In chapter forty two, The Whiteness of the Whale, Ishmael assesses both the evil and goodness of Moby Dick, specifically his color—white. Ishmael spends the entire chapter examining the contrasting qualities of the color white. He mentions how though "whiteness refiningly enhances beauty" and generally symbolizes goodness, superiority, and innocence, it also represents a source of fright. For example, he claims that mariners panic at the sight of white water surrounding their ships, though they claim that they solely fear their ship hitting rocks in the shallow water (Melville 236). In other words, they fear the whiteness of the water and the potential damage it may cause. Meanwhile, the whiteness of pearls and the priests’ robes represents virtue and worthiness. He also contrasts this by referring to it as "ghastly." Ishmael’s analysis here conveys the conflicting positive and negative traits of Moby Dick. Ishmael stresses this notion when he states that “Moby Dick seem[s] combinedly possessed by all the angels that fell from heaven” (Melville 648). The apparent contrast here, again, signifies both the goodness and evil of the whale, for undoubtedly angels embody utter purity while fallen angels exemplify demons. On life and death this man walked. In contrast to the whale, who can literally see both sides of the truth because of his structure, Ahab remains blind to the truth. He …show more content…
Though he is constantly consumed by Moby Dick, the “monomaniac thought of his soul,” Ahab is truly not as terrible as he may seem (Melville 241). Ishmael actually justifies Ahab’s insanity by claiming that it is “of a deeper sort” and that he is not “merely mad” (Melville 291). Therefore, though his chief focus revolves around conquering Moby Dick, Ahab shoudl not simply be characterized as mad. Ahab’s paradoxical description as a “grand, ungodly, god-like man” reiterates this notion as well (Melville 112). Melville utilizes a paradox here to emphasize Ahab’s goodness and evil, describing him as immoral and moral at the same time. The description of him having a "crucifixion in his face" (Melville 28) conveys that even though he was punished, he is innocent, similar to Jesus. Nevertheless, Ahab’s hopeless effort to avenge the white whale leads to his death, for he disregards his surroundings to concentrate on the whale. In fact, Ahab claims he'll "chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition's flames before [he] gives him up.” Melville’s use of hyperbole here clearly highlights Ahab’s monomaniacal desire, as he declares his willingness to literally go to hell and back simply to destroy the whale. Therefore, even though others warn Ahab several times of the blasphemy of "be[ing] enraged with a dumb brute that simply smote [him] from