Moby Dick compared to Secret Sharer
In the novel The Secret Sharer, by Joseph Conrad, a man at sea struggles with loneliness and moral dilemma. However, the narrator has saved himself on multiple levels by the end of the novel. His confidence grows as he learns about himself, as well as when he learns of Leggatt, a man much like him. Throughout the novel, Conrad uses symbolism and the thoughts of the protagonist in order to suggest that one must know oneself in order to possess a life with motivation and confidence in oneself. In Herman Melville's "Moby Dick," the story speaks about a mans journey to find a whale who he believes represents the evil of the world. The book itself is a clear representation of the American society, its values, goals and inhabitants, as well as numerous other issues that Melville sought to challenge or come to terms with. In the "The Secret Sharer," we can see the character of the Captain change from an insecure person to a confident leader because of the experience with the Secret Sharer. At first, the Captain felt reluctant to give orders for fear of what his crew thought of him. The Captain then goes through a transformation experience, when he meets his "double," a man named Leggatt. After meeting Leggatt, a stowaway that commi
They were both doppelgangers each presiding a piece of each other where they were to die as one on the high seas. Through the wide range of characters, Melville was able to represent the American society, possibly even the world, and furnish it with contrasting figures that would set the scene for all the episodes that Melville will create in "Moby Dick" to set forth his ideas. In Moby Dick with the use of Transcendentalism, Moby is portrayed as evil in the story as Ahab tells of how he lost his leg to the white behemoth. The Captain no longer fears the opinion of his crew and is no longer a stranger to the ship, the crew, and more importantly himself. When the narrator states, "I had become so connected in thoughts and impressions with the secret sharer of my cabin that I felt as if I, personally, were being given to understand that I, too, was not the sort that would have done for the chief mate of a ship like the Sephora. Shortly after meeting the Secret Sharer, the captain is feeling more confident and starts to give orders. In essence, Ahab throws aside business and profit, and lets his warrior instinct be his guide. The rigid discipline Ahab is forced to maintain as a captain severs his ties of social contact. Ahab's meals with his officers are a direct symbol of such isolation. Devoting the best years of his life to work, he has isolated himself from the rest of humanity. Basically, the "Pequod" is a miniature of all sections of society and civilization. Ahab, therefore, un-conscientiously casts his own evil onto Moby Dick which in actuality reveals the amoral behavior that exists within Ahab. Personally, I view Ahab not as an unstable personality, but rather as a product of the life that he lives. His "rise to stardom" has in turn led Ahab to personal misery.
Common topics in this essay:
Moby Dick,
Secret Sharer,
Dick Ahab,
White Whale,
Sephora Melville's,
Basically Pequod,
Transcendentalism Moby,
Sharer Captain,
Conrad Leggatt,
Joseph Conrad,
secret sharer,
moby dick,
secret sharer captain,
sharer captain,
insecure person,
american society,
stranger ship,
evil ahab,
leg white,
dick ahab,
white whale,
moby dick ahab,
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Acceptance Essays
