Moby-Dick and the Indefinite Sublime: On facing the white page

In this essay for The Yale Review, Tom McCarthy explores the profound connection between Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick and the modern experience of confronting the 'white page'—a metaphor for the void, the unknown, and the infinite possibilities of creation. McCarthy examines how Melville’s masterpiece serves as a foundational text for understanding the 'indefinite sublime,' a state where the sheer scale of information and existence overwhelms human perception. By analyzing the narrative structure and the symbolic weight of the white whale, the author draws parallels to contemporary challenges in literature and philosophy. The piece invites readers to consider how the act of writing and the pursuit of meaning in a digital age mirror the obsessive, often perilous quest of Captain Ahab. Ultimately, McCarthy suggests that the blank space is not merely an absence, but a complex, daunting presence that defines the limits of human expression and technological advancement.