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The White Whale's a mystery, what is it you are searching for?

What Does Ahab's White Whale Symbolize To You?

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The white whale in Moby Dick symbolizes nature for you! By the looks of it you are a free spirit! Throughout the novel it is evident that the aspect of nature within the white whale correlates to both good and evil. The whale can be seen as mysterious and part of the natural world as it is living in the wild and dark sea. At the same time the whale symbolizes a mans inability to control the wildness within nature, which is why everyone seems to fear him.

Nature

Holy White Whale! For you, the white whale in Moby Dick symbolizes God. For most of the novel, the whale is hidden in the depths of the ocean and is only seen in glimpses of white, which is a color associated with purity and holiness. The whale’s absence ties into humanity’s relationship to a higher power, or an inscrutable presence that is not seen or understood. Moby Dick is an unknowable force that cannot be challenged or controlled. Captain Ahab is rebelling against God, and thus, his quest for vengeance always fails. He is unable to defeat the whale, and symbolically speaking, unable to defeat God's will.

Congratulations! For you, Moby Dick represents identity. You are a person who tries to understand themselves more and more every day and sees a great importance in needing to identify with yourself. You take your life experiences, and just like our good friend Moby, learn to survive yet another day and continue to grow. No matter how many harpooners come your way, you won’t let them stop you from living your life the way you want to.

Self/Identity

Oh my, you got Dominance! For you Moby Dick, the massive whale sperm, saturates the pages of Moby Dick with its prevailing presence. Hidden from plain sight, the environment in its entirety is dominated by the whale. Even with Ishmael’s final capturing of the whale, his perception of these vast body parts was muddled. Failing to determine which part of the whale was the head, the skin and the skeleton. Even its capture did not last long as the whale subsequently escaped and slaughtered everyone on the Pequod not including Ishmael. Moby Dick is more than a massive, unconquerable being but its dominance extends to feed the obsession of so many of these characters.

Dominance

Congrats! For you Moby Dick symbolizes truth. Just like Captain Ahab you desire to learn more about human nature and man’s existence and believe that your vengeance on the whale will provide you with the answer.

Truth

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What Does Ahab's White Whale Symbolize To You?

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