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Week 5 : Extracting Value

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Simply put, I think the extracts chapter really put into perspective of what the audience can expect out of the book. Take a shot every time you read the word “Leviathan,” and I’m sure you’ll be feeling it by the end. Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Rabeleis, Lord Bacon’s Version of the Psalms, Paradise Lost, Ibid, list goes on. I personally know the Leviathan as a mythical creature in different kinds of media, but knowing its history from the Hebrew Bible, it goes to show just how much a Whale represented back then. It’s this huge, imposing, mythical creature to these people in the whaling industry, and I can already picture the kind of damage that is going to happen in this book. I specifically want to connect this description and this mention of Leviathan to a point Ishmael makes in chapter 1.

He mentions this large chunk about money and payment, saying, “Again, I always go to sea as a sailor, because they make a point of paying me for my trouble, whereas they never pay passengers a single penny that I ever heard of…The act of paying is perhaps the most uncomfortable infliction that the two orchard thieves entailed upon us. But being paid,–what will compare with it?” (6) We understand from the background of whaling that the industry utilizes (I hope) most parts of the animal, more specifically for things like blubber and oil. Ishmael makes it clear that going to sea as a sailor has more of a benefit than a passenger thanks to the work involved in such. Going after this “Leviathan” like creature surely poses a monetary benefit, but I think that this passage spells disaster. With how thick of a book Moby Dick is, I am so certain that Melville is loading this up to be a set of trial and tribulation that doesn’t end up keeping Ishmael’s monetary attention. I get a selfish kind of read from his statement about being paid, and while I can agree that getting paid is a great feeling, this Leviathan creature has to be humbling, or else I’m going to be very disappointed.

Extracting Extracts

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The multitude of differing opinions on the whales presented in these extracts, provides a fascinating view on the history of whale culture throughout time. In particular, I favored three extracts that I feel encapsulates the relationship between humans, industrial society, and whales. The first extract comes from the Book of Isaiah, which is based on the prophet Isaiah from 8th Century BC;

“In that day, the Lord with his sore, and great, and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing serpent, even Leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea” —Isaiah 

Considering how old this text is, I was astonished to see the recurring mention of the whale, known to them at the time, as a “Leviathan.” In terms of biblical texts, the word Leviathan is reserved to only the most powerful monstrous creatures of chaos. Framing our mindset towards the creature to be that of fear, particularly of its grandness and unpredictability—stemming from our lack of control over this beast.  

This extract paints a scene of two powerful forces, the Lord and the Leviathan as oppositions, furthering the idea that the Sea is the dominion of chaos and danger. Even the Lord wishes to vanquish this “dragon,” demonstrating not only the Lord position, but also the position of power the sea and whale hold—if only the Lord is capable of slaying the creature. 

The second extract that drew my interest, concerned the relationship of the sea to human industry;

“A tenth branch of the king’s ordinary revenue, said to be grounded on the consideration of his guarding and protecting the seas from pirates and robbers, is the right to royal fish, which are whale and sturgeon. And these, when either thrown ashore or caught near the coasts, are property of the king.” —Blackstone 

Our class discussions have led us to discuss the idea of coastlines representing boundaries of nations, especially considering there is no way to establish borders due to their fluidity. 

The idea of “royal fish” is an intriguing concept for two reasons; the first being that the Whale is considered a “royal fish. Breaking away from the stereotype of Whales being in opposition to God (as I discussed in the last extract) to having a formal relationship where they’re recognized by a sovereign as righteous. The second reason being that the concept of “royal fish” by law, means that this parliament is trying to claim ownership, establish their own border within the sea. It’s a bold endeavor that highlights the fallibility of attempting to conquer the seas, and also opens up the proposition of the sea representing itself as its own state. If the laws of the land extend out into the sea, then the sea can be considered its own sovereignty. 

The last extract I wanted to discuss, combines both of my previous points in a much more poetic narrative way; 

“No, Sir, ‘tis a Right Whale,” answered Tom; “I saw his spout; he threw up a pair of as pretty rainbows as a Christian would wish to look at. He’s a real oil-butt, that fellow!” —Cooper’s Pilot 

This scene depicts a beautiful moment of a person witnessing a rare phenomenon and equating it to the memory of God. However, in the very next sentiment, the person’s view shifts, seeing the value the whale can provide, rather than viewing the whale itself. 

This kinship to God, shows the divinity and power this creature holds over the human physic, much like God, this creature creates miracles. Unfortunately, in the same sense, humans view the whale as a source of use rather than worship—-being a summation of what it can provide for our industry, rather than a beautiful Godly creature. This juxtaposition is jarring and really goes to show the conflicting narrative history involving the Great Whale.  

Ishmael’s Restless Desire for the Remote

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At the very end of chapter 1, Ishmael admits, “I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote” (Melville 8) which is a line that captures the spirit of his character and his larger ambitions of the novel. On the surface, Ishmael is explaining to his audience why he chooses to ship out on whaling voyages rather than just staying on land. But the phrasing, especially the word “tormented,” suggests that this desire for distance is not a casual curiosity but a relentless compulsion he must follow. His “itch” is not just wanderlust; it seems to be more of an existential drive that pushes him toward places, ideas, and experiences that lie beyond the familiar and outside of day-to-day life on land.

I think the key word in the sentence is “remote.” It refers to faraway places and geographies, such as the open sea, uncharted waters, and, of course, the dangerous world of whales, but I think it also signals Melville’s fascination with the abstract and the unknowable. Throughout Moby-Dick, Ishmael seeks knowledge that is just out of reach, whether that’s the biology of whales, the vastness of the ocean, or the inscrutability of Ahab. This passage, I believe, foreshadows the novel’s central tension: the pursuit of truths that can just never fully be grasped. Ishmael’s yearning mirrors humanity’s broader struggle with the limits of knowledge, especially in the face of nature’s just pure immensity.

At the same time, the quote also reflects the novel’s more restless narrative side. Melville’s digressions into philosophy, science, and history can be read more as Ishmael trying to scratch that same “everlasting itch.” The story refuses to stay straight and still, just as Ishmael cannot remain content just being on land. In this way, I believe that this line operates as a kind of mission statement for the novel itself: Moby-Dick is not only a whaling adventure but also a relentless reaching toward the remote, the distant, and the very unknowable.

We’re currently looking through Ishmael’s perspective in the first 3 chapters.

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After reading all 3 chapters of Moby-Dick, I have to say the introduction is getting really interesting. How come? You might ask. I would say that we are currently being put through Ishmael’s perspective, everything that he described, how the inn looks, how the people act, and his thoughts being unraveled around them, is something that I find quite interesting to read. There is this one passage where Ishmael talks to himself, and he said: “So, wherever you go, Ishmael said I to myself, as I stood in the middle of a dreary street, shouldering my bag, and comparing the gloom towards the north with darkness towards the south—wherever in your wisdom you may conclude to lodge for the night, my dear Ishmael, be sure to inquire the price, and don’t be too particular.” (Melville 10). I really like this passage, and it is probably one of my favorites so far because Ishmael is feeling anxious here. He obviously knew no one, and when he stood in the street, there was anxiousness creeping around as he was uncertain about the choices that he is going to make. Ishmael is taking up this completely new path, and his uncomfortable feeling makes him even more nervous. That is why he stood there and assured himself not to be too particular as he knew he was going to just do that. I also love how this passage feels a bit poetic because there is repetition while reading out these lines: “the gloom towards the north with darkness towards the south”. To me, it feels like the story is foreshadowing Ishmael’s future, like the path ahead of him is dark no matter the choices he makes. Even though the passage is short, it surprises me how many hidden meanings are used behind these lines. This brings back the conversation we had for the last couple of weeks in lecture, of how we said everyone will eventually have different interpretations of the book because we are highly intelligent human beings. We will bring out many different meanings and interpretations that others did not manage to find. 

Like a Prologue, But Interesting

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The Extracts section started with Bible verses. Maybe it was chosen to hook the reader… why else would one of the most influential books of all time be referenced? But this isn’t just for attention… all the “extracted” references hints into how and why Moby Dick is symbolic. To short references like Hamlet’s “very like a whale” to poems and action sequences in novels, this section shows how whales have been symbolic in the past and how it became even more so far after post-publication. My favorite reference was “And pray, sir, what in the world is equal to it?” said by Edmund Burke. It’s true, a whale takes over the title of the largest animal ever.

How did I feel or think about this? Well… I could only connect how it was symbolic. I don’t have thoughts or anything on this section unfortunately, nor do I have a notable reaction unless you’d count a blunt “oh, yeah.”

My Thoughts on Passages from Extracts!

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I picked three little exerpts which spoke to me which all fit together as they come from the Bible. “And God created great whales,” from Genesis, “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah,” from Jonah, and “There go the ships; there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein,” from Psalms.

“And God created great whales,” from Genesis. Whales have been around since the beginning of time, they were created and have a purpose on this planet as they swim through our vast oceans. Many may believe that whales within Christianity symbolize a prophetic movement as they communicate with song through the oceans; they are like messangers who travel and bring that news with them. Whales are the largest animal in the ocean and they are very majestic creatures which we can also see within Moby Dick. But that whale is a lot more aggressive than what can normally be seen in nature.

With the line, “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah,” that fish which the Lord made made to swallow Jonah was most likely a very large whale. All devine intervention from God that Jonah end up in that situation and even write about it. Like how Jonah had the experience with the large sea creature, in Moby Dick we see the sailors and Ahab fighting against the whale throughout the story. The situation that Jonah ended up in with the whale made in ponder, reflect and repent as then the creature spits him back out to land. As we will come to read that Ahab deals with the agression of the whale and most likely we will see his thoughts as we read through the book.

“There go the ships; there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein,” from Psalms. This immediately made me think of how giant Moby Dick is described in the book and how destructive the whale must be. The whale having the whole ocean to play in and the boats and ships being minuscule compared to the size of the whale. The “leviathan” in the Bible is in reference to God’s people’s enemies that will bring destruction and havoc which we can also see within Melville’s classic too. A giant ocean being coming to terrorize the men on the boat.

I can’t wait to dive into the book this week!

Moby-Dick Extracts

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It is interesting to see the different extracts presented at the beginning of the novel and to see that various ways that humans try to understand the sperm whale. One quote that stood out to me states: “Mad with the agonies he endures from these fresh attacks, the infuriated Sperm Whale rolls over and over; he rears his enormous head, and with wide expanded jaw snaps at everything around him; he rushes at the boats with his head; they are propelled before him vast swiftness, and sometimes utterly destroyed.” (Currents and Whaling. U.S. Ex. Ex., 49) Every description of the whale in these extracts depicts it as a violent monster, even though the whales themselves are not inherently dangerous creatures – it is humans that bring out the worst in them. These extracts show us insight on what men were struggling with: the very idea of the whale. 

In reality, these creatures are usually calm and placid, spending most of their time in the deep ocean, rarely interacting with humans. It is also important to consider early 19th-century whaling practices, which were both an economic necessity and a dangerous pursuit to men. They depended on these creatures to provide for them but also feared them, which can be contradicting. Humans go out of their way to hunt for these creatures then act shocked when they retaliate, painting them as a vicious monster when, in truth, it is humans who embodied monstrosity. This can be seen as a form of projection: men frame the whale as the aggressor rather than acknowledge int their roles as intruders, which reveals more about human arrogance than it does about fear of the whale itself. 

This contrast between the whale’s natural behavior and the monstrous image that humans impose on the creature can possibly show a reflection onto what “Moby-Dick” has to offer. It will be interesting to see how humanity’s fear of the unknown and our tendencies to project violence onto the natural world plays a role throughout the novel.