Introduction

Abstract

In the introduction, Pellar gives a brief history of the use of allegory in fiction and then discusses how Melville interprets allegory and the strategy he uses in weaving an allegory in Moby-Dick. Pellar discusses how he will explore Melville’s writings with an emphasis on authorial intent, symbol/diction, and the historical backdrop surrounding Melville, all of which will help to illuminate the hidden allegory in Moby-Dick. Pellar discusses how Melville not only implied a racial dimension to Moby-Dick but also that this was part of a large and powerful antislavery theme that governed the book from the first to last page. This theme contains the dominant allegory of the fugitive slave hunt, where Melville cleverly disguises black whales for black men.