mobydick

The meaning of the name itself is quite simple: The whale was often sighted in the vicinity of the Island of Mocha, and "Dick" was merely a generic name like "Jack" or "Tom". The transformation of "Mocha" to "Moby" presented a greater mystery. Melville himself never explained the origin of the latter word. The answer will probably never be known. The whiteness of the whale has many different meanings. There are obvious ones that are …

…the whale for he suggests that whiteness has come to mean for man both tranquility and good, as well as terror and evil. The meaning of Moby Dick is so involved and complex that few critics would agree upon a single accepted interpretation. The novel can be approached from many different viewpoints. Thus, it would be highly superficial to attempt to suggest one basic meaning and we therefore offer only one approach to the novel.