The Magic Glass: The Individual and Society As Seen in the Gams of Herman Melville's Moby Dick

An original interpretation of "the greatest American novel" which emphasizes its human elements (including the theme of women) within the mini-dramas of the "gams" (mid-ocean encounters of whaling ships) while adhering closely to the text of the novel. Here the sailors of the symbolic PEQUOD are shown as real people confronting the daily problems of their harsh life, & they do so with humor or anger, compassion or cruelty, with courage or fear, each one contributing to the seafaring society as his skill & personality allow. Invites discussion of Melville's views for his own times & the future of a United States which was rapidly industrializing & he feared, was soon to face a deadly Civil War. Recommended by CHOICE. Cited by Dr. Warren G. French for its "lucidity of explanation & command of the materials;" Dr. Albert E. Stone writes, "No one I've read has done such a thorough job" & praises the unusual inclusion of the theme of women; Dr. John A. Hague, noting that THE MAGIC GLASS provides useful insights into MOBY-DICK, finds the work "perceptive & well-written."Hilda Uren Stubbings is the author of 'The Magic Glass: The Individual and Society As Seen in the Gams of Herman Melville's Moby Dick' with ISBN 9781880622018 and ISBN 1880622017.