Moby-Dick Herman Melville\'s 1851 Novel

¶ … Moby-Dick

Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby Dick" puts across an account from the life of the protagonist, Ishmael, as he embarks on a whaler bearing an unusual task for a typical boat meant to capture whales. The writer uses a series of metaphors and hyperboles with the purpose of providing readers with a rather vivid depiction of the characters and of the events that they go through. In spite of the fact that Ishmael is the central character in the book, the ship's captain, Ahab, is thoroughly characterized and described, as the author most probably wanted his readers to focus on this particular individual.

From the very first moments of their encounter, Ahab leaves the narrator with the feeling that his captain is very different from other people. The captain's comparison with an arrogant mountain top is meant to relate to the fact that he is unwilling to accept his limits and that he can be foolishly influenced in committing irrational acts for the simple purpose of getting revenge on an animal that did not actually have anything to do with him in the first place. In spite of his hero-like appearance and character, Ahab is flawed because of his blind determination to pursue his goals.

The white whale is not just another animal that Ahab's ship is supposed to catch and use as material to produce oil, as it is in point of fact the captain's most important goal in life. It is difficult to determine if he realizes the fact that he is wrong in thinking that the whale is evil. Ahab considers that the whale is one of the greatest perils on earth and that it is his mission to end this evil, even if this means that he will risk his life and the lives of his crew in this enterprise. Ahab makes it possible for readers to recognize their potential to commit errors and the gravity that these respective errors can have. Whereas most people are likely to perceive Ahab as an aggressor (given the fact that he wants to murder a whale that is simply trying to survive), he is also a victim. His life experience and the physical and mental suffering that he endured were brought together in providing him with the personality that Ishmael had observed.

The fact that Ahab discovers a series of other victims of the white whale while he tries to catch it increases the captain's certainty that it is actually for the best (of society as a whole) to put an end to the "beast's" life. Ahab basically refuses to accept the fact that Moby Dick is a force of nature and he believes that the animal is determined to kill people.

Starbuck's religious affinities do not assist him in preventing his captain from abandoning the campaign that he got involved in. In spite of his love for God, he is a very loyal individual and he is actually surprised to see the extent of his devotion, as he practically disregards God and all the factors pointing toward the belief that the ship's crew will experience a catastrophic end in favor of following Ahab. Starbuck himself is unable to explain the reason for which he would rather subject to his captain instead of subjecting to God's will, especially considering that he appears to be aware of the futility of their mission even before they begin their journey. Starbuck acknowledges the fact that it is irresponsible to try and get revenge on an animal that lack reason and that attacks only when it feels threatened, thus the reason for which he relates to his disobedience toward God when he discusses his reluctance to actually arrest or murder his captain.

As the ship closes in on the whale Starbuck becomes alarmed and determined to do something in order to prevent himself and the rest of the crew from becoming the victims of an unjust and immoral fight. Similar to how Ahab is influenced to continue his mission when he comes across other crews that were affected as a result of their encounter with the whale, Starbuck is influenced to put an end to the mission, as he cannot ignore the little chances that the whalers have to emerge victorious from an encounter with Moby Dick. Through relating to how he disobeys God by obeying to Ahab, Starbuck makes it obvious that he considers Ahab to be against everything natural and against God Himself, especially given that the captain started a journey that was doomed from its very start and that went against the natural order of things. For Starbuck, his blind loyalty and Ahab's determination were examples of their direct insubordination to God, as they refused to recognize his power and the power of nature.