Moby Dick

3 Pages 724 Words

Authors throughout history have used the biblical accounts to enhance their own story. Herman Melville’s classic American novel Moby Dick is no exception. In Moby Dick, Melville uses innumerable biblical allusions, but readers can observe this literary technique best in the naming of his characters. The use of the Bible in literature is a powerful tool for an author; it allows him to place his characters and plot within an immortal context. Each character lives for a finite amount of time, but given a biblical name he will live forever in scripture. Also, the author's comparison of aspects of a novel allows the reader to know something more about the characters, settings, and context without an author's introduction. The reader brings a pre-formed notion to the text from his knowledge of the biblical material. Knowing this adds more poignancy to the frustration that Ahab has over his mission to kill the whale.

In Moby Dick Melville acts as both parent and inventor. As author, he creates the characters and names them. Ishmael begins Moby Dick saying "Call me Ishmael." (Melville 1) We do not know if this is his real name but he chooses to identify with the biblical character. It is interesting to consider the name of Ishmael in respect to all the other biblical names of the novel. Ishmael is the only one who chooses his, while Melville determines the others' names. This is particularly significant in regard to Ahab. Ishmael is the only one with the power to choose his fate because he is able to choose his name. Ishmael chooses God as his protector when most other people have a parent. Ishmael's survival story is incredible and supports the idea that God was looking out for him since he is the only one to survive. Because God is willing to save Ishmael, Melville is willing to save him as well; Ishmael is the only one to survive.

Ahab is another person all his own, with his own past and biblical reigned as the king of the Israel f...