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In the novel Moby Dick, Ishmael is saved while the rest of the Pequod’s crew die at sea.
There is a specific point in the theme of the novel where each crew member sealed their
fate. These thematic reasons make sense at the end of the novel.
The Pequod’s crew dies because of the pledge they made to Ahab. They put their
lives on the line to capture the White Whale. At the time, all of the crew members on
deck thought Moby Dick was a actual whale they were trying to catch. As the story
progresses, they start to realize Moby Dick is “god-like” and “immortal.” This leaves
them chasing a Whale that is more important then life itself. Thus they are damned to
death.
Ishmael makes the same pledge the rest of the crew makes and yet he becomes the
lone survivor of the Pequod’s crew. The thematic reason for his survival is when he
cleanses his hands in the whale blubber in the “Squeeze of the Hand” chapter. He says “I
forgot all about our horrible oath...I washed my hands and my heart of it.” Queequeg
takes the position as the savior for Ishmael. Through him, Ishmael will be entered back
into the “joint stock company,” even though Queequeg will die.
Melville’s ultimate point regarding Ahab’s concept of the human condition is that
maybe it is God who compels us to do the things we do and that we do not control our
own decisions. God may have us predestined for riches, glory, or sorrow. Ahab sees
now, if this is true, there is nothing he or anyone can do
Word Count: 273
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