The adventure novel “Moby Dick,” written by Herman Melville, is an excellent example of a literary work full of symbols transmitting the secret message behind the narrative. Most of these symbols are somehow related to religion, and this fact conditions the central place of the religious theme in the book. Indeed, the story of a giant whale and people’s attempts to get revenge is more complex than it might seem at first. Hence, “Moby Dick” is a symbolic reflection of the author’s views on religious conventions and the need for their replacement by moral values due to the issues emerging from their erroneous interpretation.
The religious theme of the novel starts with the use of biblical names given to the main characters, which define them. At the beginning of the book, the author introduces Ishmael, the narrator of “Moby Dick,” who begins to tell his story with the words “Call me Ishmael” (Melville, Chapter 1). The name originates from the Bible and transmits the message of the man’s similarity to the biblical figure being an outcast. Another example is Captain Ahab, whose name echoes king Ahab, and both characters are known for their materialistic views and obsession with ideas. The choice of names is the first sign of the novel’s connection to religion, and it prepares the reader for further consideration of events through biblical notions.
One of the most visible symbols in the novel, the giant white whale, also contains a religious meaning, and its invincibility allows comparing him to God. Such a power seems to be both positive and evil, just like the Puritan God is supposed to be loving but turns out to be cruel. This idea is supported by the speech of Pip, the cabin boy, in which he says: “Oh, thou big white God aloft there somewhere in yon darkness, have mercy on this small black boy down here; preserve him from all men that have no bowels to feel fear!” (Melville, Chapter 40). Hence, Moby Dick represents a universal symbol of powers that control the lives of people and transform their souls as it happened to the captain.
Throughout the narrative, Melville demonstrates the relation between the world as a whole represented by the church and the ship with whalemen, thereby revealing the failure of religion to instill moral values. The symbols connecting these two aspects of life are compared in specific details. Thus, for example, Ishmael, while sitting in the church, is reflecting on the resemblance of the pulpit to a ship’s bow, and even the ladder inside of it reminds him of the sea. The connection between the lives of the chaplain and the whalemen is seen in his thoughts: “Yes, the world’s a ship on its passage out, and not a voyage complete; and the pulpit is its prow” (Melville, Chapter 8). Hence, Melville considers religion in contrast to the life of ordinary people and the difference in their perceptions.
From this point, religion is a guiding power for people, but it fails to deliver the proper worldview with the corresponding moral values. It can be seen from the life of whalemen on “Pequod” that represents the symbol of humankind and the diversity of this world with its religious beliefs. Their perceptions are entirely different, and it adds to the absence of common values among them. Bildad, for example, is citing the Bible while remaining quite cynical about its implication by saying, “A man’s religion is one thing, and this practical world quite another. This world pays dividends” (Melville, Chapter 16). The chief mate Starbuck, in turn, is more humane, and his religious ideas are stronger than the ones of Bildad. Hence, religion lacks unity without common moral values.
In the novel, the interpretation of Christianity is accompanied by the notion of religious tolerance that is not always being observed by people. This theme starts with the description of the life of whalemen on the ship and their acceptance of one another’s views only before a common threat posed by the whale (Chapter 13, Melville). In this way, Melville demonstrates the neglect of biblical values by people while being in one place with members of different religious creeds. It can be changed only under the influence of external circumstances, and here is where moral values should appear.
The author also contrasts and draws an analogy between Christians and pagans as only the latter seems to demonstrate respect towards a different religious tradition. As Queequeg, one of the cannibals, says: “It’s a mutual, joint-stock world, in all meridians. We cannibals must help these Christians” (Melville, Chapter 13). He thereby follows his moral values rather than is guided by religious beliefs. This example shows the way Melville thinks American society should develop instead of subverting Christian values while pursuing materialistic objectives.
“Moby Dick” is a complex and multi-level novel narrating about the connection of moral values and religion, proving that the latter is incapable of guiding people without a proper basis. Numerous symbols such as names of main characters and comparisons of the church and the ship contribute to its secret religious meaning. They also add to the idea of the impossibility to instill religious tolerance without moral values and reflect the author’s concerns about the future of American society.
Work Cited
Melville, Herman. Moby Dick, or The Whale. 2017. Gutenberg.