Moby Dick

In chapter 83, “Jonah Historically Regarded,” Melville seems to be having a spot of fun. With what is essentially a tangential tale of a whaleman’s attempt to rationalize the story of Jonah and the whale, Melville examines vastly different methods of Biblical interpretation, thereby casting an inquisitive light on his own frequent Biblical references.

Ishmael introduces to the reader a host of religious intellectuals (including a bishop and German exegetist)—all of whom attempt to rationally legitimize the story of Jonah—through Sag-Harbor, who is more or less the protagonist of this brief chapter. By likening their efforts to those of Greeks and Romans who “[stood] out from the orthodox pagans of their times,” Ishmael perhaps sarcastically represents Biblical rationalization as a historically tried-and-true process. However, each successive “explanation” of the religious text is more ridiculous than the next. Ishmael points this out by slyly mocking the bishop’s explanation of the possibility that Jonah’s whale was a Right whale:

For truly, the Right Whale’s mouth would accommodate a couple of whist-tables, and comfortably seat all the players. Possibly, too, Jonah might have ensconced himself in a hollow tooth; but, on second thoughts, the Right Whale is toothless.

Ishmael goes on to entertain several considerations beyond the anatomy of the whale, including whether Jonah’s whale was alive or dead, and several quibbling geographical details. In the last paragraph, Ishmael makes absolutely clear his opinion of Sag-Harbor’s attempts at rationalization by calling him of “little learning,” and by denouncing the practice in general: “I say it only shows his foolish, impious pride, and abominable, devilish rebellion against the reverend clergy.”

Ishmael never explicitly states what he regards as the best way to approach Biblical stories. In the same paragraph, however, our narrator does reveal an alternative to Biblical rationalization, of which he apparently approves: “Besides, to this day, the highly enlightened Turks devoutly believe in the historical story of Jonah.” There is no ridicule in Ishmael’s language here; as opposed to his description of Sag-Harbor as uneducated, Ishmael makes a point of labeling these Turks “highly enlightened.” He goes on to illustrate the power of their devout belief with a legend:

And some three centuries ago, an English traveller… speaks of a Turkish Mosque built in honor of Jonah, in which Mosque was a miraculous lamp that burnt without any oil.

Perhaps what Melville is trying to say is that his story, like any Biblical story, is meant to be taken at face value. Certainly, there is a suggestion that the Turks were able to achieve miracles by their blind faith in Biblical text. Perhaps, then, the most fruitful way to read Moby-Dick is with a trusting eye.

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