Student+Notes-Transcendentalism


 * Man's Place: Transcendentalism vs. Anti-transcendentalism in Moby Dick**

1. What is Transcendentalism?

A literary and philosophical movement, associated with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller, asserting the existence of an ideal spiritual reality that transcends the empirical and scientific and is knowable through intuition. American transcendentalism was an important movement in philosophy and literature that flourished during the early to middle years of the nineteenth century (about 1836-1860). It began as a reform movement in the Unitarian church, extending the views of William Ellery Channing an indwelling God and the significance of intuitive thought. It was based on "a monism holding to the unity of the world and God, and the immanence of God in the world" (Oxford Companion to American Literature 770). For the transcendentalists, the soul of each individual is identical with the soul of the world and contains what the world contains.

2. Who were its major proponents?

Emerson, Thoreau, Fuller, and others published lengthy works of a range of types on a variety of subjects, each in its own way an expression of Romantic ideals. The Transcendentalists also conveyed their philosophy, concerns, and creativity through shorter pieces printed in the periodical publications that were important to the intellectual life of the mid-nineteenth century.

3. Who were its major opponents?

4. How did this philosophy affect the United States in the 1800's positively? (socially, economically, culturally, racial tensions, etc.) 5. Negatively?(socially, economically, culturally, racial tensions, etc.)

6. How did transcendentalism reflect historic events in the United States in the 1800's?

7. What elements of transcendentalism are present in Moby Dick? The idea that Ahab's quest for Moby Dick is an act of defiance toward God assuming that Ahab is omnipotent first occurs before Ahab is even introduced during Father Mapple's sermon. The lesson of the sermon, which concerns the story Jonah and the whale, is to warn against the blasphemous idea that a ship can carry a man into regions where God does not reign. Ahab parallels this idea when he compares himself to God as the lord over the Pequod (Chapter 109: Ahab and Starbuck in the Cabin). Melville furthers this idea through the prophetic dream that Fedallah tells Ahab that causes Ahab to conclude that he is immortal.

8. How do these elements contribute to the plot and structure of the novel? 9. How do these elements of transcendentalism help Melville to comment on the direction of the United States in the 1800's and on the philosophy of transcendentalism in general?

My approach to Transcendentalism is that all Transcendentalist authors believe in the mind's ability to achieve higher states of spiritual reality. However, such positive transcendence is not guaranteed; consequently, the mind that faces its most sublime fears and strives to achieve its most imaginative possibilities in a quest for ultimate knowledge may descend into melancholic and mournful or obsessional and destructive. There exist two kinds of transcendence: "positive" transcendence, which encompasses the creative, idealistic, and self-determining genius, and "negative" transcendence, which consists of the destructive death drive toward absolute negation of self and the world. Emerson and Thoreau are positive Transcendentalists for they believe in the possibility of the mind to society and achieve a more or less spiritual or simplified grace; Fuller, Douglass have one foot in positive and one foot in negative transcendence for they believe in the ability to transcend their gender stereotypes and physical enslavement, respectively; however, Fuller and Douglass both experience anguish because of their knowledge of transcendent possibilities, a knowledge of self-negation that ironically pushes them toward transcendence. Hawthorne and Melville are negative transcendentalists because Young Goodman Brown, Bartleby, and Ahab each acquire a debilitating knowledge in the face of more or less extreme existential quests.

SCENE 1 - Ishmael and Queequeg in a "romantic" relationship

narrator- Ishmael and Queequeg meet at the Spouter-Inn in Nantucket where they become bosom friends and put aside there differences.

Ishmael- If there yet lurked any ice of indifference towards me in the Pagan's breast, this pleasant, genial smoke we had, soon thawed it out, and left us cronies. He seemed to take to me quite as naturally and unbiddenly as I to ; and when our smoke was over, he pressed his forehead against mine, clasped me round the waist, and said that henceforth we were married; meaning, in his country's phrase, that we were bosom friends; he would gladly die for me, if need should be. Be it said, that though I had felt such a strong repugnance to his smoking in the bed the night before, yet see how elastic our stiff prejudices grow when love once comes to bend them

SCENE 2 -"Romantic" community/environment on the ship

narrator- As Ishmael and Queequeg’s relationship develops they decide to further their friendship on a whaling excursion. They both find positions on the Pequod and are pleased to find that the crew shares their same

Ishmael- As Queequeg and I are now fairly embarked in this business of whaling; and as this business of whaling has somehow come to be regarded among landsmen as a rather unpoetical and disreputable pursuit; therefore, am all anxiety to convince ye, ye landsmen, of the injustice hereby done to us hunters of whales.

narrator- the crew of the Pequod believed that whaling was a way of life and a part of nature. As the ship and crew set sail the Pequod’s owner gives them some friendly advice.

Bildad- Don't whale it too much a' Lord's days, men; but don't miss a fair chance either, that's rejecting Heaven's good gifts.

SCENE 3 - Ahab=God of the ship

narrator- as the whaling excursion thickens captain ahab’s motives start to change.

To me, the white whale is that wall, shoved near to me. Sometimes I think there's naught beyond. But 'tis enough. He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it. That inscrutable is chiefly what I hate; and be the white whale agent, or be the white whale principal, I will wreak that hate upon him. Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me. For could the sun do that, then could I do the other; since there is ever a sort of fair play herein, jealousy presiding over all creations. But not my master, man, is even that fair play. Who's over me? Truth hath no confines.

There is one God that is Lord over the earth, and one Captain that is lord over the Pequod. - On deck!


 * SCENE 4- Breakdown of "romantic" community**

Ahab - Whosoever of ye raises me a white-headed whale with a wrinkled brow and a crooked jaw; whosoever of ye raises me that white-headed whale, with three holes punctured in his starboard fluke - look ye, whosoever of ye raises me that same white whale, he shall have this gold ounce, my boys!

Seamen - "Huzza! huzza!"

Ahab - Now, three to three, ye stand. Commend the murderous chalices! Bestow them, ye who are now made parties to this indissoluble league.... Drink, ye harpooneers! drink and swear, ye men that man the deathful whaleboat's bow -- Death to Moby Dick! God hunt us all, if we do not hunt Moby Dick to his death! The crew, man, the crew! Are they not one and all with Ahab, in this matter of the whale? See Stubb! he laughs! See yonder Chilian! he snorts to think of it.

Narrator – After Ahab’s announcement that the first person to spot Moby

Narrator – But Starbuck wimps out and the Pequod moves forward on her hunt for the white whale.


 * SCENE 5- Death and Consequences**

Narrator - Ahab had taken his crew this far and all for this moment and he wasn’t going to let anyone back down now. As the crew fought, the white whale fought back ferociously and it became clear that Ahab’s ambitions were not going to be successful. The Pequod under Ahab’s direction had turned into a revenge machine and was now paying the consequences.

Ahab - Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell' as heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool! and since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!"

[|Transcendentalism]