Throughout this book, Melville has made several points using contrasts in the subject that he talking about. In chapter 97, he makes another contrast, using darkness and illumination relating to the emotions as a whaler. Ishmael shares, “To dress in the dark, and eat in the dark, and stumble in the darkness to his pallet, this is his usual lot.”(486) This gloomy line provokes feelings of loneliness, solemnity and sadness. The whalemen, have a difficult job as is when it comes to dealing with whales and the ocean, but what about the emotions that come from the loss of connection with other human beings besides the other whalemen on the boat?

Ishmael continues with, “But the whaleman, as he seeks the food of light, so he lives in light…so that in the pitchiest night the ship’s black hull still houses an illumination.” At night or in darkness, the whaleman is able to indulge in the retrieval of the oil and make use of it with the lamp. While he himself is surrounded by the absence of light, the one thing that is changing that is the lamp in which he had the ability to help create.

Melville has touched base on a lot of different emotions in this book so far, for example, madness, anger, desperation, etc. but in chapter 97 he reflects on the solemness that comes from the job of a whaler. At the end of the day, when you’re done with your job for the day and you come home to your own thoughts, without the support or conversation with your loved ones, it can be hard to evade the emotions that come with that kind of darkness. Even though your job, ironically enough, is to retrieve the oil that will help with the illumination for others.