KATRINAHINSON, Ph.D.

The purpose of this thesis is to show that the Book of Jonah is significantly important to Melville’s development in writing the novel, Moby-Dick.  Religious influences, throughout his life, helped shape Melville’s viewpoint regarding religion and led to his questioning of his faith.  Melville seeks to unravel his questions of faith through writing Moby-Dick.  The novel represents a spiritual quest  on the grand scale of the Old Testament prophetic Book of Jonah.  Moby-Dick is Melville’s refashioning and retelling of the Jonah story.  Chapter one outlines religious influences in Melville’s life that would set the stage for Melville’s  “Jonah” experience.  Chapter two explores the narrative similarities between the novel Moby-Dick and the Book of Jonah.  The concluding chapter considers the role of Moby-Dick and its prophetic Jonah voice for a twenty-first century audience.  I contend that the warning conveyed in Melville’s refashioning of the Jonah story is as relevant today for America as Jonah’s Nineveh was for Melville’s nineteenth century Biblical audience.