Are these subjects being compared or contrasted in Moby Dick by Herman Melville Third you cannot demonstrate it but it seems to you that in the whale the sense of touch is concentrated in the tail?

Answer 1

The full reading passage is:

Third: I cannot demonstrate it, but it seems to me, that in the whale the sense of touch is concentrated in the tail; for in this respect there is a delicacy in it only equalled by the daintiness of the elephant's trunk. This delicacy is chiefly evinced in the action of sweeping, when in maidenly gentleness the whale with a certain soft slowness moves his immense flukes from side to side upon the surface of the sea; and if he feel but a sailor's whisker, woe to that sailor, whiskers and all.

The whale's tail is being compared to an elephant's trunk.

Answer 2

In "Moby Dick," the sense of touch in the whale's tail is described as highly developed, particularly during the intense physical struggle depicted in the novel. While there is no direct comparison or contrast between subjects here, the focus on the whale's tail highlights its significance in the story both as a powerful weapon and as a means of survival for the whale.