His need for vengeance has put him apart from humanity, but he can still pretend to be normal, which is how he was able to get the helm of a ship to use to chase Moby-Dick. All the men are with him, and he intends to pursue the whale around the world. It is the whiteness of Moby-Dick that terrifies Ishmael. The color of white will increase the terror of anything. It is because white symbolizes purity, the absence of anything.
Nature covers everything up with bright colors, but white is the truth beneath it all.
And of all these things the Albino whale was the symbol. Chapter 42, pg. Click for our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service .