No Subject

[D Moooney]

Hmmm, my thoughts about this book eh. While being a brain stimulating piece of literature the story seems to drag on without life and is only good for the literary allusions and omens which brighten the story up a bit. But even at times you realize enough is enough with the omens with whiteness. This book started great then closed up really really REALLY BAD. In fact I think this is my least liked piece of literature of all time. Two thumbs down for this book. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IT IS EXTREMELY BORING AND THE AUTHOR WAS SENILE... yeah

[Eddie@hotmail]

Does Ahab die; we only know he dives to the deep with the whale with rope around his neck?
Where does Ishmael come from? What is the different between the two? Could they be different aspects of the auther in different periods of his life?
What could that mean? Ahab disapears and Ishmael emerges? How bisarr! Or is it?

[wtwt5237]

I am just wondering if there is any hidden religious meaning of the name of Ishmael, giving the novel a Christian sense.

[quasimodo1]

Melville was well versed in things religious and mythological. He must have known some of these "facts" about the original Ishmael. The name in old Hebrew means "god hears". He was one of the sons of Abraham and Hagar (and thier Egyptian housekeeper Sarah). Sarah was the surragate mother of Ishmael who then was half-brother of Isaac. Ishmael was said to be a "man of the desert wilderness" and had a "wild and hostile attitude toward people"

[wtwt5237]

I am sorry, I should have worded better. What I meant is if Melville used this specific name to indicate something in his novel. And there is another question:do you think the Ishmael in this novel was hostile and wild toward people?

[quasimodo1]

Suppose I might have made this connection but yes I think the choice of that name was purposeful and intended to draw the reference to a person with an "old soul" who was comfortable on the sea, a wilderness of water instead of desert. Using the name of one of Abraham's sons for additional religious connections seems a bit tenuous. Also, the sound of the name has linguistic importance and resonance. There are tomes full of criticism along these lines but my days of microscopic analysis and deconstruction of an authors work are shorter now. quasi