--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Besides all those whaling details, Moby…" description: "\"Besides all those whaling details, Moby Dick is about someone who's looking for something so huge, something they've wanted all their life, yet they kn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/laurie-anderson-3908_details_besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-d_2732413.png" --- # Besides all those whaling details, Moby Dick is about… ![“Besides all those whaling details, Moby Dick is about someone who's looking for something so huge, something they've wanted all their life, yet they know when they find it, it will kill them.” quote by Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/laurie-anderson-3908_details_besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-d_2732413.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/laurie-anderson-3908_details_besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-d_2732413.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/laurie-anderson-3908_details_besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-d_2732413.png) > “Besides all those whaling details, Moby Dick is about someone who's looking for something so huge, something they've wanted all their life, yet they know when they find it, it will kill them.” [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moby Dick reflects a relentless quest for an ultimate desire that ultimately destroys the seeker. **In simple terms:** A great pursuit can be self‑destructive. Key Takeaway Beware of goals that could harm you. Themes obsession literature human nature danger ambition null Mood reflective cautionary Type literary philosophical Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to chase unattainable goals? - When does pursuit become self‑sabotage? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moby Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moby-dick/) [Whaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whaling/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“Oh, Starbuck! it is a mild, mild wind, and a mild looking sky. On such a day - very much such a sweetness as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/oh-starbuck-it-is-a-mild-mild-wind-and-a-mild-looking-sky-on-such-a/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“...the chapters on whaling in MOBY DICK can be omitted by all but the most punishment-loving readers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/the-chapters-on-whaling-in-moby-dick-can-be-omitted-by-all-but-the/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [“There you stand, lost in the infinite series of the sea, with nothing ruffled but the waves. The tranced ship indolently rolls; the drowsy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/there-you-stand-lost-in-the-infinite-series-of-the-sea-with-nothing/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“Yes, there is death in this business of whaling—a speechlessly quick chaotic bundling of a man into Eternity. But what then? Methinks we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/yes-there-is-death-in-this-business-of-whaling-a-speechlessly-quick/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“oohing and aahing over the Old Whaling Church and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elin-hilderbrand/oohing-and-aahing-over-the-old-whaling-church-and/) [Elin Hilderbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elin-hilderbrand/) > [Whaling was the oil business of its day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-philbrick/whaling-was-the-oil-business-of-its-day/) [Nathaniel Philbrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-philbrick/) > [The real threat to whales is whaling, which has endangered many whale species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-real-threat-to-whales-is-whaling-which-has-endangered-many-whale/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [“It needs scarcely to be told, with what feelings, on the eve of a Nantucket voyage, I regarded those marble tablets, and by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/it-needs-scarcely-to-be-told-with-what-feelings-on-the-eve-of-a/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“Is it wrong of me to propose a ceasefire agreement between humans and whales and dolphins, I know it is in actuality a one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-merrick/is-it-wrong-of-me-to-propose-a-ceasefire-agreement-between-humans-and/) [Steve Merrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-merrick/) > [“Aye, aye, it must be so. I've oversailed him. How, got the start? Aye, he's chasing ME now; not I, HIM--that's bad”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/aye-aye-it-must-be-so-i-ve-oversailed-him-how-got-the-start-aye-he-s/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [scientific whaling, and other lies will be exposed and become atrocities of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-irwin/scientific-whaling-and-other-lies-will-be-exposed-and-become/) [Steve Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-irwin/) > [Until the middle of the nineteenth century, Biarritz was a community of whalers. During the Middle Ages, it had grown from a small fishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-drinkwater/until-the-middle-of-the-nineteenth-century-biarritz-was-a-community/) [Carol Drinkwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-drinkwater/) > [Back in 1980, whale watching surpassed whaling as an industry. Now it's worth about four times as much. Whale watching provides far, far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/back-in-1980-whale-watching-surpassed-whaling-as-an-industry-now-it-s/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [I grew up in a whaling town. We didn't stop whaling in Australia until 1978. And I've always lived in fishing communities. You could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-winton/i-grew-up-in-a-whaling-town-we-didn-t-stop-whaling-in-australia-until/) [Tim Winton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-winton/) > [The only language that the Japanese whaling industry understands is economics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/the-only-language-that-the-japanese-whaling-industry-understands-is/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) ## More by Laurie Anderson > [Being an artist is a totally godlike thing to do - and I have a god complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/being-an-artist-is-a-totally-godlike-thing-to-do-and-i-have-a-god/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [It's the tradition of American writers getting away in order to see the country - to get a better view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/it-s-the-tradition-of-american-writers-getting-away-in-order-to-see/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [The best thing about the term 'performance artist' is that it includes just about everything you might want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/the-best-thing-about-the-term-performance-artist-is-that-it-includes/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [If I'm confused, I just spend some time looking at the sky and falling into it. It's not a meditation that anyone taught me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/if-i-m-confused-i-just-spend-some-time-looking-at-the-sky-and-falling/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I think a lot of people in Washington are extremely suspicious of NASA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-think-a-lot-of-people-in-washington-are-extremely-suspicious-of-nasa/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [And there was a beutiful view But nobody could see Cause everybody on the island Was saying Look at me! Look at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/and-there-was-a-beutiful-view-but-nobody-could-see-cause-everybody-on/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I think artists who are attracted to working on the Net will adjust their work to the capabilities of a very small screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-think-artists-who-are-attracted-to-working-on-the-net-will-adjust/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [Dogs don't just like us, they love us, and they admire us. The big reason they admire us is we invented cars. They're like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/dogs-don-t-just-like-us-they-love-us-and-they-admire-us-the-big/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [Paradise Is exactly like Where you are right now Only much much Better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/paradise-is-exactly-like-where-you-are-right-now-only-much-much-better/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [A lot of the work in United States is highly critical of technology. I'm using 15,000 watts of power and 18 different pieces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/a-lot-of-the-work-in-united-states-is-highly-critical-of-technology-i/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [Something that has so much power must have life. Instruments have life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/something-that-has-so-much-power-must-have-life-instruments-have-life/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [Books are the way the dead talk to the living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/books-are-the-way-the-dead-talk-to-the-living/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I see and write things first as an artist, second as a woman, and third as a New Yorker. All three have built-in perspectives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-see-and-write-things-first-as-an-artist-second-as-a-woman-and-third/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I am a New Yorker, one; I'm an artist, two; I'm a woman, three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-am-a-new-yorker-one-i-m-an-artist-two-i-m-a-woman-three/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I'm not usually where I think I am. It's kind of spooky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-m-not-usually-where-i-think-i-am-it-s-kind-of-spooky/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) [Explore all 118 Laurie Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) ## More Details quotes > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [The more I trust you, the less details I need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-i-trust-you-the-less-details-i-need/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/) [Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/) > [The first track is the end of a string. At the far end, a being is moving; a mystery, dropping a hint about itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brown-jr/the-first-track-is-the-end-of-a-string-at-the-far-end-a-being-is/) [Tom Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brown-jr/) > [No matter what. Wherever your mind wanders, it seems to turn up at the same Field of Dreams. It's the vision you wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/no-matter-what-wherever-your-mind-wanders-it-seems-to-turn-up-at-the/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Our thoughts are either focused on what's eternal, life-changing, and true, or lost in the details of our temporary, selfish, false beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/our-thoughts-are-either-focused-on-what-s-eternal-life-changing-and/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [Just because someone thinks they remember something in detail, with confidence and with emotion, does not mean that it actually happened, .. False memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-loftus/just-because-someone-thinks-they-remember-something-in-detail-with/) [Elizabeth Loftus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-loftus/) > [The Science Delusion is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality in principle leaving only the details to be filled in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-sheldrake/the-science-delusion-is-the-belief-that-science-already-understands/) [Rupert Sheldrake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-sheldrake/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [It takes a little more time to get into the role, but not very much more. In making a record you don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-callas/it-takes-a-little-more-time-to-get-into-the-role-but-not-very-much/) [Maria Callas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-callas/) > [We're still working out the details, but I'd be delighted to do the film. The problem at the moment is my busy schedule. Shooting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-ziyi/we-re-still-working-out-the-details-but-i-d-be-delighted-to-do-the/) [Zhang Ziyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-ziyi/) > [What is needed, however, isn't just that people working together be nice to each other. It is discipline. Discipline is hard--harder than trustworthiness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/what-is-needed-however-isn-t-just-that-people-working-together-be/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [I get worked up over an 'idea' or the ethos of an idea. I follow dreams, take notes on travels, and engage in research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/i-get-worked-up-over-an-idea-or-the-ethos-of-an-idea-i-follow-dreams/) [Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/) > [We don't always know the details of our future. We do not know what lies ahead. We live in a time of uncertainty. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-don-t-always-know-the-details-of-our-future-we-do-not-know-what/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) Browse all 2,442 Details quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Besides all those whaling details, Moby Dick is about someone who's looking for something so huge, something they've wanted all their life, yet they know when they find it, it will kill them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurie Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-dick-is-about-someone-who-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Details" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-dick-is-about-someone-who-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/laurie-anderson-3908_details_besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-d_2732413.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/laurie-anderson-3908_details_besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-d_2732413.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/laurie-anderson-3908_details_besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-d_2732413.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Besides all those whaling details, Moby Dick is about someone who's looking for something so huge, something…” — Laurie Anderson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Laurie Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Besides all those whaling details, Moby...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-dick-is-about-someone-who-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/besides-all-those-whaling-details-moby-dick-is-about-someone-who-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```