appellation "orphan" as applied to Ishmael speaks volumes when taken in light of the destruction of the Pequod and her crew. Melville's inclusion of Ishmael's survival as an epilogue, a suffix attached to the dramatic destruction of the Pequod, suggests that Ish!
             mael's survival is an afterthought to the fate of Ahab and the rest of his crew. Ishmael's quiet words at the beginning of the chapter, "Why then here does any one step forth? -Because one did survive the wreck," (723) indicate a deep humility on Ishmae
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