In chapter 44, Melville highlights the negative effects obsessing over the past has on a person’s mental health by Ishmael’s narration of how Ahab’s obsession over the whale is causing him to spiral more into madness. Ishmael says, “God help thee, old man, thy thoughts have created a creature in thee; and he whose intense thinking thus makes him a Prometheus; a vulture feeds upon that heart for ever; that vulture the very creature he creates” (Melville 220). Here, Ishmael is observing the fact that Ahab’s obsession of killing the whale is consuming him from within. Ahab is a monster in the making right in front of everyone’s eyes. This suggests that Ahab’s fixation on revenge has shaped his inner self, how his thoughts became the very reason for his suffering. Melville here is showing how when the mind is trapped in an endless cycle of vengeance, it becomes a saboteur of the individual.
Prometheus is from Greek Mythology and his story was he defied the gods and his punishment (which is what’s mentioned) is he was chained to a rock where a bird would eat his liver which would then regenerate overnight, only for the same thing to keep happening. And with the comparison to Prometheus, Melville shows how Ahab’s obsessive thoughts are becoming his own punishment, one that feeds at him endlessly. Ahab’s torment is self created and it is causing him to spiral more into insanity. When one cannot let go of the past, it can become their own destroyer. As seen with Ahab, his obsessive thoughts are ruining his mental state and physical state. His bad state is so noticeable that his crewmates, like Ishmael, are able to point it out. Also seen in earlier chapters, other crewmates also point out Ahab’s madness. This shows how people are able to recognize the negatives of obsessing over the past and how it leads to self destruction
Great point here: ‘And with the comparison to Prometheus, Melville shows how Ahab’s obsessive thoughts are becoming his own punishment, one that feeds at him endlessly.” How do you think this personal focus might be zoomed out to a larger commentary on the nation-state and its political context, as we discussed last time? Just curious to see you consider larger ramifications of your smart insight.
Hi Francisca Chisholm,
I really liked your composition between Ahab and Prometheus-it perfectly captures how Melville uses myth to illustrates Ahab’s self-destruction. You make a strong point about Ahab’s torment being self-inflicted and visible to those around him, I especially agree that his obsession becomes both mental and physical punishment. You could also expand readers about the dangers of unchecked obsession or pride. I wish for you a wonderful day.
Hello Francisca! I like how you focused on Ahab’s suffering and how it’s a situation of his own creation. I too wrote about this passage and I thought it was interesting that Ishmael chose the analogy of Prometheus to represent a self-inflicted descent into madness. Prometheus defied the gods and was thus punished, so maybe Ishmael sees Ahab’s madness is a punishment from God for seeking revenge. That takes some of the blame away from Ahab and makes him seem kind of like a victim, which is interesting considering he is a full on dictator.
Hi Francisca, I thought it was interesting how you brought up this being from Ishmael’s perspective. I think I sometimes forget that he is the narrator because it often feels like the narrator is just floating up in the air somewhere. Hah. I would be interested in a first person chapter from Ahab, to see what it is really like in his head, because seeing it from the outside only shows so much.
I also liked that you added a bit about Prometheus. I don’t know too much about Greek mythology so this description was helpful. Do you think Ahab is being punished for hunting whales? Or for wanting revenge on Moby Dick? Or is this a more buddhist approach that life is suffering?