The Biblical character is saved from death by the miraculous appearance of a well, while his whaling counterpart is saved from the wreck of his ship "by a margin so narrow as to seem miraculous". In the Bible, Ishmael is an outcast who wanders in the wilderness, much as the Ishmael of Moby-Dick wanders in the sea (actually described as "the wilderness of waters" in chapter 88). The first and most obvious is the Biblical Ishmael. The fact these are not resolved encourages the reader to be open to other interpretations of Ishmael's identity. Although Ishmael is the narrator of the tale, his name and identity have three different symbolic significances. The question remains open and is never resolved in the progress of the novel. However, it is also possible to read the sentence as merely a friendly greeting - perhaps an introduction via a nickname. Yes, there is an implication that Ishmael might not be the narrator's real name.
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