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.