Mar 04 2010
Anthropomorphizing the Whale
There are many occasions throughout the novel where Melville describes whales by giving them human characteristics. Most noticeably is in the chapter Schools and Schoolmasters. First, he describes females whales by saying
“As ashore the ladies often cause the most terrible duels among their rival admirers; just so with the whales, who often come to deadly battle, and all for love.” (Melville, 380)
And later, compares whales to college students by saying
“Like a mob of young collegians, they are full of fight, fun, and wickedness, tumbling round the world at such a reckless, rollicking rate, that no prudent underwriter would insure them any more then he would a riotous lad at Yale or Harvard.” (Melville, 382)
In addition, throughout the chapter he refers to the whales in anthropomorphic terms such as describing the whales “embracing”, or as “gentleman.”
This is not a style seen uniquely in this chapter. Later in The Dying Whale we again see the comparison of whales to humans when, while watching a dying whale turn his head towards to sun, Ahab comments on how the whale, like man, adores the sun’s warmth. On page 477 he says:
“He turns and turns him to it,—how slowly, but how steadfastly, his homage-rendering and invoking brow, with his last dying motions. He too worships fire; most faithful, broad, baronial vassal of the sun!” (Melville, 477)
It is possible that in ascribing human characteristics to the whale he is attempting to hint at a bigger issue. In anthropomorphizing the whales, it makes hunting them seem more callous, exploitative, and even, perhaps, murderous. In doing so, Melville could be attempting to critique the exploitation of the white man in other forms as well, such as slavery. We have discussed in class a number of times that the issue of slavery was very relevant at the time that Moby Dick was written, and this would be Melville’s way of making an analogous statement about the issue.
One Response to “Anthropomorphizing the Whale”
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I also found this anthropomorphizing very interesting on a number of levels, the most clear of which you have touched on very well; I agree that looking into the water and seeing human eyes looking back at you may make one question whether you can go through with the hunt, or murder. this is also seen in his description of seals: “sobbing with their human sort of wail…the human look of their round heads and semi-intelligent faces…seals have more than once been mistaken for men.” (p. 502)
The narrator seems to think he is not alone in feeling a quiet human presence in these creatures of the sea. For me this goes beyond an intentional anti-whaling statement, it is almost eerie. What does it mean not only for these men to be chasing and killing their own kind, but to be completely overpowered and terrified by something they compare to themselves. Given all the discussion we have had of Ahab vs. Moby Dick and the possible symbolism of hell, this anthropomorphism takes on a very complex and peculiar role indeed.