#5 Sunset
In chapter 37, Captain Ahab gazes out of his cabin and speaks about his longing to destroy Moby Dick. Ahab claims that he knew at least one crewmember would oppose his idea, and he’s happy that only one did. But this one person is Starbuck, his first mate. He seems not to care what his adviser says, and goes along reveling in his “great idea.” I think that his essential statement is: “I now prophesy that I will dismember my dismemberer.” He declares that since Moby Dick dismembered him, he will do the same to Moby Dick. This assertion summarizes Ahab’s whole mindset of the novel. Another important line of this chapter is: “Is, then, this crown too heavy that I wear? this Iron Crown of Lombardy.” He tells that it is iron, not gold, perhaps exemplifying his emphasis on weapons to kill Moby Dick. He does not need gold on the ocean; it would be of no use to him when he could be finding the whale. In regard to monomania, which is ‘an obsessive zeal for or interest in a single thing,’ Ahab is completely obsessed with bringing “justice” to Moby Dick and giving him what he deserves. Ahab is thinking of nothing else but killing the whale; he does not think of the safety of his crew, or how he is not concerned with capturing any other whale, like he is supposed to be doing on a whaling vessel.
Written by Caroline Ward
posted by Caroline Ward @ 7:58 AM
1 Comments:
okay, a bit of a different choice for the trope.
5/5
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