Melville's masterpiece, contains within its pages "nothing less than the genetic code of America."





I think I touched on this in an earlier post, but one of the uncanny things about Melville’s accomplishment is how he manages to maintain the momentum of the narrative while at the same time interrupting it with frequent, often long, scientific, historical, philosophical, and poetic dissertations on practically everything having to do with the life, history and business of whaling. From what I’ve read, he was somewhat innovative in this regard though few readers or critics at the time were pleased by it or appreciated the value of this approach.

But for the modern reader, it seems positively prescient since it mimics the way we now interact with information and culture. I am constantly going to the internet to search for more information about things I discover in books, music, film, news. And in 1851 Melville is doing that for his readers, except without the benefit of the internet.

No sooner does he mention that a certain specie of whale has less commercial value than another—he’s off and running with a detailed and technical review of every kind of whale in the sea supported by a mountain of facts and anecdotes. As a reader, you’re free to take in as much of this material as suits your curiosity, or you can move on and get back to the drama of the tale.

The chapter headings are frequent and detailed and going from one to the other is easy. But the coup de grace for me is the editorializing along the way…in Ishmael’s voice, which is one of the sweetest and most sensitive in literature. Ishmael is both mortal and saint…he’s flesh and blood and at the same time a philosophic all seeing eye channeling the wisdom of the ages and the cosmos.

I give you an example below. Here, we learn about the rule of law at sea as it applies to whale ownership.


Yes; these laws might be engraven on a Queen Anne's farthing, or the barb of a harpoon, and worn round the neck, so small are they.

I. A Fast-Fish belongs to the party fast to it. (MY NOTE: FAST HERE MEANS “FASTENED” )

II. A Loose-Fish is fair game for anybody who can soonest catch it.

But if the doctrine of Fast-Fish be pretty generally applicable, the kindred doctrine of Loose-Fish is still more widely so. That is internationally and universally applicable.

What was America in 1492 but a Loose-Fish, in which Columbus struck the Spanish standard by way of wailing it for his royal master and mistress? What was Poland to the Czar? What Greece to the Turk? What India to England? What at last will Mexico be to the United States? All Loose-Fish.
What are the Rights of Man and the Liberties of the World but Loose-Fish? What all men's minds and opinions but Loose-Fish? What is the principle of religious belief in them but a Loose-Fish? What to the ostentatious smuggling verbalists are the thoughts of thinkers but Loose-Fish? What is the great globe itself but a Loose-Fish? And what are you, reader, but a Loose-Fish and a Fast-Fish, too?