| dc.description.abstract | Moby Dick is a novel written by Herman Melville, first published in 1851. It is considered one of the
greatest American novels and tells the story of Ishmael, the narrator, and his journey aboard the whaling ship
Pequod, led by the obsessive and vengeful Captain Ahab. Ahab's sole mission is to hunt down and kill Moby
Dick, a giant white whale that had previously destroyed Ahab’s previous ship and severed his leg. While Moby
Dick was written long before the SDGs were established, the novel touches upon themes that relate to SDG
14, Life Below Water. For example, the novel’s focus on whaling directly connects to SDG 14, which aims to
conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources. Moby Dick reflects on the dangers of
over-exploitation of marine life (whales) and the impact of human greed on the environment. Captain Ahab’s
relentless hunt for Moby Dick can be seen as a metaphor for the destructive pursuit of natural resources without
regard for sustainability.
In the proposed project, I will examine how Captain Ahab’s downfall—seen as a violation of
Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water)—frames Moby Dick as an allegory of nature’s revenge.
The white whale symbolizes the ocean's resistance to human exploitation, and Ahab’s obsessive pursuit leads
to his ruin, foreshadowing the consequences of unchecked marine resource depletion. As such, Moby Dick
offers a powerful narrative for environmental education, connecting literature with ocean conservation. | en_US |
