I finally had a book club member in Denver argue that the whale in Moby-Dick was a metaphor for his student loans.

He was completely serious during our Zoom meeting last month, and now I can't look at the book the same way.

3 comments

3 Comments

That guy might be onto something. Ahab's obsession with the whale is a lot like the crushing focus debt puts on your life. The book becomes a manual for a pointless, self-destructive chase. Melville would probably laugh at the comparison, but it fits.

margaret_bennett31mo ago

Totally! It's like how people get stuck chasing promotions or perfect homes too. That same tunnel vision ruins everything else, just leaves you empty. Melville was low-key writing about modern burnout.

james6722mo ago

Seems like a stretch...