In response to Starbuck asking if Moby Dick took his leg, Ahab “shouted with a terrific, loud, animal sob, like that of a heart-stricken moose,” and reveals that “‘it was that accursed white whale that…made a poor pegging lubber of me for ever and a day” (234). Ahab hyperbolically describes his experience with the whale, painting it as a moment that completely destroyed his ability to live his life happily and fully. This exaggerated language and description of his experiences inspires a sense of pity for Ahab in the crew, and spurs them to
In response to Starbuck asking if Moby Dick took his leg, Ahab “shouted with a terrific, loud, animal sob, like that of a heart-stricken moose,” and reveals that “‘it was that accursed white whale that…made a poor pegging lubber of me for ever and a day” (234). Ahab hyperbolically describes his experience with the whale, painting it as a moment that completely destroyed his ability to live his life happily and fully. This exaggerated language and description of his experiences inspires a sense of pity for Ahab in the crew, and spurs them to