Understanding the Sublime

The sublime refers to an experience where nature or art evokes a sense of awe mixed with terror. It captures feelings of wonder, insignificance, and even fear when encountering something vast or powerful that transcends ordinary human experience. In Moby-Dick, this idea is illustrated through the immense, unpredictable ocean and the mystery of the white whale, symbolizing both nature’s grandeur and its indifference to human ambition.