Essay on Melvilles Trimurti - 5531 Words

Melvilles Trimurti Throughout Moby Dick, Herman Melville offers his reader a mà ©lange of foreign curiosities and exotic points of interest that add both depth and texture to the narrative. The abundance of such exotica, however, can prove overwhelming, and many of the novels briefly noted yet remarkably important cultural signposts get lost in the mix. Often overlooked, Melvilles use of Hindu imagery not only lends a sense of mysticism to the novel, but also helps to define the dynamic that operates between Ishmael, Ahab, and Moby Dick. Understanding this dynamic offers insight into Melvilles efforts at defining the novel as an art form as well as his attempts at casting the roles of author, reader, and novel in relationship†¦show more content†¦The significance of this name is noteworthy. Elephanta, a small island between Bombay and mainland India, is the home of an eighth-century temple cave that contains a statue of the Trimurti or the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (Sharma 7). By planting this eastern landmark so early in the novel, Melville subtly alludes to these gods, and a close reading of the text reveals that the author identifies Ishmael, the whale, and Ahab with Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva respectively. While an understanding of these characters in terms of their divine counterparts will shed light on many issues, some background information on Melvilles knowledge of Hindu mythology is warranted before we proceed. That Melville was well-versed in the mythologies of many cultures is evident. In his memoirs, Maunsell Field recounts a conversation between Melville and Oliver Wendell Holmes, in which both parties discuss the mythologies of India with the most amazing skill and brilliancy, and Melville himself mentions Sir William Jones, the first president of the Royal Society of Bengal and Calcutta and a major promoter of research into Eastern mythology, in Moby Dick, reflecting a familiarity with the researchers work (Kulkarni 1). An additional familiarity with Pierre Bayles Dictionaire and Thomas Maurices Indian Antiquities and History of Hindostan not only broadened Melvilles iconography, but also gave the author a medium in which to