Character Analysis Of Fedallah In Melvilles Moby Dick

Fedallah is one of the most important characters in Melville’s Moby-Dick. Ahab’s characteristics that create his moral tragedy are represented by different characters in the novel. In Fedallah’s case, he represents the pure, demonic evil that exists in Ahab. At times he seems to be supernatural and a literal extension of Ahab’s innermost being. In Chapter 73, while observing the right whales head, Fedallah’s shadow seems to blend in with Ahab’s, as if they are a single being (Melville 261). Furthermore, since Fedallah was excluded completely from the movie, his prophecies to Ahab do not exist either. In Chapter 117, Fedallah explains to Ahab that Ahab will see two coffins: one made not by â€Å"mortal hands† and the other with wood that†¦show more content†¦While Fedallah represents part of Ahab’s character role, the small black boy Pip is important to express Ahab’s personality as well. The small black bo y who goes by the name of â€Å"Pip† on the Pequod is very significant to the original story. However, in the movie his character role is misrepresented. In Melville’s original novel, Pip goes mad after falling overboard twice during a whale hunt. The second time he falls overboard, he is left to tread water alone until the Pequod picks him up later purely by chance. After this sequence, Pip loses his sanity from the intense loneliness and isolation he experiences from treading water. Ahab feels bad for Pip and tells him that he may live in his cabin. This is especially significant because it shows that Ahab still has a little compassion left in him. Ahab also identifies himself with Pip because Pip has been permanently affected by loneliness just as Ahab has been from a life at Sea. John Wenke touches on this in his essay â€Å"Ahab and ‘The Larger, Darker, Deeper Part† when he says that â€Å"Ahab’s affiliation with Pip, unlike Fedallah, might easily be seen as an expression of Ahab’s â€Å"humanities†, his capacity, as it were, for love and affection. But it must be recognized that their relationship is so marginal that it also reflects Ahab’s alienation from society. Pip’s experience as castaway fits him to be Ahab’s counterpart† (Wenke 705). As Ahab gets closer to Moby Dick, heShow MoreRelatedSymbolic Elements in Moby Dick Essay1320 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolic Elements in Moby Dick There is a symbolic element in every great literary work, which makes the authors message more tangible and real to his readers. In Herman Melvilles Moby Dick, one such element is the idea of the counterpane, or tapestry, of humanity, that is woven throughout the story as a symbol of the worlds multiculturalism. Melville develops this symbolism on at least three levels, proving that the world is indeed a counterpane of diverse cultures, races, and environmentsRead MoreSurface: the Key to Understanding Moby-dick Essay2304 Words   |  10 Pages Surface: The Key to Understanding Moby-Dick There are many key themes and words in Herman Melvilles Moby-Dick. One of the more interesting words found repeatedly is the word surface. There are several ways to interpret this word; it is the veil under which the unknown resides, it is the dividing line between the limits of human knowledge and that which is unknowable, it is the barrier that protects the soul from falling below, and it is a finite form . The first and most easily recognized