The Use of Allusions and Metaphors in Melville's Moby Dick and an Analysis of Their Meanings

Throughout Herman Melville's novel, Moby Dick, the use of literary devises such as allusions and metaphors have created a new dimension for he analysis of the novel beyond the literary word. Using carefully placed elements of literature and writing, Melville has allowed his metaphors to redefine characters in meaning and has succeeded in injecting pieces of history into his masterpiece.

In "The Symphony," Ishmael creates the atmosphere of tranquility around the "gnarled and knotted" Ahab as readers witness the unfolding of an emotionally and mentally significant scene (Melville 523). However, a brief biblical allusion foreshadows the captain's doom. In his description of the scene, Ishmael mentions that the "man-like sea heaved with long, strong, lingering swells, as Samson's chest in his sleep" (Melville 518). In ancient times, the Jewish tribe of Dan included Samson, the muscular and impressive biblical hero of the ancient Jews. A muscular, magnificent, and easily recognizable figure, Samson lived in the lands of ancient Israel during the reign of the Philistines. In one incident Samson, who obtained his strength from his hair, slaughtered a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.

Thus, the Samson allusion relates indubitably to the sea's supremacy and might. Although the waters may appear to be calm, they represent nature's mightiest force. Without any warning, the seas can erupt and kill thousands of people, as seen in incidents of floods and tsunamis. Moreover, Moby Dick, the Samson of the ocean, stands as Ahab's greatest threat. With prominent features and almost supernatural might, the whale becomes Ahab's target. In this situation the Captain represents a Philistine who attempts to wipe out his godlike nemesis. On the other hand, the note that the seas undulated "as Samson's chest in his sleep" also fits into the calm atmosphere with the idea that the destructive forces of the deep rest (Melville 520).

As Ahab stands on the deck of the Pequod and looks out into the ocean, Ishmael describes the heavens above the captain with a striking simile that hints at the idea of God's might and authority over mortals. Above the ship, "like a royal czar and king, the sun seemed giving this gentle air to this bold and rolling sea" (Melville 518). The representation and expression of the sun specifically as a reigning force in the sky, like a ruler governing his people, directly relates to the captain's hubris and belief of God's inferiority. However, Ishmael clearly indicates to readers that only God represents the universe's all-powerful and all-knowing forces. The sun, a symbol, embodies God and God's ubiquity, since humanity and life rely on the sun's power for existence. The mortals on earth revolve around the almighty sun, which sees all and reigns the heavens just as a king would reign over his people. Ahab believes himself to be an immortal creature but only God, portrayed as the sun, will prove to be the true ruler of the world.

Ahab's emotional emergence out of his shell of evil remains the main focus of "The Symphony," but Ishmael embeds a darker idea in the opening of the chapter. As Ahab ponders by himself on the ship's deck, "far down in the bottomless blue [rush] mighty Leviathans, swordfish, and sharks; and these were the strong, troubled, murderous thinkings of the masculine sea" (Melville 518). The thoughts of the "masculine sea" represent the aquatic beasts that terrorize the depths of the ocean. Ishmael vividly creates the image of blood-thirsty and gruesome swordfish and sharks who roam the seas on their hunt for blood, representing them as the demises of the ubiquitous, vicious sea. By referring to a "masculine" sea, Ishmael hints at an aggressive, mighty force with the implication of hostility, since a feminine aspect would create the impression of elegance and harmony. Despite the seas' ferocity, Ahab blindly continues on his voyage without ever considering the nightmares lurking below his Pequod. The white, male whale Moby Dick will reveal himself as one of these murderous nightmares and will ultimately snatch Ahab's life.

In "The Quadrant," the busy Ahab attempts to discover the ship's position using a quadrant when his mood and patience snap. The quadrant, an astronomical measuring device, functions as a tool to find the position of a celestial object above the horizon. In order to master the quadrant, a sailor would have had to perfect crucial navigational skills. The quadrant presents the coherent image of two conjoined viewpoints. One image involves the view of the sun or a specific celestial body. This picture travels through a set of mirrors inside the quadrant. The other perspective stems from an image of the horizon. Looking through a quadrant and allowing the tip of the celestial body to touch the bottom of the horizon reveals the latitude of a ship when combined with a series of mathematical procedures. The quadrant's delicate build and interior structure mean that a single drop could bend the frames and the scales found along the edges, making the instrument worthless (Melville 479).

Ahab's work of navigation aboard the Pequod during the voyage serves as an extended metaphor to the way of God and the devious, opposite route that Ahab chooses. The quadrant's use suggests Ahab's struggle to remain on God's path. With a quadrant, Ahab metaphorically looks at God, depicted as the sun, and follows the path of righteousness and God's will of good. However, since the quadrant cannot "cast the least hint where [he] shall be," nor disclose "where Moby Dick . . . is [that] instant," Ahab stomps on the tool and shatters it (Melville 480). Figuratively, Ahab demands answers from God, pleading for a revelation concerning the truth behind good and evil. However, the fact that God does not divulge an answer compels Ahab to abandon his navigation through life with God as his guide. Instead, he turns to his soul, a decayed quadrant that leads Ahab on a path opposite to that of God, a road that leads him to his doom.

The use of literary devices such as metaphors and allusions have allowed for the reader to interpret characters' actions and appearance from an entirely new angle, enriching the text and promoting its value. Melville's use of such writing techniques and literary elements has helped the novel to gain credibility throughout time and has increased the depth of the novel's ideas.

Herman Melville, "Moby Dick." Signet Classics.