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.Finally, a careful reader shouldalso note that Ishmael says that the procession of whales  floated into myinmost soul. While Ishmael prepares for a journey outward into  thingsremote, the procession of whales moves inward.Perhaps then, the storythat he is about to tell is the chronicle of both the physical journey ofthe whaling adventure and a journey inward into the soul of the outcastIshmael.Having read the opening pages of Moby-Dick attentively, you shouldbe well prepared to approach the rest of the text.You should have ques-tions about Ishmael and his narrative technique, human perceptionsand evaluations of the whale, fate and free will, and form and genre.Athorough investigation into any of these topics should provide you withmaterial that you can focus and shape into a successful paper topic.TOPICS AND STRATEGIESThis section of the chapter provides you with broad topic ideas thatshould help you develop an essay on Moby-Dick.Remember that these112 Bloom s How to Write about Herman Melvilletopics are just springboards for our own exploration; you will need tofocus your analysis and develop your own specific thesis.ThemesAs the previous section of this chapter points out, Moby-Dick exploresmany themes.To paraphrase Walt Whitman, this book is large, and itcontains multitudes.Viable topics for thematic examination range fromsociologically based investigations into race and human community tomore philosophical inquiries about humanity s place in the natural world.To write a paper about thematic concerns in the novel, you should begin byidentifying a theme that you found intriguing.From there, you should goback over the text carefully and attempt to draw some conclusions aboutMelville s treatment of that theme.If you are interested in the theme ofthe orphan in Moby-Dick, for example, you might begin by identifyingthe orphaned characters in the text.You might also explore what Ishmaeland the rest of these characters have to say about orphanage.Considerwhy Melville has interwoven so many orphans into this text.You couldalso think about how this theme might function metaphorically.Do theseorphans seem to represent something beyond themselves?Sample Topics:1.Human community: Ishmael begins  Loomings with imagesof isolation and insularity.He presents himself as a depressed (ifjocular) outcast, and he parallels his own situation to that of  allmen and with an image of the  insular island of Manhattan.By the chapter s end, though, he presents images of communityand fraternity.How might you read Moby-Dick as an argumentfor human community and fraternity, and for their politicalincarnation, democracy?One way to approach this topic is to consider the Pequod andthe human interactions on board the ship.Many scholars havenoted that Melville seems to present the whaleship as a micro-cosm of the world or as a microcosm of America.Look at thesocial structure on board the ship.How are the relationshipsofficially structured? How do these relationships actuallyfunction on board the Pequod? What allows them to func-tion as they do? Chapters 26 and 27 (both titled  Knights andMoby-Dick 113Squires ) should provide a good starting place for this investi-gation.Similarly, examine chapter 54,  The Town-Ho s Story.How does this interpolated tale reflect upon issues of humancommunity and democracy? You should also find it helpfulto explore the relationships among the individual membersof the crew.Look at the relationships between Ishmael andQueequeg, Ahab and Pip, Ahab and Starbuck.You might alsothink about the dynamics between the Pequod and the otherships it meets.The chapters on the Bachelor and the Rachelare particularly relevant.Take into account the imagery andthe language associated with this theme throughout the book.What phrases or images help to develop the commentary onhuman community, fraternity, and democracy? Images of iso-lation might also provide you with a framework for exploringideas of human community.Analyze the theme of isolation inthe work.How does it work in conjunction with the theme offraternity and community?2.Birth and rebirth: One of the final images of Moby-Dick is thatof Ishmael buoyed up and saved by Queequeg s coffin.In chap-ter 127,  The Deck, Ahab contemplates the symbolism of thecoffin turned life-buoy:  Here now s the very dreaded symbol ofgrim death, by a mere hap, made the expressive sign of the helpand hope of most endangered life [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]