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Book Review By Joanna
Moby Dick by Herman Melville

The tale of Moby Dick by Herman Melville, is seen through the eyes of Ismael, a young man aspiring to be a sailor. He meets Captain Ahab of the Pequod, a whaling boat. The purpose of their excursion is to hunt whales and profit by harvesting their oil. However, he is driven to seek revenge against Moby Dick, a great white whale who took his leg. It is apparent by the first day, when he offers a reward for whoever harpoons Moby Dick.

His first mate, Starbuck, only wants to make money and return to his family. But, Ahab has emotionally and physically abandoned his wife and son in order to kill Moby Dick. Starbuck believes that it is wrong for Ahab to seek revenge on a dumb animal. However, in Ahab's eyes, Moby Dick is no dumb brute, but someone who has wronged him and takes great pleasure in having done so. Ahab goes about convincing his crew that he is a god and that the death of Moby Dick is all that matters.

He achieves this by forcing the men to participate in a savage blood ritual and utilizing the natural phenomenon of St. Elmo's fire to trick the crew into believing that he possesses supernatural powers. Ahab cares little for the welfare and lives of the crew. Insisting that they move forward despite apparent danger, he leads them into a forceful storm and sailing into ice. Afterwards, they encounter the Rachel, a fellow whaling boat.

The captain begs for assistance in locating his son who is lost at sea. During a typhoon, the Pequod spots Moby Dick. Harpoon boats are dispatched. As Moby Dick surfaces, Ahab jumps on top of the whale and harpoons him. He is pulled on a wild ride. The whale goes below and above the water with Ahab attached. Moby Dick jumps out of the water into a majestic leap and breaks the harpooning boats with his tail. He wreaks havoc on all of the boats, killing the people aboard. In an ironic twist, a spark alights on the Pequod and sends the ship up in flames. The sole survivor is Ishmael, the narrator of the novel.



Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - depressed
Time/era of story - 1600-1899
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Struggle over
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Exploring into the wild Yes
kind of story - hunting animal

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 60's-90's
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 ()
Water? Yes
Water: - drowning - sail boat - lost at sea
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee

Writing Style
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
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