Ishmael is the narrator of the novel. He is a simple sailor on the Pequod who undertakes the journey because of his affection for the sea. As the narrator, Ishmael establishes himself as somewhat of a nobody and a normal man. His primary task is to observe the conflicts around him. Ishmael has the only significant personal relationship in the novel; he becomes a close friend with the pagan harpooner Queequeg and comes to cherish and ador

In conclusion, one of the primary reasons that Moby Dick is considered to be a paramount of American literature is due to its stylistic ambition. "Part of what makes Moby-Dick stand out, in the company of literary classics, is its quality of raw literary presumptuousness-its cheeky confidence that nothing great has ever been done that it can't at least try to do again." (Brodhead. 2-3). The novel encompasses a wide range of styles and shifts in and out of them while interpreting the narrative. A common theme that Melville uses throughout Moby Dick is the significance he assigns to character's names. Each of the odd names has some biblical significance; he establishes a strong relationship between the name of many characters and the characters themselves. Names serve as a key to the character, not just as an identifying mark, but rather a key to their respective personalities. For Ahab, the defeat of Moby Dick will represent a personal redemption and the means for achieving clarity and peace. In Ahab stating that Moby Dick is "chiefly what I hate", he is giving greater significance to the whale. Also, Ahab finds that the whale represents all the mysteries of his life, which leads to an interesting duality. The hunt to find Moby Dick is therefore both an external conflict between Ahab and the whale as well as an internal conflict within Ahab for a sense of peace and happiness.

The Captain of the Pequod is Ahab, an older man who has spent nearly forty years as a sailor in which only three of those years were spent on dry land. Ahab is a hard-faced, imposing man whose crew is frightened of him, through his constant obsession with the defeat of Moby Dick. The author portrays Ahab as barely human, barely governed by human way of life and principles due to his overwhelming fixation with finding and killing Moby Dick. The description of Ahab that Melville uses is that of unusual expressions. Ahab is not only described as inhuman, but as mechanical as well. The impression that the author gives of Ahab is one of durability; Ahab is a man who shows few basic human characteristics, yet instead has been shaped by his whaling experiences. For example, Ahab is a ghostly figure, haunting Stubb's dreams and existing in a place away from the living. His ivory leg is a significant aspect of his character, demonstrating both his somewhat inhuman quality as well as showing that the whale is an inseparable part of Ahab himself, literally part of his body. He also describes him as a machine, unaffected by human appetites and without recognizable emotions, as well as Ahab claiming to be a god over the Pequod. Ironically, a Biblical allusion is drawn to the name Ahab who is described as a king who turns vile. Furthermore, Ahab closely resembles a satanic figure due to his blasphemous quest against the white whale, without regards to the consequences to his crew. This blasphemy has two meanings; the first being of Ahab to overcome his arrogance and the idea that he thinks of himself the equal of God. The second blasphemy being the rejection of God altogether for an alliance with the devil. Melville makes these points clear during various chapters throughout the novel.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Moby Dick, Initially Ishmael, Ahab Melville, Furthermore Ahab, Captain Ahab, moby dick, Ahab Starbuck, Father Mapple, Daggoo Tashtego, Christian McSweeney, Whale Ahab's, ahab moby dick, ahab moby, conflict ahab, ahab whale, white whale, captain ahab, quest whale, throughout novel, ahab's quest, life death, throughout moby dick, moby dick represents, quest whale moby, dick represents hatred,
Approximate Word count = 2799
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)