Marxism Analysis of Moby Dick

In the novel, “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville, Flask is the lowest officer rank on the ship and he is oppressed by his fellow officers. It is shown in chapter thirty-four: “The Cabin Table”. “And poor little Flask, he was the youngest son, and little boy of this weary family party. His were the shinbones of the saline beef; his would have been the drumsticks” (Melville 143). This is the first part that shows Flask is at the bottom of the food chain. Flask is the one to get the scraps and undesired pieces of meat, while Ahab, Starbuck and Stubb get thighs and breasts. He is the last one served on top of getting the least amount of food out of everyone else. This shows Flask is oppressed by his fellow officers because he isn’t treated with the same respect of the first and second in command behind Ahab. “Another thing. Flask was the last person down at the dinner, and Flask is the first man up. Consider! For hereby Flask’s dinner was badly jammed in point of time” (Melville 144). Flask is the lowest rank officer, with Stubb and Starbuck overpowering him. He was required to always be the first one up, but the last to make it to dinner. He also was required to leave before any one else did at dinner. So, if Stubb was done, so was he, and Flask couldn’t do anything about it. He was oppressed by those higher than him. He got scraps of food, barely got to eat at all, and even wasn’t allowed butter because he wasn’t seen worthy of it. “Flask, alas! was a butterless man!” (Melville 144). In the novel, “Moby Dick”, Flask is the lowest rank officer. The order of rank goes: Ahab, Starbuck, Stubb, then Flask. He is oppressed by the other two officers and the captain, and this shows marxism in modern literature.