Nailed to Desks: Symbolism of the Hammer in Moby-Dick

Type :

School essay

Pages :

3 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

09/26/2007

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Literature

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Summary :

While a hammer seems an everyday object, it has some distinctive qualities.
Hammers, literal or figurative, appear from early in the novel, but the frequency of appearance and the intensity of associated imagery increase as the novel progresses, through to the final lines
The presence of hammers aboard a whaling ship like The Pequod in Moby-Dick is no surprise, but varied uses of the word reveal a range of ways in which deeper conclusions can be drawn from the work
The next mention comes in ?The Quarter-Deck,? in the scene in which Ahab nails the gold doubloon to the main-mast.
The hammer further develops as a symbol in the chapters ?The Blacksmith? and ?The Forge.?
So the hammer, representing labor personified, is portrayed as a happy thing when it is productive
Except for allusions to gods of the sea, the ocean itself is rarely personified in the novel.
Similarly, in the very final pages, in chapter 135 ?The Chase - Third Day,? Moby-Dick sounds, diving beneath the surface
However, the sound of those hammers clanging does continue in the background of the final chapter until the last paragraph

Abstract

Herman Melville's iconic novel moby-dick contains in its 135 chapters dozens of symbolic images artfully connected and expanded. The power of the imagery lies in how the symbols reappear throughout, like a juggler's balls constantly in the air. These range from lofty literary and Biblical allusions to simple words with archetypal associations. One such simple word is 'hammer.'
While a hammer seems an everyday object, it has some distinctive qualities. It is widely considered the oldest type of tool, its use possibly pre-dating Neanderthals; the basic design has bred thousands of variations for uses ranging from tiny mechanical parts to lethal war-hammers; and it has been purposefully imbued with symbolic meaning by its adoption in Communist flags and artwork. Hence, global associations with work, labor, death, and progress.