Ahab Says of Himself

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses Herman Melville's masterpiece, "Moby Dick", which is a profound, philosophical meditation on life centered on the symbolic hunt for the white whale in which the divine connotations of the whale are evident. The paper notes that Melville specifically emphasizes the struggle of man who is left to drift alone in a world which surpasses his comprehension powers, with the nature around him. The whale is pursued by the mad Ahab in a desperate attempt to find its "talismanic truth", its metaphysical secret. The paper further notes that Ishmael, in his turn, observes that the ocean is a symbol for life itself and that the white whale inspires metaphysical awe, while the sea in its endlessness intimates infinity and predisposes men to melancholic dreaming. The paper continues that in " Moby Dick" man is seen as caught between the awful metaphysical realities and that both Ahab and Ishmael symbolize the human condition: They stand alone in front of the overwhelming and saturated world.

From the Paper:

"On the other hand, the half savage pagan, Queequeg, with whom Ishmael can be easily paired as a character, is utterly detached from his surroundings, living in absolute content and serenity. He can also be called a philosopher, but he is obviously much more human than the lofty Ishmael: "Yet he seemed entirely at his ease; preserving the utmost serenity; content with his own companionship; always equal to himself. Surely this was a touch of fine philosophy..."(Melville, 51) Queequeg, although a endowed with a profound mind himself, does not share in the absolute high perception that Ishmael is tortured by.
The other set of characters, formed by Ahab and Starbuck, have a very different perception of reality. In a different way, but to the same degree as Ishmael, Ahab is the slave of a transcendental perception of the universe. Without contenting himself with the mere contemplation of the hidden reality, Ahab madly chases Moby Dick, seeking a monomaniac revenge on the dumb brute for having dismembered him. To him the mad quest is an imperative and not a question. Constantly and arduously, Ahab pursues his obsession, struggling with the transcendental and not merely recognizing its existence. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Melville, Herman. Moby Dick. New York: Penguin Classics, 1972

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