Moby DIck
... 467) Melville uses that line to convey one of the most internal feelings of Ahab: his belief in Satan. Ahab even refuses salvation; an example of that is the gam between the Pequod and the Jeroboam. During the conversation, Gabriel begs Ahab to reconsider, to “think of the blasphemer’s end” (308), and to “beware of the horrible tail” (306). By not worshipping God, Ahab is the blasphemer, he is being warned of the consequences; “the horrible tail” is the implement of God against antichristians. The belief in the Christian God is the most integral part of Christianity, the rejection of that belief is the rejection of Christianity. Another pillar of Christianity which Ahab topples is the attribute of forgiveness. Since the whale has severed his leg, Ahab has been in a monomania, he must have vengeance on the whale. The greater part of Moby Dick is about Ahab’s musing over how, when, and where to kill Moby Dick. For example, at the first sighting of a large whale, Ahab immediately embarks on “a pursuit so full of rage and wildness as the bloody hunt of whales” (187-188). Later on, during the actual chase of Moby Dick, bloodthirsty Ahab dies because of his obsession with revenge. This fervor completely contradicts the belief in forgiveness. Since, Ahab’s every moment is concerned with revenge, he is antichristian. Lastly, Ahab is a liar; his lies are seeds sown at the beginning of the voyage that finally grow into a tangled mass of vines. At the beginnin...