Moby Dick Sperm Whale Character Analysis

The novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville is an epic tale of the voyage of the whaling ship the Pequod and its captain, Ahab, who relentlessly pursues the great Sperm Whale during a journey around the world. The narrator of the novel is Ishmael, a sailor on the Pequod who undertakes the journey out of his affection for the sea. He also doesn’t want to be in an important position, such as captain or cook, because then he’d have responsibilities, and that would really get him down to work and be able to have things to fill up his schedule during the day. Ishmael says that being a lowly sailor and getting ordered around does take some getting used to. He hadn’t really packed many things for his voyage just a few carpetbags and clothes. When he had entered the spouter inn he looked around being amazed about
It starts bumping onto their shit and about 2 men had died because the power of the whale was the power of 10 elephants and it had many run ins with other ships. The struggle against Moby Dick lasts three days. On the first day, Ahab spies the whale himself, and the whaling boats row after it. Moby Dick attacks Ahab's boat, causing it to sink, but Ahab survives the ordeal when he reaches Stubb's boat. Despite this first failed attempt at defeating the whale, Ahab pursues him for a second day. On the second day of the chase, roughly the same defeat occurs. This time Moby Dick breaks Ahab's ivory leg, while Fedallah dies when he becomes entangled in the harpoon line and is drowned. After this second attack, Starbuck chastises Ahab, telling him that his pursuit is impious and blasphemous. Ahab declares that the chase against Moby Dick is immutably decreed, and pursues it for a third day. On the third day of the attack against Moby Dick, Starbuck panics for ceding to Ahab's demands, while Ahab tells Starbuck that "some ships sail from their ports and ever afterwards are missing," seemingly admitting the futility of his