Write an essay about a significant theme in Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick Final Essay
For your end-of-semester project, you are to write an essay about a significant theme in Moby-Dick. Here are some sample themes which have received critical attention:
The mysterious narrator of Moby-Dick: Why do we learn so little about Ishmael’s background? How is it that we can observe scenes where Ishmael should not be present (such as Ahab in his cabin, or on a boat that Ishmael isn’t in)? Does Ishmael represent Melville?
Moby-Dick as a Romantic novel: coming near the end of the Romantic period of literature, should Moby-Dick be seen as a conventionally Romantic novel? Are there instances of the traditional Romantic elements in Moby-Dick? Is there anything Anti-Romantic or realistic about Moby-Dick?
Moby-Dick as a multicultural novel: Does Moby-Dick include a philosophical endorsement for multiculturalism or does Melville merely use characters like Queequeg to give his novel the kind of exotic appeal that he exploited in Typee and Omoo? Where does he fall short of the ideals of modern multiculturalism?
The religious symbolism of Moby-Dick: A large number of characters of Moby-Dick, main and supporting, are named after characters in the Bible, and it contains Biblical references other than the characters’ names. Why does Melville choose these Biblical characters as a source for names? Are these Biblical names always intended as a commentary on Melville’s characters?
Sexuality in Moby-Dick: Did Melville intend us to read Queequeg and Ishmael as lovers? Are there other elements in Melville’s writing or his life which suggest that Melville was either aware of gay relationships and wanted to reference them in his books or that Melville himself was not entirely heterosexual?
Choose one of these themes. If you want to write about a different theme, run it past me please. In any case, I would like you to illustrate your points by quoting material from Moby-Dick (which does not need to be cited as it is common text for this class) and by consulting scholarly analysis of this novel (which does need to be cited).
Minimum length 3 full pages + a Works Cited.
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