NCHS AP English Language

Question 9: Rebecca Hall, Corinne McConnell & Alex Wikoff

Fedallah is the leader of the "five dusky phantoms" brought aboard the ship by Captain Ahab to serve as protectants of the ship.

Fedallah in Arabic means "in the hands of God," which Melville undoubtedly knew when penning the novel. Fedallah is purportedly a Parsee, a religious sect descended from the Persians which contrasts the light of good with the darkness of evil.

Fedallah's actions, however, lead us to believe that his character is almost certainly evil, sharing in Ahab's madness and perception.

There are also passages throughout the novel that allude to Fedallah and Ahab being one man, which coincides with Ahab's scar (split persona). Perhaps Ahab struggles with two personalities, that which strives to do good and be good and that which illuminates the darkness in Ahab to an extremity. Ahab needs Fedallah yet despises him all at once.

If we conclude that by the Great Chain of Being that the harpooners are the angelic presence on the Pequod, Fedallah therefore might be Satan. Recall that Satan is a fallen angel, hence Fedallah, as an evil angelic presence on the ship could possibly represent that of a Satanic orgin.

posted by Rebecca @ 9:08 AM