Ishmael relates whaling to American ideals, such as a powerful navy and the idea of frontiers and exploration, in order to protect whaling’s honor and venerable traits from landsmen who view it as barbaric by using diction surrounding said ideals and alluding to renowned historical figures who held whaling in high honor.
Ishmael begins by relating whaling to several different subjects through his patterns in diction. First, he likens whaling to a navy by using warlike diction. He claims whaling “vessels” form “a navy” composed of whaling “fleets.” By likening whaling ships to a navy through his choice of diction, Ishmael hopes that his audience, those who disregard whaling, will view whaling as something more than just rowdy butchering. Americans,…show more content… In this section of his argument, Ishmael places his ideas in a debate-like manner, stating his oppositions’ possible counterpoints and addressing them. By organizing his argument this way, Ishmael is able to pull out allusions from different parts of history. For example, he alludes to the Bible by showing how Job wrote the “first account of our Leviathan,” a great sea monster, or in this context, the mighty whale. Many men at this time were religious and a connection to the Bible, quite possibly the most read text of their time, would resonate with many of the landsmen who are weary of whaling. Additionally, Ishmael refers to a Founding Father, who may be closer to the hearts of Americans. Ishmael states that the “old settlers of Nantucket” are “all kith and kin to the noble Benjamin.” Benjamin Franklin, one of the most renowned and influential founders of this country, is very highly regarded in the eyes of Americans. Therefore, if Nantucket, the heart of the whaling empire, was founded by one of his ancestors, then whaling itself was founded with his “noble” blood, which Ishmael’s audience most likely looks up to. Finally, Ishmael makes the argument that whaling is a respectable profession by citing an “old English statutory law,” in which whales are “ ‘ a royal fish,’ “
