Is it that by its indefiniteness it shadows forth the heartless voids and immensities of the universe, and thus stabs us from behind with the thought of annihilation, when beholding the white depths of the milky way? Or is it, that as in essence whiteness is not so much a color as the visible absence of color, and at the same time the concrete of all colors; is it for these reasons that there is such a dumb blankness, full of meaning, in a wide landscape of snows -- a colorless, all- color of atheism from which we shrink?
The passage from Moby-Dick delves into the profound emotional effects that the color white, particularly in the context of a vast, snowy landscape or the Milky Way, can evoke in the observer. It suggests that the indefiniteness of whiteness may symbolize the overwhelming void of the universe, provoking thoughts of annihilation and existential dread. This contemplation generates a sense of discomfort, as the beauty of the scene is undercut by the weight of what it represents.
Moreover, the text reflects on the nature of whiteness itself, describing it as both an absence of color and a potential representation of all colors combined. This duality imbues white with a certain emptiness that is paradoxically meaningful. In the quiet expanse of snow, there exists a profound stillness that invites reflection but also stirs a sense of fear and alienation, encapsulating the essence of atheism that many may instinctively recoil from.
