The Great Bobby Ahab Quotes

Captain Ahab directly experienced traumatic near-death experience and was left with his peg leg as a constant reminder of what he got through. Since the start of the book Ahab's motivations are pretty clear, his only goal is vengeance. He is completely obsessed with the idea of killing the whale and is ready to sacrifice everything in order to achieve his goal. Negative alteration in emotions when being exposed to something triggering the traumatic event is often a common reaction for people suffering from PTSD. Symptoms as well include uncontrollable thoughts about the event. In chapter 132 Ahab wanders "How then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I". He seems rather confused over his actions and his thoughts. Ahab seems to realize that he doesn't have full control over his actions and even after realization hits him he still isn't able to change the way his thoughts and urges work. People with PTSD also experience a persistent negative mood, losing interest in previously enjoyable activities and detachment from other people. First with negative mood; Ahab is described by Ishmael as mad and carrying the anger of entire human race. Ahab spent more than 40 years hunting whales, but in this particular voyage he

As if this whale has some sort of overruling power that they are actually unaware of and that have only heard from stories. However Ahab interprets this whale to be nothing less than evil based off of his leg being scavenged by Moby Dick previously, so his mission is solely for revenge.

He devolved a connection to the Cetaceans at that moment. During the Greek times, dolphins were protected because of stories that said they have saved humans. Killing or harming a dolphin could result in death during that time. The people of modern times who have been saved by dolphins have tried to return the favor to the dolphins. Many of us have pet dogs or cats with whom we hold a tight connection to and if we learned that a mass killing of our favorite animals was underway, we would certainly try to stop it. The same is happening with the people who have a bond with dolphins and know about the mass killing in Taiji, Japan. What is motivating these people to risk life and limb? It’s the emotions that come from knowing the truth. That is why the surfer Dave Rastovich went where the killing was occurring. He went with a few friends and when they tried to slow down or stop the fishermen, they were forced out of the

Ahab shows how evil grows and manifests inside him as time persists. Throughout the story of Moby Dick, Ahab starts off as a normal moral person,but as the story goes on and his vengeance grows Ahab becomes maniacal. After a previous confrontation with the white whale, Ahab loses his leg. Justlike Roger Chillingworth from The Scarlet Letter, he grows hungry forpayback. Ahab gets so wrapped up in slaying the beast that stole his leg thathe forgets about his home in Nantucket.

Captain Ahab sights Moby Dick from afar and continues his hot pursuit on the White Whale. For three days, a relentless chase occurs because of Ahab’s desire for revenge. The indomitable whale continually destroys boat after boat. During the latter days of the struggle, the whale finally attacks the Pequod, plunging the ship to the bottom pits of the ocean. Determined to reach his final goal, the captain makes a last ditch effort and launches his harpoon towards Moby Dick. Ironically, Ahab’s harpoon catches around his neck and strangles him to death. Obviously determined to avenge his leg, the Captain causes his own downfall through his own desire for retribution. In The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare creates two

Throughout the overwhelmingly large novel Moby Dick, an intense usage of rhetoric can be found; however, only in a few instances do certain characters seem to be built on such language that their speeches compel people to act upon their word. If any character in particular stands out in this aspect, Ahab would prevail. Ahab’s artful use of rhetoric throughout Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, particularly when speaking to a crowd, causes him to attain what he desires as well as create poetic instances that need particular analyzing to comprehend. In this particular passage found in “Chapter 36. The Quarter-Deck,” Captain Ahab has just finished motivating his crew to join his hunt for Moby Dick and quelling those who spoke out against him. Though a generally short two paragraphs, Ahab packs each and every word with meaning, whether it be further the dark tone, creating intricate symbolism, or alluding to otherwise unimportant subjects; however, such instances only make Ahab a more compelling character.

Ahab has a personal conflict that affects not only him but also his entire crew. Long before the Pequod, the legendary whale named Moby Dick bit off Ahab’s leg. At that moment in time Ahab made it his life’s mission to eliminate Moby Dick. As the captain of his ship he was willing to put this quest above all else. When a crewmember thought it a poor decision to go after Moby Dick in dreadful weather he disagreed due to this incredible desire he has for revenge.

Starbuck states, “My soul is more than matched; she’s overmanned; and by a madman! Horrible old man!” (p. 159, lines 16-18) It was like Ahab had one way and that was his way and he was fixated on this. A person who is mad continuously thinks about the thing he is fixated on. Sometimes the person cannot even socialize with others. This was supported in Moby Dick when Starbuck states of Ahab, “foremost though the sparking sea shoots on the gay, embattled, buntering bow, but only to drag dark Ahab after it, where he broods within his sternward cabin, building over the dark water of the wake, and further on, hunted by its wolfish gurglings.” (p. 160, lines 6-10) It was days before Ahab even showed himself on deck to the new crewmembers. Someone who was not mad would have at least greeted his new crew members who were going to risk their lives searching and killing whales. This example and Starbuck’s first hand encounters with Ahab support the thought of Ahab being

In the book Moby Dick, one of the main characters is a captain named, Ahab. From the descriptions in the book, Captain Ahab seems to be an old, weathered, angry and powerful man. Below Captain Ahab’s rule on his ship are many crewmembers. Some people may say that Captain Ahab shows positive character traits towards his crewmembers, however, I feel that Captain Ahab shows negative character traits towards his crewmembers including, perfectionist, argumentative and bad-tempered. First, Captain Ahab shows his perfectionist side in chapter 29 by always needing to go to the upper deck to check on his crewmembers.

He explains that people’s love of independence motivates this conflict. As a result of this desire for autonomy, humans fight back against forces which influence people, but cannot be controlled, namely God, Fate, and nature. Ahab apostrophizes God: “I own thy speechless, placeless power; but to the last gasp of my earthquake life will dispute its unconditional, unintegral mastery in me” (550). Even though he cannot defeat God, and ultimately his attempt to kills him, he also cannot resist the human urge to try. Melville explains that “we are all,” like Ahab and like the whalers, “killers, on land and on sea” (155).

On the third day of the chase, Ahab finally realizes that his emotions propel him to pursue the whale in an irrational quest. His unquenchable thirst for revenge, he realizes, can never be fulfilled as only gods can decide justice; man only plays a reactionary role to the god’s decisions. While Ahab now understands the extent of his foolishness, he continues his deadly pursuit and fulfills Fedallah’s prophecies, making him more legendary of a man since only significant people have their deaths foretold. The death of Ahab reflects the existence of man; using limited knowledge to battle invisible forces that he cannot see or conquer. His endurance in his battle against the whale testifies to the endurance and determination of all of mankind.

Also in the film, when Nickerson, the man that Melville interviews for his novel, sees his first whale die, he looks sick and the look on his face shows you that he doesn't believe they are doing the right thing by killing another species family.

Explain Ahab’s last speech found at the top of page 623 through the end of the paragraph ending with “Thus, I give up the spear.” In what way is Moby Dick a “…all-destroying but unconquering

Along with this we also see the fate behind his decisions, where many things go against him, illustrating that maybe catching this whale really isn’t the greatest of ideas. A really good example of this is when the Pequeod finally reaches the equator and they appear to be close to where Ahab believes the whale may be, however when they get there they encounter two other ships who have been hit really badly by the whale. When all fate and destine is clearly illustrating that Ahab’s best bet is to not fight this battle, his free-will and determination push him forward, and he doesn’t allow this to scare him. Ahab even eventually goes as far as saying, “The gallows, ye mean.- I am immortal then, on land and on sea," cried Ahab, with a laugh of derision;- "Immortal on land and on sea!” (Melville 513). This demonstrates just how free-will driven Ahab really is, and he believes his destiny lies at sea, stating that his destiny is that he is immortal. Even when going beyond the text and further researching this concept of free will in Ahab’s character, we find that most other scholastic articles can agree with Ahab’s drive. When reading “Moby-dick Again” by Richard Lowry, he states in text, “When he catches up to Moby Dick, the climactic three-day chase ensues, with repeated opportunities to turn back as the danger

Ahab soliloquizes his monomania with hunting Moby Dick and identifies potential obstacles in his path that may need to be attended to. He describes how he feels imprisoned in iron by his thoughts. All of the lovely aspects of life have become muted and overshadowed by his purpose so much that it pains him to see beauty in life since his life is forever scarred by the loss of his leg. He acknowledges his madness and assumes that others perceive his madness as well. Then, he reminds himself that he can fulfill his goal and that he is immovable to the persuasion of other. His stream of consciousness demonstrates how his fixation made him unstable; he is unable to articulate a complete thought and his paranoia clearly affects his thought process.