The Natural

Note: Any connection in the title to the Bernard Malamud story is not so coincidental, (though I only saw the Barry Levinson/Robert Redford movie adaptation). Wasting godlike power because of human faults does fit and Ahab is a Fisher King.

Reading Marr’s Islamicist interpretation and then Ilana Pardes’s Biblical one, week after week, connects them in my mind, unwillingly perhaps, as attempts to analyze powerful religious discussions inside the book. Instead of looking for Christianity (not that hard, any second page has something), I can opt for the quick discussionless Judo-Christian concept of one bible in Melville’s mind (like most Christians who grew up on old+new testament as one book), just to jump over the “Where’s Jesus” question. All that is left is to note the numerous Greek legends, Roman references aplenty and the odd Shiva, and it’s safe to say Melville went through every man-made belief concept he knew.

Ahab is the ship god, as states Ilana Pardes. As can be seen in many maritimes examples, the captain must be god for his men. That is the easiest way to control them. It’s simpler to build fear and awe in people, than to explain to them why they must do exactly as the captain commands. This also works in other forms of leading, from elementary school to the professional baseball field. To me, Ahab’s godlike presence is more obvious when he’s unseen but all powerful in the first weeks of voyage, than any other act he does. (He’s capitalistically elected to be god, by the way).

It’s my feeling that Melville is constantly putting Ahab, his ship and the whaling industry in general, in a polytheistic discussion, where we, as readers, can readily use them in our critique of those man-made beliefs. Wrapping up the book, Melville provides a simplistic answer to those beliefs by placing Ahab, the man-made god, referenced multi-dimensionally, who is but one of many ship-gods , against one very clear, non-dimensional foe, the one, Natural, God. This actually has the biblical connection. Biblical Ahab was polytheistic in belief and a part of several kings’ alliances. His wife, Jezebel, when challenging Elijah after he killed the Baal priests, says –

 “כֹּה יַעֲשׂוּן אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִפוּן – כִּי כָעֵת מָחָר אָשִׂים אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ כְּנֶפֶשׁ אַחַד מֵהֶם”

 – note the plural. The Bible is simple: It doesn’t matter how many gods you made up and how many kings' armies you brought with you. You challenge God – you die. There’s no need to choose Judaic interpretation over Islamic one, or try to comprehend them together, or seperately. Eventually, all discussion will lead to the whale, and there’s only one resolution there.