In the novel "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, the apparent themes: good vs. evil, civilized vs. uncivilized, and conventional vs. unconventional are throughout the book, but they are not as superficial as they seem.
             In treating the theme good vs. evil, the apparent message is one of Ahab being the innocent victim. A man disfigured and tormented by a beast of nature. In juxtaposition to that the whale can be perceived as being evil because of what he did to man. However, if we are to look at this objectively we would have to admit that man is also a creature of nature, and therefore you would have to ask, what represents evil in the novel; Moby Dick or Ahab? Throughout the book, Ahab defies God. He speaks out against him and admits his lack of faith. Moreover, since Ahab is so obsessed with killing the whale he puts his entire crew in jeopardy which does not only go against mans law (a captain must never put his crew or ship in danger for his own selfish intentions), but also goes against God's law (mans indifference towards other men is sinful in God's eyes). Through these actions we are shown that Ahab is more representative of the evil side of nature then Moby Dick.
             The book also incorporates the theme civilized vs. uncivilized. Ishmael; the civilized man is compelled to teach Queequeg; the uncivilized man. Since Ishmael is the Christian and Queequeg the savage, Ishmael
             believes that by teaching Queequeg about organized religion, and the workings of society, he is saving him by helping him to adapt to the ways of civilization. Melville has us believe that Queequeg is born into civilization. That is Melville's apparent message, but in all actuality it is Queequeg who allows Ishmael to be born again. Queequeg sees the world unobscured by the dogmatism of Christianity, which allows Ishmael to look at the world for what it is, not what religion tells you it is. It is Queequegs coffin that saves Ishmaels life, it gives him ...