Most Memorable Episodes Of Big Game Fishing In Great Books

Too often, there's a conception of literature as something dusty and inactive. This couldn't be further from the truth. The great books feature tons of examples of strong characters doing dramatic and compelling things, and this is true from any perspective, even that of the sportsman who isn't accustomed to being drawn in by literature. A good example of this is the proliferation of big game fishing in classical books.

Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" is a fantastic example of this trend. Published in America more than one hundred years ago, it tells the story of Captain Ahab and his fanatical quest for vengeance against the white whale Moby Dick. The whale had injured him some years previous, and now with a wooden leg, Ahab thirsts for revenge.

Over the course of the novel, one learns a great deal about whaling and the kind of people who might take part in it. On the other hand, though, the real thrust of the novel is Ahab's obsession and the depths to which it takes him and the rest of the crew. A nice reminder that life shouldn't be squandered on a singular obsessive search, no matter the object.

A little bit later, in the 20th century, we get Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea". This story is close to the hearts of many people because Hemingway, who was a fisherman himself for many years, imbues the story not just with exciting details of the trade, but also a great deal of insight into the character of the old man, one of the most heroic figures in modern literature.

During the course of the novel, he does indeed hook into a fish, and fights it for a period of several days and nights. As he does, the reader is given insights not just into his pursuit, but how he became the kind of person he is, and why he continues to take part in such a demanding pursuit, even in his old age.

Even the ancient authors of the Christian Bible saw fit to mine the sport of fishing for their parables and metaphorical needs. The story of Jonah and the whale is an excellent example which involves a prophet who tries to escape his celestial calling and joins up with a group of fishermen to gain passage away from his homeland.

This happens, of course, because he's actually thrown overboard by his shipmates. It turns out that Jonah came on board the ship because he had been trying to escape God's calling for him, and in doing so, had caused God to send many storms and other obstacles against the vessel. In the end, it is too much for the other shipmen, and they consign Jonah to his fate.

At the end of the story, of course, that mercy does come. Jonah is brought up out of the whale, just as these stories bring big game fishing up out of the mire of un-recognition and expose it to the light of clarity so that the world can see how beautiful a pursuit it is. In literature, the passion, spirit, and humanism of the pursuit is at last realized.