“First comes white-horse, so called, which is obtained from the tapering part of the fish, and also from the thicker portions of his flukes. It is tough with congealed tendons -a wad of muscle m but still contains some oil. After being severed from the whale, the white -horse is first cut into portable oblongs are going to the mincer. They look much like blocks of Berkshire marble.” In this passage, Melville describes the “white -horse, “a piece of whale flesh that resembles “blocks of Berkshire marble,” blending industrial and natural imagery. Through this vivid comparison, Melville transforms the whale’s body into an object of commerce and art, showing how nature is commodified by human industry. His precise, almost scientific language distances the reader from the living creature, emphasizing its reduction to raw material. This moment captures one of Moby-Dick central tensions-the transformation of the sublime and mysterious whale into something dissected, categorized, and sold. By likening flesh to marble, Melville blurs the line between life sand lifelessness, inviting readers to question humanity’s relentless urge to control and profit from nature’s beauty.
Moby-Dick
ECL 522: Fall 2025. Professor Pressman
I really like your analysis about the way the whale is being commodified, especially since I am an advocate for the whale’s humanization. It was interesting to see that point inverted in favor of capitalization. The dehumanization of the whale into raw materials helps to separate the idea of killing something with agency. By reducing the whale into a commodity, it is easier to rationalize the brutal process in which it takes to obtain these materials. It’s easy to see why whalers had become so desensitized to this kind of work.
Hi Yousuf!
I really enjoyed reading your post on the transformation of the whales body through art and commodity. Ishmaels love for his job and the specie is evident in this chapter. At the beginning of this book, I always wondered what happened to the rest of the body of whale after it I was killed by the whalers. After reading this far with the class, I feel like we learn more about the use of whales body. I find it really interesting how they are able to find use of almost every part of the whales body.