Moby-Dick discussion questions Epilogue: Why does Melville choose to include
- Why does Melville choose to include a line from the Book of Job? In what ways has Ishmael’s experience been similar to Job’s?
- What is the purpose of that line in the Book of Job? How does that affect the way we think about Ishmael and the way we interpret the book?
- What animals does Ishmael mention in the final chapter? In what sense is their appearance here symbolic?
- Why does Melville choose to have the Rachel rescue Ishmael?
- Why does Ishmael call himself an orphan at the end of the story? In what way could that be true? Who or what could we consider his parents?
