The Moral Ambiguity Of Ahab Essay Research

The Moral Ambiguity Of Ahab Essay, Research Paper

The moral ambiguity of Ahab is prevailing throughoutHerman Melville s Moby Dick. Ahab does non stand for pureevil or pure goodness. Melville frequently refers to Ahab as monomaniacal, proposing amorality or psychosis. In thechapter The Symphony, Melville gives the reader a glance ofAhab as a sympathetic homo being. The moral ambiguityintensifies when Melville juxtaposes Ahab s maniacal side withhis sympathetic side go forthing the reader uncertain of Ahab smoral character. Throughout a great part of the novel, Melvilleportrays Ahab as the maniacal, disturbed captain of thePequod. His crew thinks he is insane for giving his wholelife to trailing Moby Dick. Ahab remains a virtuallyone-dimensional character until the chapter The Symphony where he openly portions his feelings with Starbuck. Inallowing the reader to see the elusive complexnesss of Ahab sobsession, Melville establishes that Ahab is non an inhumanmachine of retaliation. Ahab admits that the life he leads is oneof devastation of purdah ( 491 ) . He claims that the worldhas given him no understanding. This confession replaces hisprevious portrayal as the perverse moonstruck. He mourns becauseof his fundamentally non-existent matrimony. Ahab ne’er sees hiswife go forthing her a widow with her hubby alive ( 492 ) . Hismad pursuit after Moby Dick takes off his opportunity to hold ameaningful relationship with his married woman and a normal familylife. Ahab breaks down and atone his wickednesss. He spills hisheart and psyche out to Starbuck. Ahab tells Starbuck lowernot when I do ( 492 ) when he is talking of the pursuit of MobyDick to come. These words show that he is capable of humanlove. He does non desire to ache anyone else on the Pequod. Ahab knows that he entirely is entirely driven to trail Moby Dickand does non desire to convey anyone else down with him. Ahabtouches Starbuck s bosom with his sympathetic words. Starbucksays my captain! baronial psyche! expansive old bosom, after all! ( 492 ) in acknowledgment of Ahab s illustriousness. Despite all ofAhab s choler and lunacy, Starbuck sees him in a differentlight. This chapter shows Ahab s sympathetic, humanist side.

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h Ahab recognizes his obsession and repents toStarbuck, fate drives him to destruction. He knows that hisobsession with chasing Moby Dick is crazy, but he cannot stop. Forces beyond his control drive his obsession. Fate causesAhab s obsessive hatred and determination. He sincerelybelieves that the whale is an emblem of pure evil, and he hasto destroy it. He shows his humanity to Starbuck in TheSymphony. After Starbuck recognizes his captain s greatness,he asks Ahab why should any one give chase to that hatedfish? (492) Starbuck wants to return home to see his familyand live to see the light of another day. Ahab s speech giveshim a small hope of living. Ahab says he cannot turn back,and he does not know what forces have control over him. Ahabasks Starbuck what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing isit; what cozzening, hidden lord and master, and cruelremorseless emperor commands me? (685) Ahab cannot doanything to stop fate, but fate taunts him. He realizes thathe is crazy and obsessive and repents his sins to Starbuck. Nevertheless fate takes hold of him. Ahab says that [f]ateis the handspike (493), and he can do nothing to change hisdestiny. He accepts that he is doomed and continues the madsearch for Moby Dick. The inevitable circumstances of Ahab slife cause him great pain and suffering. The constantstruggle he must endure is greater than that of anyone of theother crew members. He knows there is no escape for him. Melville leaves the reader to analyze the moral statusof Ahab. Melville makes no attempt to delineate a moralhierarchy and in doing so, completes the ambiguity. Ahab isneither good or evil. Until The Symphony Melville portraysAhab as a maniacal man on a vengeful search. In TheSymphony Ahab breaks down and cries to Starbuck realizingthat his life is a mad, obsessive chase for a whale. Ahab istruly sorry for his anger and madness, but he cannot stop theforces of fate driving his obsession. Fate is the drivingforce in determining the outcome in Ahab s life, and heaccepts his inevitable destiny. This acceptance shows hiscapability of human emotion. Melville allows the reader todetermine the moral status of Ahab.