Symbolism and Foreshadowing in Herman Melvilles Moby Dick.

Do human beings have free will or free choice and if not who or what shapes human destiny? (McSweeney 9) Herman Melville utilizes Father Mapples sermon in his nineteenth century epic novel Moby Dick, to illustrate the duality of mankind. Mortal man pursues his own singular interests with selfish intent; however, God has prevailing intentions, which are often beyond the comprehension of the individual. Melville expands and elaborates this theme throughout his epic work. The sermon is an omen for the dynamic action of the novel, which is revealed in Captain Ahabs megalomaniacal pursuit of the white whale. No person, ship or force of nature can sway Captain Ahab from his selfish ambition. He is willing to risk his crew, career, and even†¦show more content†¦There was a low rumbling of heavy sea-boots among the benches, and a still slighter shuffling of womens shoes, and all was quiet again, and every eye on the preacher. The repetition of the s sound sets the scene for the serm on. The Reverend rings out in Melvilles grand self-echoing style. Once again he sets the mood, and forces the reader to be attentive. Humble Father Mapple kneels in the pulpit, illustrating the message of his sermon, by praying for redemption, as Jonah did at the bottom of the sea in the belly of a whale. After completing the devout prayer Mapple breaks into a mariners hymn, which is a petition to the worshipers, and a plea for repentance. Melville believed the primal truth was represented by ... elemental and undisciplined energy. We are therefore allowed only glimpses of Melvilles, God, as he is imagined in various guises throughout the book - e.g., the Old Testament God invoked by Father Mapple; the great democratic God....(Bloom, Bender 100) Righteous Father Mapple opens the sermon with a call to hear the word of the Lord. And God had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah., but first speaks to the congregation in a way that seems like he is justifying the ways of God. The ensuing sermon offers a clear insight and functions as an interpretive key to the central thrust of the tale. Melville undoubtedly intended that Father Mapples sermon should be the vehicle for theShow MoreRelatedSurface: the Key to Understanding Moby-dick Essay2304 Words   |  10 Pages Surface: The Key to Understanding Moby-Dick There are many key themes and words in Herman Melvilles Moby-Dick. One of the more interesting words found repeatedly is the word surface. There are several ways to interpret this word; it is the veil under which the unknown resides, it is the dividing line between the limits of human knowledge and that which is unknowable, it is the barrier that protects the soul from falling below, and it is a finite form . The first and most easily recognizedRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesput into it but upon the reader’s sensivity and his consequent apprehension of what is there†. However, there are dangers as well. Although the author’s use of symbol may be unconscious, ours is an age in which the conscious and deliberate use of symbolism defines much of our literary art, as the criticism of the past forty years amply bears witness. There is, consequently, a tendency among students of literature, especially beginning students, to forget that all art contains a mixture of both the