Moby Dick, Or The Whale - book
Herman Melville
A massive story! And, a terrific genre and, writing style plus owesome story telling.
"Call me Ismahel.." the narrator, in my understanding is a wonderful character. I don't know where to place this book: fiction or nonfiction!
The sixteenth or seventeenth century America, story of a sea farer immigrant, probably second generation, all the way from Afghanistan - his improbable tale is a twisty bizzare fiasco between the Author's yarn and the narrative blurbs!
"Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to Swallow Jonah.." Biblical
In my reading, how do I descern this?
The same Lord probably also prepared this young man Ismahel (Hagar's boy?) - in the Carpet Baggers American generation to follow certain leads and things, go sea faring.
Somewhere in the fiasco of Melville's storyline, the narrator - was like, there were these ancient freak canoes Pacific tribesmen, who, in my understanding dared the Whale and with Spears made a killing!
And, presumably to me, that Argosy sort of finding out - initially sent (Hagar's boy) seeking his first job on the Great White.. Whale unting.
(My extract):
"Finally, I always go to sea as a sailor, because of the wholesome exercise and pure air of the fore-castle deck.. blah blah.
I should now take it into my head to go on a Whaling voyage; this, the invisible Police officer of the fates..
Who has the constant surveillance of me, secretly dogs me, and influences me in some unaccountable way - he can better answer than anyone else.
And doubtless my going on this Whaling voyage formed part of the grand programme of Providence that was drawn-up a long time ago.
It came in as a sort of brief interlude and solo between more extensive performances. I take it that this part of the bill must have run something like this:
"Grand contested Election of the Presidency of the United States. 'WHALING VOYAGE BY ONE ISMAHEL. BLOODY BATTLE IN AFGHANISTAN'".
Though I cannot tell why it was exactly that those stage managers, the fates, put me down for this shabby part of a whaling voyage, when others were set down for magnificent parts in high tragedies..."
(End of my extract)
SHOCKER!
To me, this extract - written by Herman Melville, in the words of the narrator, Ismahel - way back in the 16th or 17th Century seem to have foretold the bloody tragedies of AL QAEDA, TALIBAN and the war with the US ARMY. Played out in the closing years of the 20th Century and, opening years of the 21st Century.
All the more convincing me, that the narrator Ismahel, was a latter-day proxi of Hagar's son!
One needs to revisit biblical Jonah, and trace the exact words God spoke to him and, Jonah's disobedience and, what really transpired on board that ship!
It seems to me that, that ship was a wealth seeker's popular transportation: used by wheat grain traders, spice traders, gold traders, opium smugglers and migrants.
Jonah, running away from God sic.., was the problem! But, panicked ship-mates, threw overboard all the bundle of ambiguous cargo, for fear that something in somebody's cargo was offensive to God - a drama! With God's Whale nearby somewhere in the waters; unknown to all..
My humble deduction is: the men of Salem and New Bedford fighting the whale over the SEVEN SEAS of the global world, made that wealth and, found the medicinal and nutritional solutions for their societies and beyond!
So, what's with COVID-19? - End.
