mahjae05’s Blog

Each of the crewman’s descriptions about the doubloon in Chapter 99 showed many of the conflicting views held upon the Pequod.  The megalomaniatic (if that’s a word) views of Captain Ahab just saw the coin as a symbol for himself.  Due to his great experience at sea, and himself being the only one “brave” enough to hunt Moby Dick, Ahab feels there is no one even close to his level.  Each of the mountains are him, the “firm tower” is him, the “volcano” is him, and the “courageous, the undaunted, and victorious fowl” is also him.  Not only does Ahab hold this high opinion of himself, but I also saw something that struck me in his description of the coin.  Though Ishmael describes the coin as having a mountain with a torch on it, Ahab sees it rather as a volcano.  This seems striking to me due to the hellish associations which volcanoes very often hold.  With Fedallah the devil on board as Ahab’s right hand man, Ahab’s somewhat satanist views about everyday things such as a coin really stir things up.  Ahab constantly talks about how his soul was torn out by Moby Dick along with his leg.  Maybe this means that he has sold his soul to the devil in order to capture Moby Dick, but without Moby Dick though, Ahab does not exist.  I’m not sure but I’m going to venture that Ahab has to die in order for his soul to be found again.  Something like that.