1. Introduction: The Bible as a Source
Of all sources for Moby-Dick, the Bible, as an inescapable part of his education, was Melville′s best and earliest known one. Herman Melville was raised in a pious middle class perception of religion, and broadened his horizon of knowledge about Scripture and its reception throughout the centuries through the study of biblical commentaries, metaphysical essays, sermons, religious poetry, and of course of the "opposition": stoic, skeptical, and deist literature. No other major writer of Melville′s times makes such extensive use of Scripture. Not even Emerson, with an actual career as an Unitarian minister, or Hawthorne, who grew up in a Salem Calvinist family, make a comparable effort to use the Bible as a source, or to imply comparable grave consequences for the world view of both reader and author in their use of it.
Raised with the Bible, Melville′s biblical allusions appear with such regularity that their use seems "not studied but involuntarily." The spontaneity of their occurrence points to the fact that Melville had internalized the contents and styles of Scripture to an extent that made him employ biblical imagery, characters, and themes as if they had sprung from his own mind. There are about 250 obvious allusions to biblical passages in Moby-Dick , and an almost indefinite number of thematic and stylistic borrowings. Throughout Melville′s career as an author, the number of allusions to biblical writings continually rises, from only a dozen in his first novel, Typee, to more than 550 in Clarel, the latter being the only work with more references to Scripture than Moby-Dick.
In Nathalia Wright′s list of the biblical books which Herman Melville marked and commented upon, the books of Ecclesiastes and Job have most markings, right after the Psalms, Matthew, and Isaiah, which suggests "close connections […] between the Bibles he read and the books Melville wrote." Of the passages thoroughly marked the wisdom sentiments in Job, especially the dialogue between Yahweh and Job in Job, ch. 38ff, as well as the short book of Jonah, are most notable for their recurrence as important features of Melville′s novels.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Melville’s Captain Ahab as a Literary Antitype
2.1. The Concept of Ahab as an “Antitype”
2.2. Captain Ahab as an Antitype
3. Conclusion
Research Objective and Themes
This paper examines Herman Melville's use of biblical narratives in "Moby-Dick," specifically focusing on how he constructs the character of Captain Ahab as a "literary antitype" to biblical figures like King Ahab and Job. The research explores how Melville moves beyond simple inspiration to create a character that embodies and simultaneously surpasses these traditional types through defiance and the struggle with divine limitations.
- Typological interpretation of biblical characters in literature.
- Melville's personal engagement with and revaluation of Scripture.
- Ahab's character construction as an antitype to King Ahab and Job.
- The role of oracles, omens, and false prophets in narrative foreshadowing.
- Existential defiance and the assertion of the human will against the divine.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. The Concept of Ahab as an “Antitype”
In the creation of his Ahab, Melville uses a variety of motives, characters, and types from biblical books, most notably from 1 Kings, Jonah and Job, which he realigns and combines in order to provide the reader with his perspectives on them. The character of Ahab is Melville’s most striking creation, unifying character traits of the biblical King Ahab, of Jonah and of Job, but nevertheless surpassing them all in his personal quest for the unreachable.
However, choosing biblical parallels and making them more than obvious through various allusions and amplifying images all throughout the novel, Melville does not intend to provide in Ahab a contrasting character to the biblical characters. Captain Ahab does not, as widely perceived, exist as a counter-image of Jonah and Job, nor can his actions be interpreted as fundamentally wrong, or as opposed to the “right” behavior of the biblical characters. Ahab as based on Jonah and Job does not point to “pride and arrogance,” but to worship and defiance, and much more. Melville’s Ahab is no less than equal to his biblical counter-images Jonah and Job in his “search for an Absolute,” and he is no worse than his namesake, King Ahab, in his choice of defiance as his form of worship.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes Melville’s profound engagement with the Bible, establishing it as his most influential source and demonstrating how he integrated biblical themes and imagery into his writing.
2. Melville’s Captain Ahab as a Literary Antitype: This core section analyzes the theoretical framework of typology and applies it to Captain Ahab, arguing that he functions as an antitype who surpasses his biblical precursors.
2.1. The Concept of Ahab as an “Antitype”: This chapter introduces the methodology of typological interpretation and explains how Melville synthesizes biblical traits to create a complex, non-contrasting literary figure.
2.2. Captain Ahab as an Antitype: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of Ahab’s defiance, exploring how he mirrors and exceeds the biblical King Ahab and the suffering of Job in his quest for meaning.
3. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the arguments, asserting that Ahab’s character represents a significant maturation of the literary hero who wrestles with the fundamental problems of human existence.
Keywords
Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, Captain Ahab, Biblical typology, Antitype, King Ahab, Book of Job, Literary criticism, Scripture, Divine defiance, Biblical allusions, Leviathan, Existentialism, Prophecy, Religious imagery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core premise of this research paper?
The paper explores Herman Melville's use of the Bible in "Moby-Dick," arguing that he utilizes the concept of "typology" to construct Captain Ahab not just as a character inspired by biblical figures, but as a "literary antitype" that surpasses them.
Which specific biblical figures are central to the study?
The central figures used for typological comparison are the biblical King Ahab, the prophet Jonah, and the figure of Job.
What is the primary goal of the author?
The goal is to demonstrate that Ahab's character is a complex synthesis of biblical types, used by Melville to explore the limits of human free will and defiance against a deity perceived as unjust.
What research methodology is applied?
The author employs typological interpretation, a method historically used by Church Fathers to connect Old Testament types to New Testament antitypes, and applies this framework to literary character analysis.
What does the main body of the work focus on?
The main body focuses on the characterization of Ahab as an antitype, the analysis of his "godlessness" and rebellion, and the examination of the various oracles and prophecies that foreshadow his ultimate demise.
What are the primary characteristics of the work as described by keywords?
The work is defined by its deep intertextual analysis between Melville's novel and the Bible, focusing on themes of existential struggle, defiance, and the reinterpretation of traditional religious narrative structures.
How does the author distinguish between Ahab’s "extrinsic" and "intrinsic" typicality?
Extrinsic typicality refers to Ahab's social role as a whaling captain representing a specific community, while intrinsic typicality refers to the characteristics he derives solely from his biblical types through the process of antitypical expansion.
What is the significance of the "prophetic" figures mentioned in the study?
Figures like Elijah, Gabriel, and Fedallah serve as modern antitypes to biblical prophets; their oracles act as a compendium of evil omens that emphasize the inevitability of Ahab's fate and his parallels to the biblical King Ahab.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Silja Rübsamen (Autor:in), 2002, Melville's Captain Ahab as a Literary Antitype, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/7566
