ate moody and savage sometimes." "...Better to be a moody good captain than a laughing bad one." (77) The name Ahab is symbolic and taken from the Bible. Ahab was an evil man having had someone killed so he could be king. He was named after his widowed mother, who died when he was only twelve months old. Peleg seems to want Ishmael to overlook the wickedness of Ahab. Ishmael comes away more struck by sympathy and sorrow for him and the loss of his leg, overlooking the dark side of Ahab. Ishmael tells of his impression of Ahab, after they have been out at sea for several days. Ahab was in his cabin out of view of the crew up until then. Ishmael's description gives the reader a picture of the devastation that the whale did to the captain's body. Regardless of Ahab's disabilities,
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