Herman Melville’s works question human supremacy over nature

 

Herman Melville’s works question human supremacy over nature by portraying nature as a powerful, independent force that cannot be dominated, commodified, or fully understood. Through characters, symbols, and narrative outcomes, he critiques human arrogance and highlights the limits of control over the natural world.

Here’s how this theme unfolds in his key works:

 1. Moby-Dick: Nature as Unconquerable

·        Captain Ahab’s obsessive pursuit of the white whale, Moby Dick, is the clearest example of human arrogance toward nature.

·        Ahab believes he can conquer and control the sea and its creatures, treating the whale as an enemy to be destroyed.

·        But the whale is not just an animal—it represents nature’s will, mystery, and resistance.

·        In the end, nature triumphs: Ahab’s quest leads to destruction, and the sea reclaims the ship and crew.

Melville’s message: Nature does not submit to human pride. Attempts to dominate it often end in failure and self-destruction.

 

2. The Ocean as a Force beyond Human Understanding

·        The ocean in Moby-Dick is vast, unknowable, and symbolic of the sublime power of nature.

·        Melville emphasizes that no science, religion, or technology can fully explain or master the sea.

·        Ishmael, the narrator, reflects on the ocean with awe, fear, and humility—in contrast to Ahab’s arrogance.

“There is, one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea...”
— Moby-Dick

 

3. Typee and Omoo: Critique of Western Domination

·        In these early novels, Melville shows how indigenous peoples live in harmony with nature, while Western colonizers disrupt ecological balance.

·        The invading missionaries and traders view nature as something to be tamed or exploited.

·        Melville’s sympathetic portrayal of islanders suggests that human supremacy is a cultural construct, not a universal truth.

 

4. Animals as Agents, Not Objects

·        In Moby-Dick, the whale is not objectified: it is given near-mythical power, presence, and even moral weight.

·        The non-human is not reduced to mere property; instead, it acts as a mirror to human obsession and failure.

·        This challenges the view of animals as inferior or purely utilitarian.

 

Conclusion

Melville’s work critiques the illusion of human dominance over the environment. By portraying nature as autonomous, sacred, and ultimately more powerful, he warns against the dangers of arrogance and calls for humility, respect, and ethical awareness in our relationship with the natural world.