In Herman Melville's Moby Dick, the climax of the entire novel was the final struggle between the hated white whale and the vengeful captain, Ahab. The novel, seemingly to end without this much needed resolution. The death of essentially the entire crew of the Pequod except for Ishmael helps emphasize the overall theme that revenge and holding a grudge while ultimately destroy oneself.
             In the beginning of the novel, Ishmael, the narrator, becomes a completely different style of character than all the others aboard the whaling ship Pequod, in that he is a character of different moral fiber. One of his more memorable quotes "Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian." The difference that is illustrated is his regards for his fellow man. Captain Ahab, Starbuck, Flask, and Stubb are some of the fine examples of the white Christian males aboard the ship, who use a variety of slaves (Africans and Native Americans) to do dangerous and arduous tasks. His lack of participation in the whaling as well-which the non-whites did partake in and his subtle compassion for life somehow spare him from being consumed in the vengeful action of Moby Dick.
             In the waning parts of the novel, leading up to the final confrontation between man and beast Ahab encounters Captain Boomer a man who had lost his very own arm to the white whale. In his own words Captain Boomer says "Didn't want to try to; ain't one limb enough? What should I do without this other arm?" These two men, both down a limb, both survivors of the infamous Moby Dick. The difference is that Captain Boomer has accepted his fate and moved on with life, realizing there are far more important things than getting revenge on a beast. While Ahab fixates his life on one goal: destroy Moby Dick or die trying but in Ahab's most unfortunate case that latter happened.
             Finally, in the end the generosity of Ishmael to the minorities comes back to help...