The uncertainty of man in the universe exposed in Moby Dick The culture to which this great author was a part was the era in American history when inspiring works of literature began to emerge. It was also a time when American writers had not completely separated their literary heritage from that of Europe, in part because successful literary geniuses flourished there. Herman Melville was born on August 1, 1819, the son of Allan and Maria Melville. During Herman's childhood, he lived in the good neighborhoods of New York. In 1832, Herman suffered a tragedy when his father died after trying to cope with the stress of debt and misfortune. After a short stay in a business house in New York, Herman decided he had to go to sea. He spent years traveling on various ships, including whalers. Melville's view on life is that God created the universe with an infinite number of meanings and man is always trying to determine a specific meaning. Because of his difficult life experiences, the lessons Melville incorporates into his writings are expositions on whales and the whaling industry, comments on the universe and human destiny, and reflections on God and nature. The protagonist of this book is Ishmael, a Christian, school teacher and part-time sailor. Ishmael's role in the hunt for Moby Dick is to interpret what is happening. He discusses his reasons for going to sea, interprets and seeks to understand a number of reasons for any specific action where the other characters understand only one reason. It is difficult to say what changes occur in Ishmael's personality over the course of the story, since he is the narrator, he does not speak about himself, he only speaks about what he sees. We can learn about Ishmael through his relationships with others. Ishmael befriends Queequeg who is a cannibal. Even though Queequeg is very ugly, Ishmael sees that Queequeg has an honest heart, great honor and much courage. This friendship had a positive influence on Ishmael's behavior because it taught him not to judge by external appearances. Another very short relationship was that between Ishmael and Captain Ahab. During the first days aboard the Pequod, Ishmael always saw Ahab in the shadows. When Ishmael finally saw Ahab, shivers ran through his body. Ishmael felt Ahab's attitude of determination, dedication, and hatred towards Moby Dick when Ahab appeared. This relationship was negative because Ishmael now feared Ahab and did not want to befriend such a wicked person. The conflict that Ishmael experienced was that he saw how Ahab was such a wicked man and that Ishmael was a good-natured man and did not want to be corrupted by Ahab. To resolve this conflict, Ishmael stayed away from Ahab. Representative Passage on Imagery and Figurative Language There, near the rim of the ever-overflowing goblets, the warm waves blush like wine. The golden forehead probes the blue. The diver who has been diving in the sun since noon descends; my soul rises! she gets tired of her endless hill. Is the crown I wear too heavy? this iron crown of Lombardy. Yet it is brilliant with many precious stones; I, the wearer, do not see its distant reflections; but it has become dark that I wear this, it is dazzling. It's iron that I don't know, not gold. It's split, that's what I feel; the jagged edge irritates me so much that my brain seems to pound against the solid metal. Chapter LV A. The details used to give us the impression of watching a sunset