The Great White Whale and its Many Meanings

The Great White Whale and its Many Meanings Herman Melville, in his epic novel Moby-Dick, utilizes the symbolism of the color of the Great White Whale to demonstrate his theme of duality. However, Captain Ahab tragically had a single mind set towards Moby Dick, as he believed that the whale was the symbol of the world’s evil and had to be destroyed. On the other hand, Ishmael sees that the color white can mean …

…of meaning. White means purity, power, and danger. Melville reinforces this more realistic view of life as the more proper in that Ishmael is the sole survivor of the tragically focused voyage. Melville shows us that everyone views life through a different set of lenses, depending on one’s experiences. The color white and in fact the meaning of all things depends on the experiences and perception of the person viewing that object. Bibliography none