The Whiteness of the Whale
2. What makes Ishmael swear an oath to kill the white whale? Does
Ishmael see Moby Dick the same way which Ahab sees him? Why is the
whiteness of the whale terrifying?
We know that Ahab has long before this story taken an oath to kill Moby Dick, but why have Ishmael and the crew of the ship taken up this oath too? And what exactly is the significance of the whale's white skin? I believe that these two questions can be directly related to one another; Ishmael's utter fear and respect for the color white associated with so many mythological creatures and lore accounts and contributes to his fear of Moby Dick. Within every man's fear is an anger to mask it, and this mask is the oath Ishmael swears.…
