SOCIAL HIERARCHY AND HUMAN INTERACTION IN MOBY-DICK
Keywords:
Keywords: social hierarchy, authority, cooperation, conflict, leadership, communal responsibility, diversity, MelvilleAbstract
Abstract:This article examines the role of social hierarchy, authority, and
human interaction aboard the Pequod in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. The novel
portrays how structured social roles and power dynamics influence individual behavior
and collective decision-making. Through Captain Ahab’s authority, Queequeg’s
integration into the crew, and the complex interactions among sailors of diverse
backgrounds, Melville explores the tensions between hierarchy, cooperation, and
conflict. The study argues that the novel highlights the interplay between personal
ambition and communal responsibility, demonstrating how social organization shapes
human experience in extreme circumstances.
References
References
1. Melville, H. (1851). Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. New York: Harper & Brothers.
2. Baker, C. (1992). Moby-Dick and the Social Order. New Haven: Yale University
Press.
3. Reynolds, D. S. (2006). Herman Melville: A Biography. New York: Knopf.
