Rhetorical Analysis of Moby Dick Google Docs
Kelsey Mahar
Mr. Curley
AP English
Rhetorical Analysis of “The Quarter Deck”
28 February 2015 The Quarter Deck
Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” is the story of a sea voyage gone amiss; one where men simply searching for adventure on the sea are taken advantage of to fulfill a maddened Captain
Ahab’s fantasy of revenge. Suspense is gradually increases throughout the story: first, leading up to their depart, and later as they approach their final confrontation with Moby Dick. The chapter entitled “The Quarter Deck,” serves as a major turning point in the story, where tension and suspense first begin to build. It is packed with rhetoric from Captain Ahab, which is successfully used in order to arouse his crew and inspirit them for his irrational mission of revenge. Through brief stage directions, rousing speech, dialogue, and narration, Melville dramatizes this chapter, and makes it one of the most significant and memorable chapters in the novel. Through employing these rhetorical techniques, Melville also foreshadows future events and gives the reader insight on the reality of the situation the men are in.
This chapter begins with a very short piece of stage directions: “(Enter Ahab: Then, all)”.
Despite it’s seeming insignificance, Melville’s choice to employ the use of stage directions for the first time here is an extremely intuitive decision. So why did he just decide to use them now?
This signifies something out of the ordinary is about to happen. After a long focus on Ishmael’s private thoughts and his own adventure at sea, stage directions signify a change in plot. They brace the reader for the great turning point that is about to occur in the novel. In addition, the use of stage directions has an emotional appeal, because it can make the reader feel as though they
are witnessing the story unfold as if they are watching a dramatic play. Also, the use of stage directions promotes Moby Dick as a tragedy, which is one the two types of
Mr. Curley
AP English
Rhetorical Analysis of “The Quarter Deck”
28 February 2015 The Quarter Deck
Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” is the story of a sea voyage gone amiss; one where men simply searching for adventure on the sea are taken advantage of to fulfill a maddened Captain
Ahab’s fantasy of revenge. Suspense is gradually increases throughout the story: first, leading up to their depart, and later as they approach their final confrontation with Moby Dick. The chapter entitled “The Quarter Deck,” serves as a major turning point in the story, where tension and suspense first begin to build. It is packed with rhetoric from Captain Ahab, which is successfully used in order to arouse his crew and inspirit them for his irrational mission of revenge. Through brief stage directions, rousing speech, dialogue, and narration, Melville dramatizes this chapter, and makes it one of the most significant and memorable chapters in the novel. Through employing these rhetorical techniques, Melville also foreshadows future events and gives the reader insight on the reality of the situation the men are in.
This chapter begins with a very short piece of stage directions: “(Enter Ahab: Then, all)”.
Despite it’s seeming insignificance, Melville’s choice to employ the use of stage directions for the first time here is an extremely intuitive decision. So why did he just decide to use them now?
This signifies something out of the ordinary is about to happen. After a long focus on Ishmael’s private thoughts and his own adventure at sea, stage directions signify a change in plot. They brace the reader for the great turning point that is about to occur in the novel. In addition, the use of stage directions has an emotional appeal, because it can make the reader feel as though they
are witnessing the story unfold as if they are watching a dramatic play. Also, the use of stage directions promotes Moby Dick as a tragedy, which is one the two types of