21 pages • 42-minute read
D. H. LawrenceA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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The Bull Whale is a massive marine mammal driven by his hot blood and primal instincts. He engages in a mating ritual deep in the ocean bed. When danger threatens the pod, he joins other males to form a protective ring around the females and calves.
Mate of She-Whale
Symbolically Bonded to Aphrodite
Spiritually Attended by Cherubim
The She-Whale is the female counterpart in the oceanic mating ritual. She receives the bull whale in the deep waters. Later, she is depicted alongside other mother whales who nurse their calves while dreaming with eyes wide open.
Mate of Bull Whale
Spiritually Attended by Cherubim
Aphrodite is the ancient Greek goddess of sexual desire. She exists within the ocean as a joyful, primal presence unbothered by human civilization. She claims the whales as her husbands and thrives in the salty environment of the deep sea.
Symbolic Wife of Bull Whale
Greek Counterpart of Venus
Venus is the Roman aspect of the love goddess. She shows extreme physical fluidity by constantly transforming into different female marine animals, including a dolphin, a porpoise, and a tunny-fish. She delights in courtship and freely interacts with the male sea creatures around her.
Roman Counterpart of Aphrodite
The Cherubim are burning archangels suspended in the mid-ocean waves. They wait upon the mating whales and function as spiritual messengers. Their presence turns a purely biological mating ritual into a holy event.
Attendant of Bull Whale
Attendant of She-Whale