About this episode

This episode explores the connections between Herman Melville's Moby-Dick and themes of democracy and citizenship through the character of Starbuck.

Subscribe now for ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content. Herman Melville's masterpiece Moby-Dick has something to teach us about democracy, citizenship, and the rule of law. A flop when published in the mid-nineteenth century, Moby-Dick has long been considered a quintessential American novel — an epic adventure story layered with allegory. In this episode, historian Michael Kimmage revisits the novel with a focus on the character Starbuck, the first mate who clashes with Captain Ahab over his mad pursuit of the white whale. Recommended reading: Citizen Starbuck, or Democracy and the Whale by Michael Kimmage (Liberties Journal) Subscribe: https://historyasithappens.supercast.com/

People in this episode

Host: Martin Di Caro

Guest: Michael Kimmage

Topics covered

• democracy
• citizenship
• rule of law
• American literature
• Moby-Dick
• Herman Melville

Keywords

• Moby-Dick
• Herman Melville
• democracy
• Starbuck
• Captain Ahab
• American novel
• literary analysis

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Liberties Journal

Books & works: Moby-Dick

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