The novel Moby Dick is in itself a Moby Dick. The whale is large, powerful, and, for Captain Ahab especially, hard to capture. The novel represents these same qualities. Not only is it physically large, but there is an abundance of information in the novel from: what the story tells us, the footnotes, and its glossary. The novel can also be viewed as powerful. It not only does it provide knowledge about boats, whales, etc... It also provides life lessons that causes it's readers to think and contemplate how they view life. Here are some quotes to illustrate this:
"My shadow here on earth is my true substance"
"For we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending"
"Any human thing supposed to be complete, must for that very reason infallibly be falty"
"If his eyes were broadened as the lens of Herschel's great telescope; and his ears capacious as the porches of cathedrals; would that make him any longer of sight, or sharper of hearing? Not at all, - Why then do you try to 'enlarge' your mind?"
These are just a few instances of wisdom found in Moby Dick. In a sense, the whale represents knowledge and wisdom which is something that most people strive, an example being Captain Ahab. As far as the novel being hard to capture, I am that example. This novel is not a light read. It is extremely time consuming, requiring the reader's full attention. Sadly, I am only halfway through this novel. Although I do thoroughly enjoy it, it is proving difficult for me to finish, but I cannot wait to see what the second half has in store for me.
"My shadow here on earth is my true substance"
"For we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending"
"Any human thing supposed to be complete, must for that very reason infallibly be falty"
"If his eyes were broadened as the lens of Herschel's great telescope; and his ears capacious as the porches of cathedrals; would that make him any longer of sight, or sharper of hearing? Not at all, - Why then do you try to 'enlarge' your mind?"
These are just a few instances of wisdom found in Moby Dick. In a sense, the whale represents knowledge and wisdom which is something that most people strive, an example being Captain Ahab. As far as the novel being hard to capture, I am that example. This novel is not a light read. It is extremely time consuming, requiring the reader's full attention. Sadly, I am only halfway through this novel. Although I do thoroughly enjoy it, it is proving difficult for me to finish, but I cannot wait to see what the second half has in store for me.