Both Saving and Destroying: Water Imagery in Moby Dick Anonymous 11th Grade

There are two sides to everything, whether it be a situation, decision, or even a person, perspective is important when evaluating the positives and negatives of anything. For instance, on an extremely hot day the sun is viewed as a negative thing, as it causes extreme hand, yet when the sun comes out during a cold day it is viewed as a saving grace. This same situation occurs in Melville’s novel, Moby Dick, when analyzing the water imagery and its effects on the characters within the novel. The ocean is depicted as a transcendental body of water, carrying a sacred aura at all times throughout the journey. Melville uses water imagery within Moby Dick to convey water as possessing both redemptive and damning characteristics.

First off, Melville paints water imagery with redemptive qualities throughout Moby Dick. Ishmael starts by explaining how the mind is connected to water, claiming that “meditation and water are wedded forever” (Melville 18). According to Ishmael, water provides a chance for a search for self, in this case Ishmael is going out to sea to find his true identity. He relates it to the story of Narcissus, who drowned after staring at his reflection in the water. The reason Narcissus was staring into his...