Feb 17 2010
Personifying/Gendering the Sperm Whale
*I had intended to post this before Monday’s discussion on gender, but because of internet problems, am only posting this now.
In reading this story through a scientific lens, I find it worth noting that in many instances, Melville is conversely unscientific in his descriptions of whales. That is, he consciously abandons writing accurately about the natural world, as to make his tale more literary and poetic. It is interesting how Melville is deliberately inconsistent about this accuracy. One example that struck me was concerned with the gender and anatomy of the whale.
In the beginning of chapter 102, A Bower in the Arsacides, Melville writes, “But to a large and thorough sweeping comprehension of him, it behooves me now to unbuttom him still further, and untagging the points of his hose, unbuckling his garters, and casting loose the hooks and the eyes of the joints of his innermost bones, set him before you in his ultimatum; that is to say, in his unconditional skeleton (432 to 433).”
The male subject in the passage refers to the Sperm Whale, but Melville confuses this,in the same sentence, when he describes undressing the whale from its “hose” and “garters,” which are distinctly feminine objects. As was stated in Monday’s lecture, Melville complicates gender descriptions throughout the book, sometimes probably much more subtly than others. From what I have noticed, I think that Melville, in other places in the book, consistently refers to whales in the masculine form, but here he is being playful and speculative about gender, which makes for interesting questions.
Also, here Melville is being unscientific in that he is pretending the whale is removing its clothing, rather than being anatomically dissected, which he seems to be referring to, however figuratively .
2 Responses to “Personifying/Gendering the Sperm Whale”
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I noticed this as well. One passage that struck me was in chapter 92, “Ambergris,” when Melville says “the motion of a Sperm Whale’s flukes above water dispenses a perfume, as when a musk-scented lady rustles her dress in a warm parlor.” Furthermore, this description is similar in its subtle sensuality; musk, hose, and garters. This is really interesting in the context of our discussions of gender, because while Melville may not have incredibly fond feelings for human females, he seems to have them for whales.
Yes, I agree that several descriptions of whales throughout the novel are surprisingly romantic or sensual. Melville also expresses a certain degree of admiration for female whales in chapter 89, “Schools and Schoolmasters,” where he describes how they are sensitive and caring for other members of their clan. Perhaps these descriptions are related to our discussion of hidden ecological concerns within the novel, meant to make the reader think about the slaughter of creatures that share some strangely human qualities.