What comes first? Fear or curiosity? Being curious over something could inspire you into learning more about it but the strength of the information could become fearful and push you away from further entertaining it. Or being fearful of something can overtime inspire curiosity in order to no longer have that fear.
John Gills backs up this idea in “The Blue Humanities” when stating that before the nineteenth century “The sea was portrayed as dangerous and repellant, ugly and unfit for literary or artistic representation.” At the time, many did not seem to think that the sea was anything to entertain or to be thought of aesthetically. How come? The waters are beautiful, the waves are satisfying to watch but people did not understand it, they did not feel connected to sea so they shunned it away as only a source of travel and food. It wasn’t until writers and painters looked at the sea with inspiration to create, being sensitive with the waters softened the viewing lens of others.
After learning that Melville was a whaler and seaman in class, Melville’s observation that “mediation and water are wedded forever” as pointed out by Gill does not come surprising since he crafted “Moby-Dick”. This is what Emerson was talking about in “The American Scholar” that we as scholars should not only be looking for the accomplishment of the perfect grades and the diploma but more so gain inspiration from the reading/ media you indulge in to create new thoughts and ideas. Maybe a new book, a new painting, a new song, etc., potentially inspiring curiosity into others to do the same regardless of fear. Just as I am nervous of a thick book like “Moby-Dick” but still curious enough to read the book from start to finish to understand why this book is a must read book.
Hi Jackie,
I loved that you had this perspective before we had class on Tuesday, and reading your post was a nice little bow on top of a wrapped present. Talking about it in class and reading your post now, but it’s from the perspective of this unknown fear of what is beyond the sea. And it makes complete sense. This was a time when, without education, the idea of a flat world seemed logical, despite Ancient Greece having disproven this theory as early as 600 BC. The sea is an open exploration where discoveries are found daily. This inspired many artists to explore the possibilities and what-ifs of the sea, and to be inspired, one must venture into the unknown and uncomfortable territories. The sea can be quite beguiling, which is why it holds the reputation it does today. From the sound of things, Melville’s publication of Moby Dick suggests he was already a step above the rest.
“Being curious over something could inspire you into learning more about it but the strength of the information could become fearful and push you away from further entertaining it.” Wonderfully said Jackie! I never really strive to think about how knowledge can be both power and pain. Humans have made big strides towards gaining knowledge, going very far lengths to prove just how the human psyche remains backed by intelligence to this day. I do think that Gills’s framing of the sea as you have pointed out does tie into the fact that Emerson’s “American Scholar” prefaces looking towards the natural world. People can fear it, people can love it, people can be inspired or people can be dissuaded. To no avail will SOMEONE have a passion for it, and I do believe a little fear is healthy. All in all, being nervous about Moby Dick is realistic and understandable. I share the feeling, but gaining these outside perspectives from Emerson, Gills, and Hoare, it really allows one to develop a new way to tackle such a large and legendary narrative.