Cannibal Quote by Herman Melville
““Go to the meat market of a Saturday night and see the crowds of live bipeds staring up at the long rows of dead quadrupeds. Does not that sight take a tooth out of the cannibal's jaw? Cannibals? who is not a cannibal? I tell you it will be more tolerable for the Fejee that salted down a lean missionary in his cellar against a coming famine; it will be more tolerable for that provident Fejee, I say, in the day of judgement, than for thee, civilized and enlightened gourmand, who naliest geese to the ground and feistiest on their bloated livers in thy paté-de-foie-gras.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, 1851
The passage satirizes human cruelty and culinary excess, comparing the consumption of animals to cannibalism and moral hypocrisy.
In simple terms: It mocks how people treat animals as food while ignoring their suffering.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and question our own consumption habits.
Themes
ethics
food
humanity
hypocrisy
Mood
critical
ironic
provocative
Type
satirical
philosophical
cultural commentary
When to use this quote
- restaurant dining
- food production
- ethical debates
- personal diet choices
Key Concepts
cannibalism
moral relativism
cultural critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your diet reflect your values?
- Can satire effectively change attitudes toward animal welfare?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may overgeneralize and alienate readers unfamiliar with the historical context.
