What does "Moby Dick" say about America at the time it was written?

Question

Just in case it censors the title, the name of the book is "Moby D!ck".

I think the title line is fairly stright-forward. I'll be honest, I didn't read the whole book (partly because I procrastinate alot, partly because I genuinely dislike the book), but form what I read it seems to tell alot about the culture of New England and Nantucket, the whaling industry.

In the beginning, when he meets Queequeg, Ishmael talks about how it was common for cannabals, or other people from islands to be casually walking the streets. Assuming these people are black, does this mean that New England has no racial tensions? Slavery was going on in the south around that time (or maybe it had just recently ended...hm...?).

As for the whaling industry, here's the part where my inerest severely waned. I gather that it's not necessarily a happy, fun job, and certianly not easy. The sailors who do it, do it because they love it. I gathered that much, but I can't quite get a grasp on what that says about...

...America. Was the whaling industry a very important one?

Also, I think an industrial revolution started around the time of Moby D!ck. Is there are connection between Moby D!ck and technology in the world?

I would greatly appreciate it if anyone can give me some guidance through the ideas that I have started, or propose some new ideas.

Thanks tons,

-Bacon

Answer 1

I think it was symbolic of the quest for God (Moby Dick being that higher purpose or being) and how man can acheive great things, but that he is still weaker than the higher power. It put's us in our place as humans.

It had lots of philosophical and moral issues to deal with as is the case today. Like Bush, Captain Ahab was on his obsessive revenge seeking voyage to the point of appearing "evil" to some readers.

Answer 2

I think Queequeg was Polynesian, not black, but there were black sailors as well. There may certainly have been racial tensions in town, but not to the extent that a cannibal couldn't walk the streets safely. On the ship, people had to get along more or less; in port, the professional sailor probably didn't stay long, and was accustomed to being an alien wherever he landed. And the townspeople were used to foreign sailors.
The Pequod was owned and managed by Quaker businessmen, and many people, including widows and orphans of sailors, had a share in the profits. Quakers, though only human, are known for promoting greater equality among races and between sexes. They even had some mixed-race schools and women preachers. And of course many of them participated in the Underground Railroad, helping blacks to escape from bondage.
They were certainly more impressed with Queequeg's harpooning skill than with Ishmael's white skin and Christian faith; this is shown by their respective rates of pay.
Incidentally, I seem to recall that Queequeg is said to have practiced cannibalism only once in his life.

Answer 3

Read the whole book and do your own homework.

Answer 4

America has too many drum solos.

Answer 5

is this a homework question?