| The work of Herman Melville has been explored by hundreds of scholars in the hopes of supporting a variety of claims. Until recent decades, the concept of slavery was applied only to works such as Benito Cereno and White-Jacket. However, in the midst of these studies sits Melville's largest accomplishment: Moby-Dick. Although that novel has been studied in depth by many, few have recognized the intricately constructed, carefully disguised slavery metaphor it conceals. This study offers a deeper understanding of Moby-Dick by relating its text to Herman Melville's unique position in relation to the nation's anti-slavery controversy, culminating in a discussion of the "fast-fish, loose-fish" concept, its importance to the whaling community, as well as its connection to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Combining these ideas, this project highlights not only the strength of Melville's anti-slavery feeling, but his innate ability to both craft and protect his message. |
