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Whiteness
Whiteness to Ishmael is horrible because it
represents being threating and evils such as albinos which are animals that live in intense environments.
Whiteness also follows the tradition of purity. Whiteness is a lack of meaning and an extravagant amount of meaning
that fascinates people. Moby Dick is the climax of whiteness and the crew cannot comprehend the whiteness of the whale,
its as if it amazes them. For instance, Ahab, believes that Moby Dick represents evil and Ishmael fails to understand the
whales nature.
Obsession
Ahab has an obsession with Moby Dick and lives to determine his
fate which is ultimatly death. It's as though Ahab lives for this whale, once he has fulfilled his destiny of killing the
whale he no longer has anything to live for because his whole life hes focused on this one thing. He doesnt include himself
in gams unless the ship has information about the white whale, he manipulates his crew to make their journey entirely
on the search for the white whale, and he ignores finding other whales even if there within his reach of capture.
Symbols
Symbols are
objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Moby Dick
Moby Dick acquires different symbolic
meanings for many characters. The White Whale is a concept which they can ignore their worrys about their dangerous
jobs on the Pequod because they think Moby Dick cant act unfaithfully toward men or bringing evil, stories about Moby
Dick let them to face their fear, deal with it, and continue to pursue their jobs on the Pequod. Ahab believes that Moby
Dick is a indication of everything thats wrong in the world and that its his destiny to destroy this symbol of evil. In its mysterious ways the white whale can be read as a representation of an unknowable God
because the crew worships it in the sense that there whole journey is focused on him.
Queequeg’s Coffin
Queequeg’s coffin symbolizes life
and death. Queequeg has it built when he is really sick but when he gets better, it becomes a chest to hold his belongings
and is his reminder to live and why he is living. He engraves his tattoos on his body to the coffin. The coffin comes to symbolize
life, in a frightful way. When the Pequod sinks, the coffin becomes Ishmael’s signal saving his life.
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