Concerning Moby Dick.... It is important to recognize Ishmael's perception of Ahab, being that much of our perception is shaped by Ishmael's words. It would seem illogical for Ishmael to sign to work for Ahab, considering the forewarnings. However, one must consider Ishmael's position prior to boarding the ship, for this was his "substitute for pistol and ball" (18). According to Bruce Grenberg, Ishmael "carries within him frustration and failures…his penniless state is a material sign of his deeper and more general alienation from life" (Grenberg, 94). We see that Ishmael's misanthropic nature through his self-proclaimed "methodically knocking off hats of the successful." As one could observe through his early discourses spoken prior to his enrollment, Ishmael recognized the flawed contradictions in civilized society. "The urbane activity with which a man receives money is really marvelous, considering we so earnestly believe money to be the root of all earthly ills, and that on no account can a monied man enter heaven" (1.21). He certainly does not appear to be one who has found success and purpose though the civilized ways of society, as one can observe through his various discourses in the early chapters.
It seems that Ishmael's admittance into the whaling industry was not in search of wealth to succeed in the civilized world, but rather he was drawn by lust for adventure and the intrigue in the undiscovered parts of the world as he mentions, "Chief among these motives was the overwhelming idea of the great whale himself…such a mysterious monster roused all my curiosity" (1.22) To Ishmael, Ahab and the Pequod are the captain and vessel that will guide him to greatness, not of a material wealth. The disheartening fact is that Ahab's promethean heroism has been fringing on the borders of his sanity ever since his first encounter.
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