Critical analysis of Moby Dick

Moby Dick

“Moby Dick” is an epic tale of voyage by Herman Melville. It is a revenge story in which the main protagonist Ahab, is restlessly I search of Moby Dick during his journey around the world.  Moby Dick is a story of the adventures a person named Ishmael.  Ishmael is a lonely, alienated individual who wants to see the “watery part of the world.”  Moby Dick begins with the main character, Ishmael, introducing himself with the line “Call Me Ishmael.”

Ahab appears as a man seemingly made of bronze who stands on an ivory leg fashioned from whalebone. He eventually gets into a violent argument with Stubb when the second mate makes a joke at Ahab's expense. Ahab commanded his crew members to catch Moby Dick, legendary whale that took Ahab's leg. Starbuck tells Ahab that his obsession with Moby Dick is madness. Ahab himself was aware about his madness. And perhaps he is aware of his terrible end.

Ishmael survived Moby Dick’s attack of the ship with the help of a coffin that his close friend Queequeq built.  Ishmael of Moby Dick  was a special character because he closely relates to the author’s own life.  There are many symbolism’s between Ishmael of Moby Dick and Herman Melville’s own life.  The name Ishmael can be traced back to the Bible.  The Biblical story of Ishamel is one of a rejected outcast.  This “rejected outcast” can be linked to Ishmael of Moby Dick and Herman Melville’s own life. All this richness of purpose and presentation is somehow made enticing by Melville’s masterly invention of his narrator. Ishmael immediately establishes a comfortable rapport with the reader in the unforgettable opening lines of the novel. He is both the objective observer and a participant in the events.

The white whale at the center of Herman Melville’s masterpiece Moby-Dick is often considered to be one of the most symbolic characters in American literature. It is a living character of novel. Ahab devoted his life to take revenge against Moby Dick. But, unfortunately at the end he didn’t get success. He was defeated by white whale.  This is the fall of a hero. This novel can be compared with “Old Man and the Sea”.