While Chapter 74 was based off the sperm whale’s head, the part that stood out to me the most was the ending of this chapter, when Ishmael talks about the teeth of the whale. Ishmael states “There are generally forty-two teeth in all; in old whales, much worn down, but undecayed…”(363) Pointing out that naturally the whales teeth wear down just like humans but yet they are still strong enough to not decay. In humans, decay on a tooth can be fixed with a filling which Ishmael critiques “nor filled after our artificial fashion.”(363) Ishmael uses tooth fillings as a critique of humans dependency for artificial attachment. By saying “our artificial fashion” Ishmael makes the reader aware that he is talking about humans and acknowledging the reoccurring obsession that humans have in terms of our form of fixations.
Finishing off his thought, he brings up the contrast of the use of the whales jaw that is cut into slabs “and piled away like joists for building houses.” Strong material is needed to build houses or else they would collapse. Ishmael points out this contrast, stating that even in the whales most natural and unaltered form it is still much stronger than humans with the help of artificial alterations.
Even though this was book was written so long ago, this is relevant today especially with the alterations humans make currently from surface body level such as injections/ supplements to create the desired body, leading up the use of AI. Ishmael critiques the way humans can be stripped away from their natural beings and indulge into the artificial obsession, all while still being at a disadvantage to the natural world.
Hi Jackie,
I also think that it’s a critique on human’s want for perfection – any blemish, any instance of difference, must immediately be corrected by some invasive means. Braces for crooked teeth, fillings for decay, removal of beauty marks, corsets to adjust the silhouette of a woman. I think that’s why he specifies “artificial fashion,” that it is something that is socially constructed to limit and conform everyone to. Your comparison to injections and supplements works well to reinforce this idea, as they are other ways to change to conform.
Thank you for a great post!
-Kit Jackson
This was an enjoyable read on how we try to make up for our lack through artificial obsession. It can serve as a reminder that we are not able to ever surpass nature and should humble ourselves in trying to conquer it all. I think the mention of the whales jaw for joists is also relevant because, if I remember correctly, Ahab’s leg is made of whale ivory from the jaw. So we have our monomaniacal captain seeking to conquer Moby Dick, but his leg already serves as a visible sign of what’s to come.
Hi Jackie, I’m not sure after reading the last paragraph on chapter 74, I would have thought of a tooth filling as an artificial fashion in the way you perceived it. I see where you’re coming from, but disagree, that’s where Melville was trying to take this. I think he’s trying to show the usefulness and the glory of the whale, where even in its weakness, it still holds some value, even if decayed. I’m sure some whales would love a tooth filing because it isn’t seen as a “cosmetic surgery” per se, but rather as an improvement to the functionality of the mouth. As humans without a tooth filling, it can cause tooth loss, pain, or severe infection, which in turn can have a significant impact on everyday living. Even in the last sentence where the jaws can be turned into the slabs of a house, it almost seems like Ishamel is justifying the killing of this leviathan because of all the benefits of human life that are provided by this god like creature.
Hi Jackie! I really loved reading this. When reading, I honestly didn’t even notice the part about the teeth but I think you have such a great analysis of it. I think the way in which you tied it into modern day in which people are so obsessed with aesthetic perfection and they move so far from the natural that it becomes completely artificial is so interesting and insightful. This novel is such a picture of the time in which it was written, but so much of it remains timelessly relevant to us now and I think this is the perfect example of that!