Xlibris Publishing returns with Part 2 of Heroes and Villains: Captain Ahab.
Why does Captain Ahab do what he does?
Captain Ahab is an interesting character. He has traits a reader can admire and traits a reader can loath. There is no doubting Ahab’s courage and strength of will. He shows no fear in facing a beast that slain or injured many sailors and destroyed vessels. He does not let the loss of a leg slow him down in any fashion. And Ahab’s charisma is such that one could describe the man as ‘larger than life.’ He can be very human, as he admits to the chief mate how much Ahab regrets being away from his own wife and child so much because of whaling.
But for all that is noble about the captain, there are serious flaws as well. First and foremost among Ahab’s flaws is his obsession. Something in the loss of his leg focuses Ahab on the perpetrator, Moby Dick, and on delivering vengeance upon the great whale. All else becomes secondary to this quest, including his health, proper customs on the sea, and the lives men.
How does Captain Ahab struggle?
Captain Ahab’s obsession has been described as monomania, a singular preoccupation of madness in an otherwise sound man. Indeed, outside of anything directly involving Moby Dick, Ahab is an ideal captain. He is effective and enjoys the loyalty of the crew (perhaps to the crew’s own destruction). He has a great love and appreciation for the wonders of the ocean. . Over the course of the book, it becomes clear that to Ahab, Moby Dick is not only the beast that maimed him, but a personification of all the world’s evils and suffering. Thus it must be destroyed, both for Ahab’s peace of mind and the world’s. In the end, Captain Ahab’s obsession drives him and all but one of his crew to death and destruction, with the white whale but slightly inconvenienced.
Conclusion
It is difficult to say where exactly Ahab falls as a hero or a villain. He has characteristics one would certainly call heroic, yet his obsession with Moby Dick destroys himself and the lives of his crew. He does not bully or intimidate his crew into following him, nor does sabotage anyone who might want to leave. In truth his crew is incredibly loyal, either taking up Ahab’s vengeance or refusing to kill him and thus end the madness. Were Ahab faced with an actually evil force, not just a perceived evil, and were Ahab’s foe something to actually overcome then perhaps Ahab could be seen as a hero. But the whale seems content to be left alone, until it is attack. Then Moby Dick strikes like the hammer of a god or the wrath of nature. In actively chasing and provoking this force, Ahab signs his and his crew’s death warrants.
Is Captain Ahab a once brave hero who fell to madness, or is he a selfish villain who cares for revenge above all else? It is up to the reader to decide.
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By Ian Smith