The Preacher Ishmael
Although a great deal of drama is contained within this book, one cannot but notice that Melville uses his chief character to preach to his readers. Ishmael becomes, as the story develops, a somewhat hypocritical philosopher who possess a great deal of insight into many aspects of humanity and humanism (although not entirely obvious, it seems that Ishmael is supposed to have been a well learned teacher before becoming a seaman. This is apparently supposed to explain his excessive wordiness as well as his tendency for bibliographical citations. This background might also serve to explain his seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of certain areas). This preaching is presented in a learned and cynical manner that speaks to the soul. Admittedly though, the writer does at times seem to write overmuch and there are chapters where the reading becomes somewhat tedious.
One for the Readers
In truth, it at times seems that the author, Melville, himself seems to realize that although he has captivated his readers, he holds them by the finest of thread. Thus, in later chapters, he alludes to the fact that although he is aware that the reader might find the reading tedious, nonetheless the reader has no choice but to read the story till its grand finale. The truth of the matter is that such alluding seems to me to constitute readers’ abuse and when I originally realized that that was the meaning behind Melville’s words, I had half a mind to desist right then and there. Even so, Melville’s binding threads withstood the strain and I did not stop my reading until the plot reached its dramatic and destructive end. I was glad that I persevered because the plot conclusion was well worth the patience. Even so, I admit the story could well be re-written with many parts omitted or abbreviated without any significant damage to the story.
