Monomania. as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary. is the pathological compulsion with one topic or thought. In Herman Melville’s fresh Moby Dick. an compulsion causes possession in its chief character. Through his actions. words. ideas. and what others think about him. Captain Ahab is genuinely monomaniacal.
Ahab is monomaniacal through his words and ideas. “Talk non to me of blasphemy. adult male ; I’d strike the Sun if it insulted me. ” This shows Ahab’s lunacy because merely he would hold the nervus to state that no affair who it is. great or little. he would stand up to them ; this includes Moby Dick. Ahab frequently smokes a pipe. but he realizes something and says “What concern have I with this pipe? This thing that is meant for sereneness. to direct up mild white bluess among mild white hairs. non among lacerate iron-gray locks like mine. I’ll smoke no more. ” He admits that he is non a peaceable adult male. which is rather monomaniacal. Another event that shows Ahab’s possession is when he talks straight to a dead whale’s caput. stating “
Speak. thou huge and venerable caput. mighty caput and state us the secret thing that is in thee…O caput! 1000 hast seen plenty to divide the planets and do an heathen of Abraham. and non one syllable is thine! ” His compulsion leads him to even state that he will pay person to kill Moby Dick merely for the interest of retaliation. “Whosoever of ye rises me that same white giant. he shall hold this gold ounce. my male child! ” When Ahab eventually meets Moby Dick. his possession hits its high point as his last words before his decease are “Sink all caskets and hearses to one common pool! And since neither can be mine. allow me so tow to pieces. while still trailing thee. though tied to thee. 1000 damned whale! Therefore. I give up the lance! ”
Captain Ahab is non merely monomaniacal through his words. but through his actions. besides. In one incident. Ahab holds Starbuck at gunpoint merely because he asked if he could hold a crew of work forces fix a leak. Is that non an action of a lunatic? Ahab besides breaks the ship’s compass at one point in the narrative so that the crew learns how the ship moves. He besides refuses to acknowledge the warnings that are presented during gams ; he dismisses them without any idea or vacillation because his compulsion makes him blind to the world and stupidity of the hunt for Moby Dick. Ahab besides has no regard for his fellow crewmans. as he has manipulated them rather frequently. Everyone on the Pequod. particularly Ishmael. thought that they were traveling on a normal whaling ocean trip. non a self-destructive pursuit for a deathly white giant.
If person is to be called monomaniacal. non merely one point of position can corroborate that. The ideas of chaps crew members on the Pequod frequently remark on how they feel about Ahab. Ishmael describes Ahab as being “A expansive. ungodly. god-like adult male. Captain Ahab ; doesn’t speak much ; Ahab’s been in colleges. every bit good as among the man-eaters ; been used to deeper admirations than the moving ridges ; fixed his fiery spear in mightier. alien enemies than giants. ” Queeqeug gives his two cents deserving when he says “
More than one time did he set forth the swoon flower of a expression. which. in any other adult male. would hold shortly flowered out in a smiling. ” Obviously. Ahab did non like to smile. which is something that happy people do. Finally. Stubb remarks that “The sea had mockingly kept his finite organic structure up. but drowned the space of his psyche. ” He says that Ahab has wasted his psyche in chase of Moby Dick. and that if it was non for the sea and the white giant. Ahab would non be monomaniacal.
Ahab is monomaniacal through what he says. what he does. and what other think of him. He non merely manipulates his fellow crewmans. he besides acts like a lunatic because of his compulsion with the chase of Moby Dick. Captain Ahab is apparently monomaniacal despite what he thinks of himself.
