Moby Dick

A scarred, monomaniacal sea captain in his fifties with a ivory peg leg and haunted, obsessive eyes; typically wears a dark coat and commands with an intense, brooding presence.

A young, contemplative sailor and the novel's narrator; of average build with an observant, philosophical demeanor; typically dressed in simple sailor's clothing.

A massive white sperm whale of legendary proportions with a distinctive humped back and scarred white hide; moves through dark ocean waters with terrible majesty.

A sturdy first mate of the Pequod with a weathered, moral face; middle-aged with a solid build, dressed in practical whaling crew attire.

A worn whaling ship with dark wooden hull and towering masts; features harpoon racks, barrels, and rigging; perpetually surrounded by churning dark ocean waters.

Vast, moody seascapes with roiling waters in grays and deep blues; stormy skies or misty horizons suggesting isolation and the sublime terror of nature.

Early 19th-century New England whaling ports with wooden docks, maritime taverns, and colonial architecture; gray skies and salt-worn atmosphere.