MOBY DICK - HATRED

Moby Dick tells the story of the obsessive quest of Ahab, the captain of the whaling ship
Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the white whale that bit off Ahab’s leg at the knee on
one whaling voyage. Obviously, hatred is the one of the theme that is highlighted by Herman
Melville in this novel.
Hatred brings destruction of self and also others. Captain Ahab became lame after he lost
one of his leg against the battle with Moby Dick. Because of this, he pins all his anger, rage
and fear on the creature and want to kill it at all cost. His hatred for the elusive white whale
eats into him. Ultimately, he died together with his entire crew in his final attempt to
revenge on Moby Dick. Only Ishmael manages to survive to tell the tragic tale.
The hatred and the desire of revenge onto Moby Dick is so strong that it Hatred made him
blind to the sufferings of others. He is so consumed by hatred that he forgets his wife and
child who are waiting for him to return. He hates Moby Dick so much that he is taking his
men to their deaths. He throws the aps into the ocean when he fails to sight Moby Dick. He
is putting the lives of his crew in danger as a ship cannot sail without maps. Later on, he
also turns down Captain Gardiner’s plea for help to look for a lost boat with his twelve-year-
old son in it. He does not want to waste any time to help others because killing Moby Dick
is his only aim.
Last but not least, hatred corrupts a person’s personality Before sailing on Pequod, both
Queequeg and Ishmael are stopped by an old man on the street. He claims that Captain
Ahab is a devil. I believe he is true as Ahab has turned mad due to hatred. He shouts at his
crew and he is angry with Starbuck for questioning his hatred for the white whale. He shouts
at Captain Boomer for being timid. He sleeps very little just to figure out where Moby Dick
can be. Even when he does, he is awoken by nightmares of his death. He no longer smiles
at people. He is bitter as he only thinks about Moby Dick.
I sympathise with the crew because they perish for the selfish hatred of one foolish man.
I pity their ill fate and their poor waiting families. Through this story, I realise hatred can
make a person mad, irrational and cruel.