One of my first interactions with Moby Dick was years ago while I was watching an episode of Futurama. It was a retelling of Moby Dick but taking place in space with an intergalactic whale. I was probably around 11/12 and I thought this was one of the cooler episodes. The thing that stuck out to me the most was how dark the episode got. The character Leela was Captain Ahab in the retelling and her obsession got everyone eaten by the whale. In the end, she does conquer the whale by befriending it, but I assume the original story does not have the same kind ending. 

Moby Dick has a huge cultural significance and it has been on my bucket list for a long time. This was always the book about whales and obsession to me, and there was a time where I tried to read it. It was intimidating and intriguing at the same time but I ultimately did not get far. Years later, I saw an opportunity to take a course dedicated to Moby Dick with a group of people to walk through this book together. Thinking of Moby Dick now, I associate it more with nature & power. This book is a play with the ocean as its stage. I can imagine the air and colors as I read it. I am excited to dive in and experience a piece of time that doesn’t really exist anymore. Moby Dick will always be the whale book to me due to my first associations, but I am looking forward to adding new ones as I continue reading.