmony greek myths they have a reason for evrything around them. In order to understand yourself you need to understand everything about it. Ex Whaling is a main part of our story so to understand that we need to understand everything else hence all the cap.

Abbs

After some research...

This essay should be good. The video and chapters... not so much. I finally get the use of digression. The onyl reason I didnt before was because, well, i don't agree with transcendentalism. It relies too much on the innocence and goodness of man, with power, does not exist entirely. The novel shows trans. at its ideal and at its worst (Ishmael and Ahab). Trans. also focuses on nature is good and rational. In the novel, it is, but its not. Moby Dick (nature) destroys the crew and ship, but not Ishmael (the epitome of trans.).