Moby Dick Lesson Plan

Why is Ishmael's recounting of the Town-Ho's story a significant chapter in Moby Dick?

The story serves a significant purpose by introducing Moby Dick as a threatening, tangible presence without actually placing the whale in direct conflict with the Pequod. The means by which Melville does this is jarring, subverting the expectations of the reader by framing the story originally in terms of the conflict between Radney and Steelkilt and ending it with the horrific story of Radney's death at the hands of Moby Dick.

It is important to note the setting of the story. Ishmael does not tell the story as it was told to him by the crew of the Town-Ho. Rather, he tells the...