The Whiteness Of The Whale Essay -- essays research papers

The ample White whale and its Many MeaningsHerman Melville, in his epic novel Moby- calamus, utilizes the figureism of the color of the Great White giant to demonstrate his theme of duality. However, Captain Ahab tragically had a single mind set towards Moby Dick, as he believed that the whale was the symbol of the worlds sinister and had to be destroyed. On the other hand, castaway sees that the color white can mean many various and debate things. It would be dangerous to settle upon any nonpareil single message. In the chapter, The Whiteness of the Whale, Melville explains the importance of duality of meaning in the world, as contrasted to mans (and Ahabs) desire to see notwithstanding one meaning in any one thing. Melville utilizes the symbol of the color white to set up us that, no one thing means only one thing. Instead, the color white and the meaning of all things depends upon the experiences and perception of the person display that object.Ahab viewed the White Whale only as the symbol of all evil in the universe, which eventually leads him to his downfall. On the day that Ahab threw his harpoon into the White Whale and Moby Dick ate his leg, Ahab decided that the Great White Whale meant only one thing, evil. From then on Ahab decided that there was something unusual most this whale, as if it had hidden inside him all the evil in the world. Since Moby Dick attacked Ahab, he then had cherished a wild vindictiveness against t...