The character of Captain Ahab in Melville's 'Moby Dick.' (Herman Melville)

From: The World and I | Date: February 1, 1998| Author: | Copyright information

Herman Melville's novel 'Moby Dick' has provided American literature with a formidable hero. Captain Ahab portrays exceptional endurance, courage and willpower. His regal bearing and superior intellect distinguish him from the rest of his crew, and his exaggeratedly reserved mien inspires reverential awe. By emphasizing Ahab's desire for vengance, Melville likens him to the divine.

Melville's Moby-Dick may well be the greatest novel ever written by an American; and, setting aside the great white whale itself, Captain Ahab, skipper of the doomed ship, the Pequod, may be the most ...

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