Melville's Critque on Homosexuality

Melville’s Critique on Homosexuality
Cody Sharp

         The purpose of this paper is not to be controversial or vulgar, but is intended for the explanation of my point and view on the matter of how Melville addresses homosexuality in his novel Moby Dick. Although it may be graphic, this paper demonstrates a subject that is all but unavoidable in today’s culture as well in the culture of the mid 19th century.

         There are most certainly no known facts that reveal a shameful homosexual liaison in the life of Herman Melville. However there are many accounts of Melville that reveal him to be “puzzled.” For an example when Melville was writing his novel Pierre, a story themed around incest, his son Stanwix was born. Melville unintentionally wrote his own mother’s name instead of his wife’s on the birth certificate. His marriage and relation ship with Elizabeth Shaw were sub-par. The first book Melville wrote after his marriage was called Mardi. This maritime novel is highly truth-seeking and examines the travels of two men and the countries they enter. The book exalts their friendship and associates marriage with suicide. The masses disbelieved Melville’s first two books although they were nonfiction, so he wrote a rather ironic preface stating, that by a similar pattern he “hoped the fiction book”, Mardi, would be taken as fact. Keep in mind that he himself is married. It would seem to me that Melville is either confused or knows what his 19th century audience likes, and I don’t thinks it’s the latter due to the lack of Melville fans in his time. When trying to asses Melville’s “confusion” one comes up with incestuous mishaps and misogyny, or the dislike of women. But these two themes do not make up the majority of Melville’s work; rather it happens to be the encouraging theme of male affection which significantly sparks the homo erotic imagination.
         As we have been taught I will provide my evidence as strongest, strong, and stronger. This brings us into the “great American classic” Moby Dick. The quest captain Ahab has of getting revenge on Moby Dick has overtaken his life and eventually brings his untimely demise. Melville wants us to have something to occupy our time so that a certain goal or quest doesn’t over run our lives. There he brings in Ishmael and Queequeg’s relationship, this bond between two men is one of the things that keeps them busy while Ahab tirades. Herman Melville’s novel is laden with sexually imagery. This is most noticeable with the relationship between Queequeg, the man eater, and Ishmael, the innocent sailor. If one were to assume their relationship a homosexual one, then the development of their bond throughout the text links homosexuality with negative consequences. In other words, the more the book progresses their interactions become increasingly more sensual. This negativity climaxes with the loss of Queequeg. The area under discussion is reflective of Melville's effort to construct a social commentary about homosexuality.
         Sexual allusions are often masked by Melville's clever use of diction. Such allusions take many forms in the text but become most apparent in Melville's depiction of a scene. The infamous chapter number 94, A Squeeze of the Hand, is illustrative of this. Melville writes, "I squeezed that sperm till a strange sort of insanity came over me; and I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers' hands in it, mistaking their hands for the gentle globules. Such an abounding, affectionate, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes." Although I have been taught that the aroma of the spermaceti causes Ishmael s affectionate personality, I believe it simply evokes it. The word sperm is used many times, which seems to appropriately symbolize the all male crew by referencing their biological essence of masculinity. The language used here and Melville’s diction is symbolic, and as the sperm represented the men…the passage represents an intimate act. The crew is participating in something physical in a certain circumstance which reminds the reader of the sexual ways in which the body naturally works. Melville is able to catch the reader’s attention, using word choice, by swerving their attention to the hand rather than another too visual body part. Melville uses pleasurable words to portray this occurrence and calls it an "avocation," or something a person does in addition to a principal occupation, especially for pleasure. The word "avocation" verifies the lusty tone that the opening of the passage constructs.
Melville concludes this paragraph with, "Why should we longer cherish any social acerbities...let us all squeeze ourselves into each other." "Acerbity" means something sour or bitter in taste. Figuratively, one can assume that Ishmael is referring to something broad such as the confinement of practical social graces that would prohibit him from openly engaging in this behavior. This tone is a foreshadowing of Queequeg's passing away. Making their relationship so real and intimate leading up to his death Melville makes it appear as if the events had causation. Literally, the word “acerbity” takes on a different meaning, such as the spermaceti’s bitter taste. Although in this specific sentence the term “social” modifies the term “acerbity.”  Matching the two words together assigns them a more sexual nuance than if they had appeared unaccompanied. The term “social” works as a simile, or image, for the physical or sexual behavior because of its interactive connotation. It seems to the reader that in this passage Ishmael, like Ahab, is talking to himself and is interpreted such as, why is intercourse so pleasurable. At this point in the novel is may be apparent to some that Melville is speaking through his character Ishmael because he is demonstrating his greater purpose. Melville’s greater purpose as stated above is to construct a social commentary about homosexuality. The phrase Ishmael speaks of is overtly visual and inspires imagery. After considering the interpretation of the phrase “social acerbity” it seems rational to assume the act of squeezing into one another means sodomy.
Even the chapter titles of Moby Dick are laced with double-meanings. Chapter 11, which is properly titled Nightgown, supplies the prototypical example of this relationship. The title foreshadows the event that is fixing to happen. Nightgowns are not supposed to be worn by men so the title holds a negative implication. The word "nightgown" is defined by the random house unabridged dictionary as a loose gown, worn in bed by women or children. This very term as implying it for men is emasculating and renders them childlike. It is fact that during this time in history women had a lesser status relative to men; therefore the title sets the stage for the act that will confirm their lesser status. Melville recognizes that in life sexuality is equated with social status and purposely plays out the idea of this with Ishmael as he is little depended on, on the Pequod.  It is obviously truthful that not all same sex relationships conclude in death, but it seems that Queequeg’s death insinuates to the penalty of a same sex relationship. This very chapter also refers to the same social judgment chapter 94 does.
The interaction between Ishmael and Queequeg came close to being my strongest evidence, but falls just shy. There seems to be an awkward and yet sensual thread connecting Ishmael and Queequeg’s interactions. Melville writes, "Queequeg now and then affectionately throwing his brown tattooed legs over mine, and then drawing them back; so entirely sociable and free and easy we were." "Affection" represents a tender devotion or love. This relates purpose to Queequeg's movement. Although intercourse is not written out, it is implied as Queequeg’s rhythm in his legs mimic such things. The keyword in this passage once again is “social”; it is sexualized here and in the previous passage. The inn-keeper at the Spouter inn says "it's a nice bed: Sal and me slept in that ere bed the night we were spliced. There's plenty of room for two to kick about in that bed; it's an almighty big bed that." The bed in which Ishmael and Queequeg sleep in is the same one the landlord and his wife spent their wedding night. Ishmael wakes up in the morning with "Queequeg's arm thrown over me in the most loving and affectionate manner." It is as if Ishmael “had been his wife.” They even have symbolically given birth to a child and that is shown in the line, "Throwing aside the quilt, there lay the tomahawk sleeping by the savage's side, as if it were a hatchet-faced baby." It is evident that Melville ties themes together using similar word choice, imagery and figurative language whether you are looking at this topic or another. His message is concealed, but strictly delivered with diction and double entendres.
As I try to conclude this paper, I must say that this subject seems to me either overlooked or purposely ignored not only in today’s world but also during the Melville revival. The cannibal Queequeg’s “foreign ways” of loving another man is used as a distancing tool so that readers can be amused by their sleeping together, but of course not to be taken literally.