tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345024216511777227.post8628416400780787885..comments2011-11-30T14:27:41.327-08:00Comments on 19th Century American Novel: Final Words on WhalesK Partonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00210509094324172673noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345024216511777227.post-20755001202433317162011-10-06T09:57:00.818-07:002011-10-06T09:57:00.818-07:00Nice points. I characterized Moby-Dick as a whale ...Nice points. I characterized Moby-Dick as a whale of extraordinary size, capable of doing great damage to a small whaling vessel, as he ultimately does. Still, the fact that swims from danger on occasion speaks to the question of whether he is a monster. Furthermore, this is coming from a whale riddled with harpoons. What is an injured animal going to do when you trap it in a corner? I saw Ishmael's depiction of whales as blurring the lines between who and what is monstrous.Lukas Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06833747943710911138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345024216511777227.post-6162934824602176032011-10-05T10:03:57.106-07:002011-10-05T10:03:57.106-07:00Perhaps the idea was for Whales and people to meet...Perhaps the idea was for Whales and people to meet somewhere in the middle. They had to abandon etiquette and become something like monsters to be able to understand and hunt another monster. <br /><br />The fact that Moby Dick is violent and a murderer suggests he became that from continuous whaling and abuse from mankind. Perhaps he was innocent to begin with and we cursed him. Nevertheless, that journey (becoming a fiend) can be very human-like sometimes, so perhaps he is a great reflection of the fall of mankind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com