Moby Dick 4 Essay, Research Paper

Moby Dick

What the White Whale Symbolizes

I looked at chapter 42, The Whiteness of the Whale, and how Melville uses symbolism of colour. In many parts of the universe the colour white has a spiritual significance, it gives a God like visual aspect. To Captain Ahab he has a wholly different mentality of the White Whale. To him the giant represents all things evil in the universe and Hermen Melville points out that it is non good to look at something and give it merely one significance. Ahab sees the immorality, the crew sees the money they could acquire for Moby Dick, and Ishmel sees things in many different ways. Ishmel admirations why we pay so much atten- tion to the colour white. Is it the absence of colour or is it at the same clip the concrete of all colourss. ( p.212 )

Ishmel views the colour of the giant to intend a figure of different things and that it can intend different things to different people. Melville is desiring us to look at things around us and give them more than one significance. Ahab merely gives the giant merely one significance which finally overcomes him and sends him to his decease. Ishmel points out that the colour white can intend many things such as beauty, Though many natural objects, whiteness refiningly enhances beauty, as if leaving some particular virtuousness of its ain, as in marbles, japonicas, and pearls ( p.204 ) Ishmel besides tells us that the colour white can intend strength as in the polar bear and the great white shark, Witness the white bear of the poles, and the white shark of the Torrid Zones ( p.205 ) Ishmel besides saw that white can hold spiritual significance every bit good, Most celebrated on our Western annals and Indians traditions is that of the White Steed of the Praries ; a brilliant milk-white courser, big eyed, small-headed, bluff-chested, and with the self-respect of a 1000 sovereign He was elected Xerxes of huge herds of wild Equus caballuss ( p.207 )

Ishmel is rapidly to indicate out that non all things in nature that are white are looked up to and respected, illustration the Albino adult male. permeating whiteness makes him more queerly horrid than the ugly abortion. Why should this be? ( p.208 ) Why should we hold this dual criterion. I think that Melville is seeking to state is that thing

s in nature can intend many things to many people.

Ishmel tells us that white can intend fright in some instances. Ishmel illustration is that of a seaman. He notes that a crewman nearing the shore at dark is non about every bit frightened as when he is nearing it at dark with a thick fog around him. Its non the fright of running a land but that horrid whiteness that so stirred me. ( p.210 ) The white fog is like a shade. Second is that of Indians of Peru, where the changeless reminder of the snow capped Andes conveys naught of apprehension, except, possibly, in the fancying of the ageless frosted desolateness reigning at such a huge height, and the natural amour propre of what a fright it would be to lose oneself in such cold purdah. ( p.210 ) Ishmel is able to see all the significances of the colour white, unlike Ahab. This might be the thing that ends up salvaging Ishmel at the terminal of the narrative.

Ishmel doesn T understand where these significances and readings of the colour white semen. Are we born with them? He gives the illustration of the immature colt who is born out in the state off from everything that could harm him. By merely smelling the musk of a fell of a American bison that he starts to panic and is frightened, even though he has ne’er seen or been hurt by one. Though neither knows where lie the unidentified things of which the mysterious mark gives forth such intimations ; yet as with me, as with the colt, someplace those things must exist. & # 8221 ; ( p.211 )

Melville shows us that white can be both good and evil and that it is in the oculus of the perceiver. Everybody views things otherwise. Ahab had retaliation on his head and was focused on one thing and that was to kill Moby Dick. He saw the White Whale has stand foring one thing merely, all of the immorality in the existence. Melville wanted us to be able to look at our milieus and non hold merely one position point. He wants us to be like Ishmel who truly believe difficult about the significance of the colour white. To analyse all the possible different significances and he does this with all of the illustrations he gives us. Melville shows us that Moby Dick can stand for all of these things in the chapter. So Moby Dick International Relations and Security Network t symbolic of merely one thing but of all things in the existence.

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