Moby Dick Love the Gays: An Analysis of Queer Representation In Moby Dick

Abstract

This paper seeks to answer a series of questions revolving around Queer representation in Herman Melville’s work, arguing that Melville’s investment in queerness is evident in Moby Dick (2009). Engaging with the work of Stephen B. Herrmann, Kellen Bolt, Robert K. Martin, and Robin Shulman, I analyze both Melville’s own life and the passages of his texts. I first analyze how Melville’s personal life may have influenced his views of masculinity and sexuality. Next, I observe Melville’s apparent disavowal of the Western, American way of life, and its relation to Queerness. Lastly, I turn to the pages of Moby Dick (2009) to show Ishmael’s de-patriation from American nativism in clear view. The goal of this paper is to add to the discussion of Queerness in 19th-century literature.

Keywords:  Queer literature, queer representation, Moby Dick, Herman Melville