Day 4

Moby Dick Lesson Plan

Discussion of Thought Questions

  1. 1

    In chapter 41, we learn just how deep Ahab's hatred of Moby Dick goes. How does Melville reframe the quest for the white whale into something far more dire within this chapter?

    Melville describes the whale as not only dangerous, but nearly supernatural and ghostly. He explicitly states what Moby Dick represents for Ahab: the whale symbolizes the hatred and rage of humanity.

    This redefines the quest against the whale, for Ahab thus comes to represent humanity's attempts to fight against its own worst impulses. Therefore, even when the conflict comes down to the fight between Ahab and Moby Dick, it will nevertheless still remain an internal conflict within Ahab.

  2. 2

    How...

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