NCHS AP English Language

Kelsey Marsh and Shimarah Mehrotra Biblical Ship Names

The significant ships in Moby Dick are The Bachelor, The Samuel Enderby, The Rose-Bud, The Virgin, The Rachel, and The Delight. The Rachel is of importance because in the Bible Rachel is wanted by Jacob. Jacob wanted her instead of Leah because Rachel was younger than Leah. Jacob had to work for fourteen years to get Rachel. In Moby Dick, The Rachel was the ship that saved Ishmael after floated in the ocean for two days before he was saved by her. He was the only one saved by The Rachel and he was the youngest of the crew.
In the Bible, Rachel was barren and could not give Jacob sons so she had her handmaiden Bilhah bear him sons. Later she had two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, but she died giving birth to Benjamin. The Rachel is an appropriate name for the ship because it saved Ishmael and adopted him into safety, much like a mother would do for a son.

posted by NCHS AP English Language III @ 9:18 AM