Moby Dick
tone
what can we say about tone in Moby Dick? what kind of mood does the novel establish ?
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Kevin V #709601
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Answered by
Aslan
I think that Melville varies his tone through the novel but I would be inclined to call the overall tone thoughtful and reflective. The characters. Consider Ishmael's reflective tone in the following excerpt:
Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off – then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.
Answered by
Kevin V #709601
The "default" tone in Moby-Dick is thoughtful, with a dash of humor and affection—the tone Ishmael (or Melville) often adopts when he’s considering scenes of whaling and sailing that are dear to his heart. We find this tone in the very first paragraph of the novel:
Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off – then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. (1.1)
