NCHS AP English Language

Kyle Smith #6 Starbuck's Solioquy

6. Read Chapter 38 about Starbuck's solilioquy. What is the central trope that Melville employs and why is it appropriate?


Starbuck goes on and on about the crew and other various ideas in Chapter 38. He metaphorically describes how the whale will bring the downfall of the crew. Melville uses a simile describing how Moby Dick has such a large ocean to roam just like a goldfish in his own round bowl. He expresses to the reader how he fears the whale and the effects that it will bring to the Pequod. But the central trope used in this Chapter is a metaphor. It seems like this kind of speech would bring down the crew of the ship, almost like a reality check.

Kyle Smith

posted by NCHS AP English Language III @ 9:59 PM