Think about what Melville says about light. He says that it remains “white or colorless in itself.” Does this match with what light actually is? If white is all colors combined, what does that mean about the whale? Light touches all things, does that mean whiteness does too?
Think about the idea of Albino people. How does it change, or not change, for the whale? Is there a significance for use of the word “Albino” in reference to the whale as opposed to white?
Ahab is referenced as Prometheus, a titan from Greek mythology. Is Melville elevating him above godly status, or subtly putting him below? What about “the vulture that feeds upon that heart forever?” How is this vulture that Ahab has created similar to the “creature” that Prometheus created, or rather enlightened, humans? How does the quest for the whale fit into these things?
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