Robert Ellis Precis

Robert Ellis 

English 12 Fassi 

Precis Assignment 

1/22/13 

Cowan, S.A. "In Praise Of Self-Reliance: The Role Of Bulkington In Moby-Dick." American Literature 38.4 (1967): 547. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Jan. 2013.

In "In Praise Of Self-Reliance: The Role Of Bulkington In Moby-Dick," literary critic S.A. Cowan argues that Melville does not write in broad generalizations and that self-reliance is neither good nor evil, but rather dependent on the circumstances.  The author, Cowan, addresses Melville’s philosophical and moral ideology in the context of Emerson and Transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is “based on the idea that, in order to understand the nature of reality, one must first examine and analyze the reasoning process that governs the nature of experience” (Apple Dictionary). Cowan agrees with Howard P. Vincent’s idea that Transcendentalism can be seen different ways and expands on that idea when looking at the different characters in the novel.  Cowan argues, Moby Dick is big enough to encompass different views and avoid “a few easy generalizations” (549).

Cowan recognizes that in order to talk about self reliance, one must also talk about the most self-reliant character, Ahab.  At the center of Emersonian Transcendentalism is the idea that “man should live in harmony with nature” (550).  However, “Ahab is so far out of harmony with Nature and the Over-Soul that he becomes a destructive rather than a co-operative unit in the universal scheme” (550).  Bases on this lack of harmony, Ahab falls outside of Emerson’s positive definition of self reliance, but again, this does not mean that Melville rejects the virtues of Emerson’s self-reliance: “we cannot assume... that the rejection of an evil self-reliance necessitates the rejection of a virtuous Emersonian self-reliance” (550).

However, the smaller character of Bulkington, who appears only twice, is arguably complex and significant in Melville’s Moby Dick and represents Melville’s acceptance of Emerson’s idea of self-reliance.  The first time we encounter Bulkington is at the Spouter Inn, where Ishmael describes Bulkington with a certain type of apartness and alienation, disconnected from those surrounding him.  Ishmael observes this withdrawn nature and describes Bulkington by saying, “in the deep shadows of his eyes floated some reminiscences that did not seem to give him joy,” describing someone who is an individualist (552).  Cowan notes how after returning from a four-year voyage at sea, Bulkington sets off once again on another voyage, inspiring Ishmael with fearfulness. Cowan classifies Bulkington as a philosopher searching the seas for knowledge.  It is within this larger classification of philosopher that Bulkington’s self-reliance abides.  Because “the philosopher has in his self-reliance that rare quality which the author of Job called integrity sought the solitude of nature” (556).  This makes Bulkington a perfect example of Emersonian self-reliance.

Cowan does a thorough job supporting his thesis by using two very different characters that represent Melville’s approach to self-reliance.  Ahab, as the primary character in the novel provided Cowan with an easy target for examining Melville’s rejection of self-reliance.  However, by taking Cowan’s ideas and expanding upon them  one can go back and look at the greater significance of Bulkington’s character as representation of Melville’s acceptance of self-reliance.  Cowan thus draws attention to these competing views on self-reliance.  However, he has only scratched the surface.