NCHS AP English Language

Chpt 3 Kyle Smith, Patrick Collins, Hannah Robinson

When Ishmael enters the Spouter-Inn he describes it as a gloomy, dark place. He draws much attention to the different works of art about the room. One specific piece of artwork he draws attention to is the book shelf shaped as a whale's jaw. H describes the things on the shelves in the jaw as "another cursed Jonah" (p 39). When Melville mentions Jonah he is making a biblical reference. Jonah was an unwilling servant of God; when God calls upon Jonah to go to Nineveh to prophesize about the disaster of the city because of its wickedness Jonah gets aboard a ship going a different direction. While at sea a terrible storm comes upon the ship and throws Jonah overboard, and is swallowed by a great fish where he stays for three days and three nights. He prays for deliverance from the fish to safety, he is later vomited onto land and goes to Nineveh to perform God's will. Another allusion Melville makes is to another painting one sees as soon as they walk in the door. This painting is unnatural and confusing mess of paint, in different light and with different shadows it looks like different things. One way Ishmael describes the picture is as "a Hyperborean winter scene" (p 37). Hyperborean is a reference to a very cold, frigid north wind. The disorder of the painting is like a crazy wind storm in the winter. In the end however Ishmael discovers that the painting is actually of a whale impaling itself upon the mast of a ship in a storm. Melville makes many references throughout all his chapters, these two allusions however are the most relevant of this chapter.

Hannah Robinson
Kyle Smith
Patrick Collins

posted by NCHS AP English Language III @ 2:05 PM