How Does Ahab's Obsession Leads To His Insanity?

382 Words2 Pages
In the case of Ahab his obsession and isolation ultimately leads to his insanity. By depicting single-minded obsession as an extreme form of madness, Moby-Dick implies that sanity can only consist of self-control. In Lolita we also see this as Humbert tries to approach his problem internally, “Years of secret suffering have taught me superhuman self-control.” This internal self- control is what keeps Humbert sane throughout his college and adult life, furthermore He puts up a romantic front for Charlotte, this stark contrast with Ahab’s madness could be compared with the concept of Internalisation vs Externalisation, Ahab seem to externalise his obsession throughout, this externalisation is an unconscious defense mechanism by which [Ahab]