In this paper I want to focus on the main character and narrator of the book "Moby Dick", especially on his reported thoughts and impressions on Transcendentalist key aspects go get to the bottom of whether there is a clear inclination towards or away from Transcendentalist ideas.
When Herman Melville had written and released "Moby Dick" in 1851, Transcendentalism reached its peak in the United States. It is safe to say that Melville had not been totally isolated from the effect of this new movement and had formed an opinion on it. In spite of the temporal simultaneity, "when he wrote Moby-Dick Melville had not read Emerson. He had merely attended one of his lectures." Nevertheless, this one lecture gave him enough incentive to write a letter to Evert Duykinck nineteen days after the lecture, telling him about he felt about Emerson. In this letter, Melville "rejects the notion that he might be a follower of the Transcendentalist camp", but finds him a peculiar man nevertheless: "there is a something about every man elevated above mediocrity, which is, for the most part, instinctualy perceptible. This I see in Mr. Emerson".
In a pictorial description, Melville thinks Emerson capable of deeper thought and compares him to a whale descending great depths, acknowledging his skills, in contrast to other fish which are only able to swim closely to the surface. Hoffmann says that "Melville admires the figure Emerson cuts, not the word he utters” which is a pretty ambivalent statement to give. Melville also mentions in his letter a "gaping flaw" he had seen in Emerson. According to Hoffmann, Melville was bothered by the "high presumptuousness" Emerson displayed, "a feeling that had he been around when the world was created he could have given God some good advice-perhaps even taken His place". It is hard to say whether Melville was really fond of Emerson’s ideas or not. According to Romero, we get an impression of "simultaneous embrace and rejection of Transcendentalist ideas" and Hoffmann also diagnosed a similar behavior of Melville, in which Melville argues that some ideas of Emerson are flawed but at the same time utilizes Transcendentalist ideas in his book Moby-Dick.
Table of Contents
1. Transcendentalism
1.1. Introduction
2. Pull to Nature
4. The Beauty of Nature and the Leviathan
4.1. The Tail of the Leviathan
5. Transcendentalism and Art
5.1. The Painting in the Spouter-Inn
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines the complex relationship between Herman Melville's novel "Moby-Dick" and the philosophical movement of Transcendentalism. It explores whether the protagonist Ishmael leans towards or away from the core tenets of Emersonian thought through his observations of the sea, the whale, and art.
- The role of nature as a potential source of healing versus a destructive, indifferent force.
- Ishmael’s ambivalent perception of Transcendentalist concepts like the "Over-soul."
- The symbolic interpretation of the "Leviathan" as a challenge to the idea of inherent natural goodness.
- The critique of Transcendentalist idealism through the lens of pragmatism and survival.
Excerpt from the Book
5.1. The Painting in the Spouter-Inn
In Moby-Dick we find a piece of art which is of special importance in the beginning of the book; the oil painting in the Spouter-Inn. Upon first sight of the painting, Ishmael is rather vexed and ponders on what he is seeing:
so thoroughly besmoked, and every way defaced, that in the unequal cross-lights by which you viewed it, it was only by diligent study and a series of systematic visits to it, and careful inquiry of the neighbors, that you could any way arrive at an understanding of its purpose (Melville 26)
This description is in many ways peculiar. Instead of adding to the existing beauty in the world, the painting seems to cause confusion. Not only is it hard to decipher its motive (which is odd enough), it requires not only repeated visits, but also more opinions from other spectators to figure out what it depicts. Furthermore, the description of the painting sounds rather murky and vague, making the process of grasping the meaning even more difficult. Whatever the painting is supposed to portrait, Ishmael does not sound as if the painter had the transcendental motive of satisfying his love for nature, his suspicion is rather scary: “Such unaccountable masses of shades and shadows, that at first sight you almost thought some ambitious young artist, in the time of New England hags, had endeavored to delineate chaos bewitched” (26). The painting is not just dark, it sounds almost pitch-black, which underlines the point I have mentioned earlier, with man being afraid of the unknown. The assumed painter’s motive of trying to “delineate chaos bewitched” almost renders even an inanimate object evil, for chaos itself is without any motive but witchcraft (in this case) is. Ishmael refers not just to witches and witchcraft, but New England witchcraft, therefore hinting to the notorious Salem witch trials, in which several women were accused of being responsible for the disappearing of children and casting spells on the others which led the children to harm themselves. This utterly vicious reference lends an even more sinister air to the painting.
Summary of Chapters
1. Transcendentalism: This chapter introduces the origins and core tenets of the Transcendentalist movement, emphasizing the worship of nature and the individual's connection to an all-embracing spiritual entity.
1.1. Introduction: This section provides the historical context of Melville’s encounter with Emerson’s lectures and sets the research focus on Ishmael’s ambiguous stance toward Transcendentalist ideas.
2. Pull to Nature: This chapter analyzes how Ishmael’s desire to escape urban life for the ocean reflects the Transcendentalist impulse to find healing and self-discovery in nature.
4. The Beauty of Nature and the Leviathan: This chapter contrasts the Emersonian view of nature’s inherent beauty with Ishmael’s perception of the whale as a terrifying, mythological "Leviathan."
4.1. The Tail of the Leviathan: This section examines Ishmael’s aesthetic admiration for specific parts of the whale, while simultaneously noting his continued association of the creature with demonic or evil forces.
5. Transcendentalism and Art: This chapter explores the Transcendentalist belief in art as an ode to nature and how that ideal contrasts with the reality of artistic interpretation.
5.1. The Painting in the Spouter-Inn: This section provides a case study of Ishmael’s reaction to a dark, confusing painting, which serves as an anti-Transcendentalist counterpoint to the idea of art as a clear reflection of nature.
6. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes how Ishmael serves as a "realistic Transcendentalist," bridging the gap between idealism and the harsh realities of the world.
Keywords
Transcendentalism, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, Ishmael, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature, Leviathan, Over-soul, Anti-Transcendentalism, Symbolism, Literature, Duality, Whaling, Art, Aesthetics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the narrator Ishmael's stance toward Transcendentalism in Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick," specifically looking for the tension between Transcendentalist idealism and the harsh, often chaotic realities of the physical world.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the human connection to nature, the symbolic representation of the whale as a "Leviathan," the concept of duality (good vs. evil), and the role of art in capturing or distorting natural beauty.
What is the primary research question?
The research seeks to determine whether Ishmael displays a clear inclination toward Transcendentalist ideas or if his narrative represents a rejection or critical adaptation of them.
Which methodology is employed in this analysis?
The author uses a literary-philosophical approach, drawing on primary texts by Emerson and Melville, alongside secondary literary criticism, to conduct a comparative analysis of the text.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the "pull to nature," the perception of the Leviathan, the concept of the Over-soul in the context of the ship's masthead, and an analysis of art through the painting in the Spouter-Inn.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
Key terms include Transcendentalism, Ishmael, Moby-Dick, Leviathan, nature, duality, and realism.
How does Ishmael’s reaction to the painting in the Spouter-Inn challenge Transcendentalism?
Unlike the Transcendentalist view of art as a reflection of nature's inherent beauty, Ishmael perceives the painting as dark, unsettling, and indicative of "chaos," which contradicts the optimistic Transcendentalist worldview.
In what way does the author describe Ishmael as a "realistic Transcendentalist"?
The author suggests that while Ishmael embodies some Transcendentalist traits, he rejects the "blind idealism" and "stubborn optimism" of the movement in favor of a more pragmatic, grounded awareness of the world's potential for evil and suffering.
- Quote paper
- Tolga Konmus (Author), 2018, Beauty and Horror in Nature in "Moby Dick", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/471363
