TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why should you read "Moby Dick"? | Sascha Morrell
A mountain separating two lakes. A room papered floor to ceiling with bridal satins. The lid of an immense snuffbox. These seemingly unrelated images take us on a tour of a sperm whale's head in Herman Melville's "Moby Dick." Though the...
Curated Video
Unity, Diversity, and Comradery in Moby Dick
Ishmael, the narrator of Moby Dick, forms a deep bond with Queequeg, another worker aboard the ship coming from the Pacific Islands. Through this friendship, Melville explores themes of friendship, marriage-like intimacy, and mutual...
Curated Video
How Whaling Shaped Herman Melville, Moby Dick, and America
Herman Melville was born into a wealthy family in New York City in 1819, but following the Financial Panic of 1837 and his father's death, he faced significant hardships, leading him to work at sea. This period of Melville's life, marked...
Curated Video
Style and Interpretations of Herman Melville's Moby Dick
Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" is celebrated for its archaic writing style and poetic intensity, transforming the narrative of a 19th-century whaling crew into a captivating drama that delves into the folly of mankind. The novel's...
Curated Video
Symbolism and Interpretations of the Whale in Moby Dick
The interpretations of the whale in "Moby Dick" are diverse, ranging from representing the Judeo-Christian God to critiques of imperialism and atheism. Scholars have debated whether Moby Dick symbolizes an inscrutable, omnipotent force...
Curated Video
Obsession and Identity: Understanding Ishmael and Ahab in Moby Dick
Herman Melville's novel, "Moby Dick" opens with the line, "Call me Ishmael". We do not know whether this is actually the narrator's name or simply a nod to the biblical figure. Ishmael's elusiveness is contrasted with Captain Ahab's...
Curated Video
Biblical Themes and Shakespearean References in Moby Dick
At its core, "Moby Dick" is a story about the vengeful Captain Ahab's pursuit of the white whale that maimed him and is narrated by Ishmael, a man seeking knowledge through seafaring. Despite its simple premise, Herman Melville expands...
Curated Video
Introduction to Moby Dick
Herman Melville's novel, "Moby Dick" explores themes of obsession, compulsion, and the human psyche. The tale takes place aboard a whaling ship, an environment that author was intimately familiar with. Melville combined his own...
PBS
Food & Fiction: Memorable Meals in Literature | PBS Digital Studios
Food varies wildly from place to place and from culture to culture; since humans are such sensory creatures, using words to evoke the experience of eating is an excellent way to bring a text to life. Hosted by Lindsay Ellis Written by...
Curated Video
Researchers discover remains of giant whale
1. Head and the teeth of fossil whale
2. Medium of the jaw
3. Pan of the jaw
4. Medium of the teeth
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Rodolfo Salas, palaeontologist, San Marcos University:
"The remains of this animal were found in the Ocucaje...