Fate and Free Will in Moby Dick

Fate and Free Will in Moby Dick
In Herman Melville's Moby Dick, the theme of fate and free will is masterfully interwoven within the novel. Nowhere is this motif further explored than its usage within "The Mat Maker," where fate, free will, and chance are the primary elements of the chapter. The mat is not only a symbolic representation of fate, free will and chance, but also a physical representation as well. The symbolism of the loom that the mat is woven upon allows the reader to further comprehend the hidden meanings of the novel giving the story a unique identity all of its own, and deeply immersing the reader into the storyline. The work as a whole is further enriched by the theme of fate and free will especially in its usage in "The Mat Maker".
In "The Mat Maker," Ishmael intently studies the strands of the mat that he and Queequeg are delicately weaving. Ishmael sees how free will can be intertwined with fate as he watches Queequeg weave the symbolic mat. Ishmael se...