Old-Testament Allusions: Yahwhale

As I continue deeper into this text, and become continually more disappointed with the behavior and character of the humans in Moby Dick, I become more impressed with Melville’s treatment of the whales. As a narrator, Ishmael exposes us to the humanlike qualities of the whales, but I was most struck by a deeper allusion: “the Sperm Whale only breathes about one seventh or Sunday of his time” compared to the breathing patterns of humans (291). I found this to be a particularly meaningful transformation in the portrayal of whales in the text up to this point.

We have heard accounts of monstrous, notorious whales with a Leviathan quality to them, but this quote turned the perception of its head, instead implicitly comparing the whale to another Old-Testament character. Ishmael notes that the whale breathes with one seventh the frequency that is habitual for humans. This follows a description of how with man, “breathing is incessantly going on” (291), suggesting that whales have an elevated or superior quality to them, only having to breathe one seventh as often. This is an understandable statement in itself, but Ishmael throws in the added descriptor of “Sunday.” the analogy of the whale’s time of rest therefore draws a clear parallel to the Judeo-Christian perspective that Yahweh worked for a week, resting on the seventh day.

This biblical allusion transforms the monstrous perspective of the whale into that of something to be revered, and makes me seek out further instances that elaborate on a deification of the whale. Further along, Ishmael refers to the whale as “my Lord Whale” (306). Looking at the potential parallels, the dangers of whaling at this time contributed to a great deal of death and danger, as Melville depicts; bearing this in mind, it also occurs to me that the whale has a godlike quality in dictating the life and death of a sailor. Though these attributes seem at odds with one another, it directly parallels the idea that the Old Testament god should be simultaneously revered for his greatness and feared for his destructive capacity.