In this novel, Moby-Dick, Herman Melville displays the many masks of Moby Dick and shows the complexity that exists in all of humanity. When it comes to one of the main characters, Moby Dick, we never learn about him directly; instead, his views change like a kaleidoscope depending on the character looking through the lens. Each moment we see the world through our own eyes, as we are, and the portrayal of Moby Dick says something about him, but also those perceiving him. Amongst other things, Ishmael sees Moby Dick as God, Starbuck sees him as a whale, and Ahab sees pure evil.
Melville describes Moby Dick extensively and that treasure trove of knowledge contains many attributes of the famous white whale which align with what the other characters see in him. A few distinguishable features that would allow him to stand out from other whales are “white-headed…with a wrinkled brow and a crooked jaw…with three holes punctured in his starboard fluke” (Melville 159). He also has a “high, pyramidical white hump” (Melville 180), visible when he comes up for air. A few times in the novel, Moby Dick is said to be “ubiquitous” (Melville 179), and “immortal” (Melville 179). Many people know of the white whale, but few have encountered him, so it is no surprise that, questionably, he may be a “monstrous fable” (Melville 203). Throughout the story, Captain Ahab hypnotically repeats to the crew that Moby Dick is a “murderous monster” (Melville 175), that they must find and kill. The famous whale is a main character in the story, but he does not appear until the book’s last few chapters.
The protagonist in the novel, Captain Ahab, is obsessed with the legendary white whale, who severed his limb. Every time he takes a step it is a constant reminder that his leg is no longer there due to the jaws of Moby Dick. The hate he has echos inside of him and bellows outward like a megaphone to all the men constantly, and he reiterates that Moby Dick must die. Just as Ahab controls the ship, he also controls the minds of the men aboard it. He considers the white whale to be evil when he says, “all evil…personified…in Moby Dick” (Melville 181), and he ensures that all the men believe it. Even if Moby Dick were to die it would not change anything for Ahab and his leg would still be amiss. Whether it was a plan of God, an innate response from the whale who is being hunted, or Captain Ahab being at the wrong place at the wrong time it does not matter. Throughout the novel, Ahab is searching for an answer as to why this dreadful thing happened to him. Inevitably, the answer he never receives but even if he did it would not change the outcome. The only thing that could have made a difference is if he understood terrible things happen to good people every day and none of us know why. What happens to us is out of our control and all we can do is acknowledge what took place and respond in a favorable way.
While the sailors agreed to go whaling to make money for themselves and their families, the madness of Captain Ahab overtakes the ship and the focus shifts to the hunting and killing of Moby Dick. Captain Ahab’s sole purpose in life is the revenge he has sought for forty years. To Ahab, the white whale represents vengeance, and we see that when it is said, “[W]hat trances of torments does that man endure who is consumed with one unachieved revengeful desire. He sleeps with clenched hands; and wakes with his own bloody nails in his palms” (Melville 199). Sweet revenge motivates Ahab to live and will ultimately be the cause of his demise. However, if the story ended differently and Ahab survived rather than Moby Dick, it is likely Captain Ahab would have died inside and would no longer have a reason to live.
As the story continues to unfold, we see the idea of Moby Dick continue to transform before our eyes. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Captain Ahab considers the whale the divine when said, “Moby Dick seemed combinedly possessed by all the angels that fell from heaven” (Melville 560). Ahab continuously yearns for the death of Moby Dick but also seeks answers that only the divine can provide as to why he suffered this significant loss. In the final battle, Moby Dick, like the divine, cannot be destroyed by man. Instead, the divine is comparable to nature which both, in the end, are greater forces than man and common conflicts in stories.
Ishmael is the lone survivor and the primary narrator of the story. While he is the one who gives Moby Dick everlasting life, he is also the one who paints the picture of the white whale that appears before our eyes. To Ishmael, Moby Dick can be seen as God when he says he is a “symbol of spiritual things” (Melville 193). The idea that the white whale is “ubiquitous” would align with God-like thinking. Our physical body makes it impossible to be in more than one place at any time, so only a higher power would have such an ability. The mission to conquer Moby Dick was unsuccessful, just as God is too great a force for any man to overtake.
Another facet of Moby Dick, as seen through the eyes of Ishmael, is that he is the “deadliest ill” (Melville 185). Ishmael chooses this journey as a way for him to escape his own dread and winds up experiencing the ultimate demise of many dear friends that accompany him on this journey of self-discovery. While this foreboding was correct, Moby Dick did cause the death of many lives, there were other variables at play as well. Captain Ahab’s hate-fueled revenge and constant manipulation of the crew to go after Moby Dick is the main driver of this as well.
Finally, Ishmael questions whether Moby Dick exists at all. Is he just a “monstrous fable” or a myth that has life breathed into it from its retelling, to continue to pass on invaluable knowledge? When he says, “[I]n essence whiteness is not so much a colour as the visible absence of colour” (Melville 193). Whether existent or not, the story of Moby Dick, like many myths, provides entertainment and guidance for our human experience. As with many great pieces of literature, rereading this at various times in your life can provide you will new aspects and insights into both the story and yourself.
Starbuck is one of the only sailors to question Captain Ahab after he plants the seed of hate of Moby Dick that he continues to water throughout the novel. Rather than blindly follow, Starbuck responds by saying, “Vengeance on a dumb brute! Madness! To be enraged with a dumb thing” (Melville 161). Starbuck goes against the grain and reminds Captain Ahab why they are all there, to make money. In this instance, Starbuck sees Moby Dick for what he truly is-a whale. A leader in his own right and one of the wisest men on board the ship, Starbuck tries to tell Ahab how foolish chasing revenge is. He also makes light that not only is he putting himself in danger but all the men on board the ship as well. In the end, Starbuck was right and Ahab has the blood on his hands from the many men who lost their lives at his expense.
Continuously Starbuck pleads with Captain Ahab to give up his search for the white whale. While Starbuck is enlightened enough to question the motives of Captain Ahab, he is still part of a common thread that weaves all three perspectives of the famous whale together. Starbuck, too, sees Moby Dick as a terrible fate when he says, “death and doom, that’s…Moby Dick” (Melville 507). Captain Ahab, like a volcano erupting with hate for Moby Dick in the form of all-encompassing hot lava that none of the men on board can escape. Whether they realize it or not, the hot lava seeps into them and shapes their perspective. It prevents them from speaking up against the idiotic idea of chasing the white whale that costs them their lives.
Finally, Starbuck sees Moby Dick as Ahab’s evil shadow when he says, “never, never wilt thou capture him, old man…thy evil shadow…all good angels mobbing thee with warnings” (Melville 553). Ahab’s shadow, like Moby Dick, follows him around inescapable in his madness. Like his shadow, neither can be separate from him. Over time this hate and revenge consumes Ahab and becomes his identity, his reason for living. Regardless of how hard Starbuck tries to help Ahab see the bright future he could have by letting go of the resentment, his dark desire overtakes him and all of them in the end.
Out of all the perspectives, my thoughts most align with Starbuck. While both robust and self-aware, his character took off the rose-colored glasses. Instead, he sees things how they are rather than how he wants them to be. The story has a theme of Man vs. Nature, and Moby Dick acts innately by taking Ahab’s leg. Whether true or false, good, or evil, Moby Dick has attained immortality through this story. Like myths, Moby Dick teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. Undoubtedly, seeking revenge results in the destruction of humankind. Similarly, those who cling to resentment like drinking poison and expecting others to die. In the end, only you will suffer. Unfortunately, in this instance, many men suffered along with Ahab due to their inability to see what was right.
Many things shape us, and what you choose to see in someone is like a mirror, a reflection back on you. We cannot control much of what happens to us in life, but we can control how we respond. One day we will all die and the only way immortality can be obtained is through a form of art, the stories we tell, the memories, or the legacy we leave behind. Companionship, kindness, and love all make life worth living. In the end, it is not what you believe that makes you a good person but what you do.
