Although Moby Dick is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels of all time, the case can be made that modern scholarship has demonstrated that all thinking people should regard the book as meaningless, irrelevant and unworthy of serious consideration. From a 21st Century perspective, it is evident that the book has some serious problems.
First, Although Herman Melville has been regarded by many literary scholars as an inspired author, the book's contents make plain that he was very human. Modern scholarship has revealed that he borrowed some of the elements of his story from earlier works which purportedly described actual events related to the Essex (a ship that was attacked by a sperm whale) and the antics of a whale named Mocha Dick off the coast of Chile. He has also been criticized for inserting large amounts of technical material into the narrative.
Second, The book is obviously dated. Much of the book deals with the whaling industry and societal peculiarities of the early 19th Century. Hence, it is no wonder that many folks have questioned the relevance of a book which is so preoccupied with an industry and society that no longer exist. Moreover, history tells us that the book was NOT well-received by Melville's contemporaries (it sold less than four thousand copies when it was published).
Third, There are a number of supernatural allusions in the book which modern science has rightly consigned to the ash heap of history. Miracles, prophecies and fate are concepts without scientific foundation. Likewise, there are a number of allusions to characters and stories found in the Judeo-Christian scriptures (another book that has been thoroughly discredited by modern scholarship). The book alludes to the Christian pulpit and sermon and calls to mind the stories of Ishmael, Ahab, Rachel, Jeroboam and Jonah.
Fourth, The book is subject to many different interpretations. Melville wrote the book in a way that lends itself to the attribution of multiple meanings which largely depend on the perspective and prejudices of the reader. Different people have arrived at widely different conclusions about the symbolism employed in the book (i.e. the significance of the whale, the meaning of the allegory more generally speaking, the relative importance of the man vs nature or man vs God themes, etc.).
Fifth, The book is a mixture of fiction and nonfiction. As previously noted, it is probably based on a couple of stories which relate to actual historical events. Likewise, it has already been noted that the book contains a great deal of technical material related to the 19th Century whaling industry and maritime activity. Nevertheless, as with other works of fiction, Moby Dick is firmly rooted in the author's imagination. The ideas, stories and characters are the creations of Herman Melville.
Sixth, There were a number of discrepancies between the English and American editions of the book. Scholars have counted about six hundred differences between the two editions. Indeed, they have noted that numerous passages that appeared in the American edition were absent from the English one (among them the very important Epilogue to the book).
Hmmmmmmm, it seems to me that these criticisms of Moby Dick have been applied to another book that has been highly regarded for many years: The Holy Bible! Well, when you put it that way, it seems a bit absurd to completely discount such a great work and say that it has no relevance for us - doesn't it?
First, Although Herman Melville has been regarded by many literary scholars as an inspired author, the book's contents make plain that he was very human. Modern scholarship has revealed that he borrowed some of the elements of his story from earlier works which purportedly described actual events related to the Essex (a ship that was attacked by a sperm whale) and the antics of a whale named Mocha Dick off the coast of Chile. He has also been criticized for inserting large amounts of technical material into the narrative.
Second, The book is obviously dated. Much of the book deals with the whaling industry and societal peculiarities of the early 19th Century. Hence, it is no wonder that many folks have questioned the relevance of a book which is so preoccupied with an industry and society that no longer exist. Moreover, history tells us that the book was NOT well-received by Melville's contemporaries (it sold less than four thousand copies when it was published).
Third, There are a number of supernatural allusions in the book which modern science has rightly consigned to the ash heap of history. Miracles, prophecies and fate are concepts without scientific foundation. Likewise, there are a number of allusions to characters and stories found in the Judeo-Christian scriptures (another book that has been thoroughly discredited by modern scholarship). The book alludes to the Christian pulpit and sermon and calls to mind the stories of Ishmael, Ahab, Rachel, Jeroboam and Jonah.
Fourth, The book is subject to many different interpretations. Melville wrote the book in a way that lends itself to the attribution of multiple meanings which largely depend on the perspective and prejudices of the reader. Different people have arrived at widely different conclusions about the symbolism employed in the book (i.e. the significance of the whale, the meaning of the allegory more generally speaking, the relative importance of the man vs nature or man vs God themes, etc.).
Fifth, The book is a mixture of fiction and nonfiction. As previously noted, it is probably based on a couple of stories which relate to actual historical events. Likewise, it has already been noted that the book contains a great deal of technical material related to the 19th Century whaling industry and maritime activity. Nevertheless, as with other works of fiction, Moby Dick is firmly rooted in the author's imagination. The ideas, stories and characters are the creations of Herman Melville.
Sixth, There were a number of discrepancies between the English and American editions of the book. Scholars have counted about six hundred differences between the two editions. Indeed, they have noted that numerous passages that appeared in the American edition were absent from the English one (among them the very important Epilogue to the book).
Hmmmmmmm, it seems to me that these criticisms of Moby Dick have been applied to another book that has been highly regarded for many years: The Holy Bible! Well, when you put it that way, it seems a bit absurd to completely discount such a great work and say that it has no relevance for us - doesn't it?
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