In chapter 115, the Pequod gets an interesting interaction with the ship called “The Bachelor.” This ship is characterized as joyous and lucky—as they have an abundance of materials and spoils from whaling as they return home. This ship is particularly important in this moment because it is meant to contrast against the mood of the Pequod. Whereas the Bachelor has been able to fulfill its purpose as a whaling ship, the Pequod has yet to achieve their goal in killing the White whale. The Pequod is still bound by their mission, in contrast to the Bachelor who is sailing for home. In this scene, the ship they encounter is meant to be a representation of freedom, hence the name “The Bachelor.” A Bachelor, by definition, is someone who has not been married and is therefore “free” or available, in regard to dating. In the context of whaling, the Bachelor ship represents freedom in the sense that they are not bound by a particular mission—they achieved their goals, and they get to go home. 

And thus, while the one ship went cheerily before the breeze, the other stubbornly fought against it; and so the two vessels parted; the crew of the Pequod looking with grave, lingering glances towards the receding Bachelor; but the Bachelor’s men never heeding their gaze for the lively revelry they were in.” (538). 

In this moment, we witness the fleeting freedom of the Bachelor and the longingness of the crew. However, unlike the Bachelor, they are bound by Ahab’s continued obsession that prohibits them from the same type of freedom. The captain of the Bachelor even beckons Ahab to board his ship, yet Ahab rejects this, insisting on hunting the whale and asking the other captain if he’s seen it. Despite this generous offer, Ahab is blinded by his pursuit, and rejects this offer, and in a sense, he metaphorically forgoing freedom of any kind—imprisoning himself in his mad obsession. He doesn’t want freedom; he wants the White Whale by any means necessary. The brief encounter with the Bachelor shows us the current sanity of the current characters. With the crew slowly sinking into despair and their captain quickly descending into madness.