NCHS AP English Language

Ch. 2 allusions (Alyssa Berger & Clarissa Hernandez)

In "The Carpet Bag," Ishmael describes of the city of Gomorrah, which makes a reference to the biblical era. Gomorrah was a city destroyed by God with fire, because the citizens were sinful people. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah, essentially, describes what hell is like and why people are there. In Moby Dick hell is known as "The Trap." In order to be in "The Trap," you must face Black Parliament first, or better known as a jurisdiction. The thing that presides over "The Trap" is referred to as the Angel of Doom, or relating back to biblical times, the devil. A place for punishment for the wicked after death, referring to hell, is known as a Tophet according to Webster's Dictionary. The Spouter-Inn literally is an inn, in that Ishmael saw it in the distance, but abstractly it could resemble a hell on earth. Just like how someone is brought to hell through their actions, Ishmael was bought to the Spouter-Inn through his actions. The road to the inn could be represented as "judgment day" for that is when he made a reference to the Black Parliament. The Spouter-Inn also makes a reference to a whale, because a whale has a spout. The landlord of The Spouter-Inn is Peter Coffin. He literally is the landlord but as he governs the inn, he could be known as the Angel of Doom, or the devil. The allusions of this chapter essentially describe hell as a physical place in the Spouter-Inn, and a abstract place with the Black Parliament and "The Trap." The physical form of the devil is Peter Coffin and the abstract form is the Angel of Doom. This chapter also illuminates the forewarning of a whale because of the reference to a spout. In conclusion "The Carpet Bag" describes he forms of hell.

posted by NCHS AP English Language III @ 9:22 AM