Herman Melville’s Moby Dick is recognized for its exceptionally genuine depiction of life on the sea, and more specifically life on a whaling ship, during the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Though sometimes quite dry, few dispute the authenticity of Melville’s many chapters on cetology, the sea, and life as a whaleman. Part of this realistic portrayal of a sailor’s life is the inherent danger of the profession due to the hidden threats that constantly lurk beneath the sea’s glistening surface. Sailor’s in the novel do not attempt to deceive themselves about the ever-imminent chance of death, and death is in no way glamorized. Death occurs swiftly and without sentimentality, and is forgotten just as quickly. Though surely a true fact of life present in the narrative, it also seems that Melville had another motive for his anti-romantic depiction. In fact, it seems to be a response to consolation-graveyard literature which was quite common at the time.
No comments:
Post a Comment