The tale begins with an inlander of Massachusetts who succumbs to the urge to go to the sea. Ishmael does not want to go as a passenger nor as an officer, both of which roles he disdains, but as an ordinary seaman.

"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off-then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can." (Loomings, pg.11)

He has never minded being ordered about because he knows that everyone in the world is a slave to someone or to something

The Pequod leaves Nantucket on an icy Christmas day. Ishmael meets the crew and befriends Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask. Captain Ahab remains isolated in his cabin. When at last Ahab appears, his ivory leg and the white scar blazing down his face and neck. Ahab gathers the crew and discloses the true purpose of the voyage, the destruction of Moby Dick. This is the giant white sperm whale that took his leg. He nails a gold doubloon to the mainmast, a reward for the first man who spots the white whale. Starbuck tries to protest that the Pequod is not in business to satisfy Ahab's desire for revenge, but the captain's strong will and supply of liquor, win the rest of the crew over to his side. Like Satan, Ahab has tempted and won over the crew through greed, vengeance, and pride. He manipulates their minds and souls.

This just goes to show the foreshadowing of the inevitable end.

Just like Jesus was the light of the world prepared to accept the sins of man, Moby has to bare the sins of others. He only acts out of instinct, but yet all these men want him dead. Moby is also compared to the color white. First off, he is unlike any other whale in the ocean. He is white, a color which refers to good. The color white is seen as a symbol for the qualities of holiness and pureness. Also many whalers claim that Moby is immortal due to the elusiveness of the whale. Moby always gets away unscathed. However, the whalers persist after Moby. This can be related to Jesus' persecution by the Romans.

"As they narrated to each other their unholy adventures, their tales of terror told in words of mirth; as their uncivilized laughter forked upwards out of them, like the flames from the furnace; as to and from, in their front, the harpooners wildly gesticulated with their huge pronged forks and dipper

Some common words found in the essay are:
Satan Ahab, Moby Dick, Peleg Bildad, Captain Ahab, Ishmael Queequeg, Ishmael Pequod, Nantucket Island, Father Mapple, Malicious Captain, moby dick, Jonah Whale, captain ahab, evil insanity, color white, board ship, white whale,
Approximate Word count = 1221
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)