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Robert Motherwell. The Tomb of Captain Ahab [1953]. Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Museum of Art, Utica, New York.
MOBY-DICK, or THE WHALE
There are countless books about how to write a novel. Moby-Dick reads as if Herman Melville knew them all and rejected their advice point-by-point. There is less of a narrative arc than a narrative labyrinth. All at once romantic and realist, pragmatic and idealist, direct and periphrastic, Moby-Dick may be the greatest of all American novels—and yet it is our anti-novel. Melville writes in prose, for example, and yet he reserves the right to break into stage direction for several chapters.
We shall read this whale of a book and write about it during our short seminar. Read diligently—we must complete 120-125 pages per week to stay on track. 20 pages per night should do it. You will find that Melville's chapters are unusually short, so the page count is not quite as imposing as it seems. There is a lot of space around chapter titles to jot down notes as you go.
You will not catch many of the allusions: that is ok. Annotate as much as you can, and bring your observations to class for discussion. We shall not try to catch this whale with a single harpoon--we will jab at her from many directions and hold fast to her over the course of our discussions.
Above all, have a good time with this book.
Melville's characters are engaging and he has a terrific sense of humor. Do not be overly serious, as Ahab is, but assume a Starbuck-like willingness to enjoy the task for its own sake. Fasten on to this whale, and then enjoy the wild ride as it pulls you around the ocean.
Course Requirements
All students should submit a 750-word essay at midterm dealing with material up to and including chapter 54, “The Town Ho’s Story," for 30% of the course grade. A final paper of 1,000 words will be due at the end of the semester on material after chapter 54 for 40% of the course grade. The remaining 30% will be comprised of a series of weekly reading quizzes. The quizzes will be very basic and only ten questions long.
In addition, students taking the course for advanced credit must give an in-class presentation of approximately 15 minutes on a subject to be determined in consultation with me. If you are taking the course for advanced credit, it is your responsibility to meet with me before or after class to propose your subject and to sign up for a date to deliver your presentation in class. Presentations are a pass/fail affair, but you must complete one to complete the course at the advanced level.
Audio CD from the progressive metal band Mastodon loosely based on Moby-Dick.
Required text
Course Schedule
Febuary 28-29: Introductions
“Etymology,” “Extracts,” and Chapters 1-2
March 1-2: Queequeg and Ishmael
Chapters 3-7
March 6: Father Mapple, Ishmael, and Queequeg
Chapters 8-12
Quiz 1: Etymology through chapter 12
March 7: Ishmael and Queequeg Look for a Ship
Chapters 13-16
March 8-12: Embarking on the Pequod, Ahab and His Pipe
Chapters 17-30
March 13: Mysteries of the Whale and Life on a Whaling Ship
Chapters 31-35
March 14: Shakespeare’s Whalemen
Chapters 36-40
Quiz 2: chapters 13-40
March 16: Moby Dick and The Whiteness of the Whale
Chapters 41-42
March 19: Threading the Maze
Chapters 43-46
March 20: Chance, Free will, Necessity, and a Desperado Philosophy
Chapters 46-49
March 21: Fedallah, the Spirit Spout, and the Albatross
Chapters 50-53
March 22: The Town Ho's Story I
Chapter 54
Midterm Paper assigned--Due Friday, April 13
March 23: The Town Ho's Story II
Chapter 54 continued
Quiz 3: Chapters 41-54
SPRING BREAK
Wednesday, April 11: Picture This
Chapters 55-57
April 12: Of Repose and Killing
Chapters 58-69
April 13: The Metaphysical Chapters I
Chapters 70-73
Midterm Paper Due
April 16: Metaphysical Chapters II
Chapters 74-79
April 17: Nutting for Glory
Chapters 80-82
April 18: History Historically Handled and Beauty Beautifully Beatified
Chapters 83-86
Quiz 4: Chapters 55-86
April 20: Sex, Oomphalos, and Phallus
Chapters 87-95
April 23: Flensing (Descriptive Chapters) and the Doubloon
Chapters 96-99
April 24: Samuel Enderby, Whale's Skeleton, Whale's Ancient Pedigree
Chapters 100-104
April 25: Ahab's Leg, Starbuck
Chapters 105-109
Quiz 5: Chapters 87-109
April 26: The Bachelor and The Book's Motto: "Ego non baptizo in nomine patris, sed in nomine diaboli!"
Chapters 110-115
April 27: Catch-up day
May 2: Macbeth's Prophecy
Chapters 116-119
May 3: The Lightning Storm, "all of us are Ahabs"
Chapters 120-123
Quiz 6 (last quiz): Chapters 110-123
May 4: The Occult
Chapters 124-126
May 7: The Rachel and the Delight
Chapters 127-131
May 8: Symphony and the Chase Begins
Chapters 132-133
May 9: The End
Chapter 134-Epilogue
May 11: Finish any projects (advanced-credit students)
TERM PAPER DUE
"There's another rendering now; but still one text. All sorts of men in one kind of world, you see."
Ch. 99: "The Doubloon"
Sam Francis. The Whiteness of the Whale [1957]. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York.
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