In chapter 105 ‘does the whale’s magnitude diminish? – will it perish?’ Ishmael concludes that the sperm whale is not likely to be extinct, due to the relatively small amount of whales hunted in a single voyage, their change of travelling form and their ability to dwell in the presumingly untouchable poles. Today we know that Ishmael’s assumption was wrong, since the sperm whale is considered an endangered species, and it is detailed that more than a million sperm whales were butchered over the last two centuries. Ishmael’s mistake lies in his repressed logic – if you engage in mass destruction, how can you syllogise a happy ending? How can you not suffer the consequences of your doing? This leads me to Israel. I have no idea how much you know about Israel and what you think of it, but a very strong component of our culture revolves around such phrases as “everything will be ok” “trust me” and so on. We drop bombs on civilians, violate human rights, embody a most violent form of capitalism and yet – everything will be ok, no reflection of our deeds is expected. At 18 we are bound to join the IDF. Boys and girls, straight out of high school, carry firearms and engage in doubtful activities that awaken primeval virtues that culture was suppose to repress. And yet we are amazed at the mounting violence of our society. Hello?! Can’t anyone do the simple math? As you might conclude, I try to read Moby Dick as a highly relevant and lively political, social and historical document that has an undeniable reflection on our contemporary situation. In that sense, the character of Elijah the prophet, who predicts the ship’s destruction, is the essence of Melville’s harsh criticism of western society – the colonization, the aggressive capitalism and the enshrinement of physical assets and what not... Everything, almost too smoothly, and unforcefully fall into place and leads to a grim conclusion about the destiny of our ship.
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