This novel has been putting me in a chokehold for quite some time because of how slowly it progresses throughout the chapters. There are some chapters where I was like: “What the hell is going on?” and there are chapters where I yelp with excitement, especially the one chapter called Moby Dick, which is chapter 45. The reason why this chapter excites me is that we all get to learn about the White Sperm Whale, and its dangerous intentions while lurking under the sea. There is this one passage where Ishmael states, “The Sperm Whale is in some cases sufficiently powerful, knowing, and judiciously malicious, as with direct aforethought to stave in, utterly destroy, and sink a large ship; and what is more, the Sperm Whale has done it.” (224). What is really interesting about this chapter is that it prompts readers to think about how dangerous the whale is. However, there are more details than just that. Melville purposefully uses Ishmael’s and other whalemen’s perspectives to show the danger that this Sperm Whale causes to humans, while he never points out the danger that humans pose to the Sperm Whale. In my mind, I believe that humans were the ones who inflicted damage on the Sperm Whales first, then, from the Sperm Whales’ perspective, they believe that humans pose to them as threats, which is why they attack large ships, chase after these ships, and destroy them to prevent future disaster for their species. I believe that, just like dolphins, whales are actually really smart beings. It remembers faces and is aware that ships that sailed are meant to attack them, which prompts me with a question: Are Sperm Whales considered to be as malicious as Ishmael claims it to be? Or it was the humans that caused this, and the whales are just simply protecting themselves. For humans, hunting a whale is literally a huge achievement because they get recognized for killing one. It’s the whalemen’s dream to be able to hunt a whale, and that ambitious desire turns them into heartless human beings because they are slaying tons of whales just for that purpose alone. I love learning about Sperm Whales, and the human perspectives are trying to convince readers to bear that same hatred towards these whales because of their maliciousness. But I want to look at it from a different perspective, and it’s really amazing to be able to look at things from different sides.