Moby Dick was, in the physical, written to tell a story of the ever-allusive white whale. Melville, a transcendentalist, also used this book to try and discredit the idea of Christ and the lifestyle of Christianity. Unknown to Melville, he had subconsciously told a story of redemption that contained the three elements of Christianity, atheism, and the searching human soul. Throughout the book, he used degrading and slanderous text to delude the reader into thinking that the white whale, Moby Dick, was the source of evil and the captain Ahab was seeking to destroy the "evil" in that creature.
Moby Dick, in all actuality represents the idea of Christianity and purity. It could even be said that Moby Dick represents the figure of Christ. "It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things appalled me. But how can I hope to explain myself here;" (pg189, Melville). In this quote from Ishmael, he stated that the whiteness of the whale appalled him. To any non-believer, the purity and whiteness of Christ would be very appalling. To stand next to perfection and have to look at your own dinginess, it would be something to make one spiritually sick. Through the novel, When Moby Dick comes in contact with people, he has harpoons thrown into his side, just as Jesus was stabbed in his side. Near the end of the book, the English captain tells Ahab," By Divine Providence he was heading east-(pg.420,Melville), Just as Christ will come in the east at the end of time, Moby Dick was said to be coming from the east at the end of the book. Also, when encountering people, Moby Dick comes with "judgement" for the killing of innocence, just as Christ will one day judge those who wrongfully persecute Christians. Captain Ahab was one of the key beneficiaries of the judgement of Moby Dick, when he lost his leg. Throughout the novel, Melville himself is shown through the character of Ahab.
Captain Ahab and Herman Melville mirror each other in this novel.
