Whaling during the 19th Century

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

10 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

12/09/2008

Category :

Arts & media

Sub category :

Journalism

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Summary :

Introduction.
1. The subject of whaling and Moby Dick.
2. The arena of personality clashes.
Environmental dangers that the men face.
1. The match-up of a 45 ton whale and a row boat.
2. The case of the Ann Alexander.
3. The macabre details of the voyage.
The duel processes of 'cutting-in' and 'trying-out'.
1. Danger of being knocked overboard.
2. General sickness.
3. The risk posed by the economy.
The incentive for green hands.
1. Scouting at taverns, inns, and brothels.
2. Untrained and quickly disillusioned men.
3. The punishment for newcomers.
Sympathy in a perilous working environment.
Conclusion.

Abstract

The subject of whaling can hardly be discussed without a mention of Moby Dick, the maritime adventure novel by Herman Melville. Published in 1951, it tells the story of Captain Ahab, and his obsession with catching the "white whale." Mythic in its titanic beauty, nothing serves as a better embodiment of the sea and its risks than the whale. The hunt for this beast consumed the minds, hearts, and lives of many men during the 19th century, a period that saw both the industry's American peak and decline. As advances in steam power and ship design paved the way for a smaller, more traversable world, the sun began stetting on the age of sail. Long chased mysteries of the deep were becoming increasingly within man's grasp of scientific understanding, though they had been within reach of a harpoon for thousands of years. Despite being an era of industrial and scientific advancement something very primal existed within whaling that was not quite of that time. In a world where civilization was becoming increasingly removed and independent of nature's powers, whaling remained almost strictly within them. At the core of 19th century whaling still existed in the infamously treacherous contest between man and leviathan, a duel whose outcome was never certain.