Essay on Reading Moby-Dick as Ethnic Allegory - 2752 Words

Reading Moby-Dick as Ethnic Allegory At a time when images of the white settler conquering the savage frontier were prevalent in antebellum America, depictions of racial polarization and, alternately, co-existence among different ethnic groups had already begun to find expression in various artistic mediums, from painting to literature. Today more than ever, such works continue to elicit critical re-examinations where race relations, colonization, and literary representation are concerned. While many literary and cultural critics have proposed allegorical readings of political and religious natures, Herman Melvilles Moby-Dick can also be read relatedly as an ethnic allegory, where particular scenes and images representing death or†¦show more content†¦Cultural critic Robert Berkhofer hints at this idea in characterizing a prevailing attitute among many white Americans at this time: The quest for American cultural identity, the role of the United States in history, faith in the future greatness of the nation, an d the fate of the Indian and the frontier in general were all seen as connected by the White Americans of the period. (Berkhofer, 92) In this search for identity issues of racial inequality and white encroachment and themes of death and destruction are necessarily implicated. This is no surprise considering the mid-nineteeth century social and political circumstances framing the writing and reception of Moby-Dick , particularly the Mexican War of 1848, the increase in American expansionism, and the divisions between slave and free states (Brodhead, 9). Although no doubt Melville was well-aware of these realities and of culturally-recurring images of ethnic peoples as Noble, romantic, or enlightened savages (Berkhofer, 78), his unconventional depiction of Queequeg seems to defy neat compartmentalization into such existing categories. Queequeg is introduced in the first fourth of the novel by Ishmael, whose initial fascination with his seemingly cryptic actions and mannerisms soon develops into feelings of an ambiguously sexual/fraternal nature. We, too, are captivated by Queequegs implied homosexual orientation but no less by his unfamiliar cultural customs:Show MoreRelatedAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagestested by a seductive male Effect: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · patriotism grows instills pride creates common agreement about issues shows differences between Americans and Europeans Historical Context: ï‚ · ï‚ · tells readers how to interpret what they are reading to encourage Revolutionary War support instructive in values American Renaissance/Romanticism period of American Literature - 18001855 Content: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · writing that can be interpreted 2 ways, on the surface for common folk or in depth