To enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more. For this reason a sleeping apartment should never be furnished with a fire, which is one of the luxurious discomforts of the rich. For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blanket between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.
― Herman Melville, Moby Dick
This quote is from Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick” (1851), specifically from Chapter 11 titled “Nightgown.” The narrator, Ishmael, is reflecting on the nature of comfort and the importance of contrast in human experience.
The quote begins with the idea that to truly appreciate warmth, a part of you must be exposed to the cold. This introduces the philosophical notion that our perceptions are based on contrast. Without experiencing the cold, warmth would not be perceivable as there would be no point of comparison. This principle can be applied beyond physical sensations to emotions and states of being, suggesting that sorrow contrasts with joy, discomfort with comfort, and so forth.
The passage also touches on the human tendency to take continuous comfort for granted, losing the ability to perceive it as comfort. This suggests a dynamic aspect of human perception where a constant state becomes the new baseline, making the positive sensation fade until contrast is reintroduced. It’s a commentary on how humans adapt to their circumstances, for better or worse, and how this adaptation can lead to a lack of appreciation for what one has.
Melville criticizes the artificial comforts that wealth can afford, such as maintaining a fire in a sleeping apartment, which he views as a “luxurious discomfort.” This criticism reflects a broader theme in Moby Dick and Melville’s work of skepticism towards materialism and luxury. Melville seems to argue that true comfort comes from a simpler, more direct engagement with the natural world and its conditions, rather than through the mediation of wealth and technology.
This idea extends beyond physical comfort to encompass a broader range of experiences, suggesting that hardship, discomfort, or struggle are necessary for one to fully appreciate and find meaning in their opposites.
The quote concludes with an image of perfect comfort achieved through minimal means: merely a blanket separating the individual from the cold air. This scenario embodies a simplicity that Melville finds ideal, where the direct and unadorned confrontation with the natural world leads to a more genuine and satisfying experience of comfort.
On a metaphorical level, this passage can be seen as reflecting on the human condition itself. The “one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal” could symbolize the human spirit or life force thriving against the backdrop of a cold, indifferent universe. It highlights the resilience of life and the capacity to find warmth, meaning, and comfort in the face of the vast, often hostile cosmos.
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