Moby Dick's Physiognomy

In attempts to give depth to my study of Moby Dick, I would like to devote my next series of posts to connections between the text and socio-political conditions during the time in which Melville's book became popular. 

A piece of Melville's technology that is especially thought-provoking includes the discussion of physiognomy in Chapter 79. Physiognomy was an emerging science that gained popularity during the era of World War I. This field of study focused on physical features of human beings being connected with their intelligence and intellectual capacity. This particularly favored "true Americans" rather immigrants. An article entitled "American Blood and Immigrant Blood" by Dr. Edward Ross states the following:

In fact, the American identity was widely controversial due to the immigration movement. Who were "real" Americans? Dr. Ross distinctly places immigrants as inferior due to their mere physical features and biological make-up.

Although physiognomy seems absolutely absurd and even reminds us (with a shudder) of Hitler's ideal race, it was completely accepted. In fact, this article was published in October 1914 by an esteemed scholar who had a Ph.D.  Just as we commonly accept that being tall helps one's ability to play basketball, having a high brow (not one of those immigrant low brows) meant that your brain was larger with more capacity.

Picture from Charles Davenport's article "Heredity in Relation to Eugenics"

 
I think the science of physiognomy is the human attempt to creating meaning at its finest. This is where the great white whale comes into play.

So here we are learning physiognomy as Melville describes Moby Dick's grandeur: 

"But in the great Sperm Whale, this high and mighty god-like dignity inherent in the brow is so immensely amplified, that gazing on it in forcibly than in that full front view, you feel the Deity and the dread powers more forcibly than in beholding any other object in living nature" (311).

But Ishmael seems to have issued a hyperbole as he further continues, "[the sperm whale's] great genius is declared in his doing nothing particular to prove it." 

I believe the point Melville is trying ask whether meaning comes from merely having a brain or using it. 

Melville's intimated question was extremely applicable to the audience during which Moby Dick became popular. The people reading this book during its popularity were interested in eugenics and how to view immigration and how to view people in general during a world war setting.

As Moby Dick is characterized by Ishmael through physiognomy as being powerful yet dreadful, we can view a broader application of how eugenics and physiognomy proved a great yet terrible science that was relevant to the American audience of the 19-teens.