Moby Dick

Lashed round and round to the fish’s back; pinioned in the turns upon turns in which, of the lines around him, the half torn body of the Parsee was seen; his sable raiment frayed to shreds; his distended eyes turned full upon old Ahab. [from Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick]

This passage drives home a couple of themes that have been central to this entire novel since the beginning: the question of what to make of religions other than Christianity, and the concept of fate.

I’ll start with addressing the first of these two topics: what are you supposed to make of non-Christian religions, if you are Herman Melville in the 1850’s, or if you’re Ishmael around that same time, or if you’re someone reading this book when it was released?  Throughout the book, Melville routinely includes references to alternative religions, seeming to play with the idea that perhaps they are valid.  Here, however, it seems that Melville makes some sort of statement about Fedallah, the “Persian fire-worshipper”.  This particular character’s demise is comprised of being dragged to death through the water by Moby-Dick, his body mangled and torn.  One can argue that this is a comment about the character’s religion, as he is referred to as a “Parsee” in this passage, a direct reference to his “Persian fire-worshipper” identity. His body did not meet a respectful end upon his death, and perhaps this is a comment on the end his soul met as well.  Or, perhaps, Melville is making a comment on how religions other than Christianity were treated at that time in the States — not well.  Perhaps Melville is using Fedallah’s mangled body as a symbol for the mangling that mainstream America did to other religions.  And the passage certainly makes us feel for Fedallah — who deserves to die in that way?  Was Melville trying to make his readers feel for worshipers of religions besides the Christian norm?

A concept also thoroughly addressed by this passage that is very closely tied to religion is the concept of fate.  Firstly, Melville makes a foreshadowing reference to the fate of the ship: Fedallah is lashed round and round the whale, much as the Pequod will become thrashed round and round in the vortex of water that destroys it.  Is it a coincidence that these two things, Fedallah and the rest of the Pequod, met the same fate?  Is Melville saying that perhaps there is no escaping our own fate, so even though Fedallah does not die with the rest of the crew, he is still lashed round and round as the ship will be later?  (But then why does Ishmael escape this fate?  Perhaps Melville is both showing us the power of fate, but asking us to question it at the same time.)  Furthermore, Melville makes clear to mention that the distended eyes of Fedallah focus on Ahab.   Perhaps this is a reference to the role that Ahab played in the fate of Fedallah (and the rest of the Pequod).  Ahab was the one who decided to lead the crazy mission to kill Moby-Dick, and so perhaps he is responsible for the fate of Fedallah, and Fedallah is blaming him even after his death by staring at Ahab with his distended, dead eyes.  Or, perhaps, Melville is forcing the reader to question the validity of the dead Fedallah’s sentiment, rather than presenting such sentiment as true.  Is it possible for one man to control another man’s fate, or is every man’s fate controlled by some higher power?  If Moby-Dick represents God (as often he is said to), and he is what caused Ahab to lead this crazy mission, is the case simply that Moby-Dick (and thus God) caused the fate of Ahab and the crew that followed him?  Is this to say that God controls the fate of all of us?

Both of these subjects make one point clear: the way in which Melville structured his themes and symbolism does not lead the reader to one definite conclusion.  It allows for a variety of interpretations, a variety of ideas.  It causes the reader to question, rather than follow.  And perhaps this is just what Melville wanted.

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