Nobody had ever instructed him that a slave-ship, with a procession of expectant sharks in its wake, is a missionary institution, by which closely-packed heathen are brought over to enjoy the light of the Gospel.

Summary

This quote from the novel "Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville sarcastically suggests that the concept of a slave-ship carrying enslaved African people is hypocritically portrayed as a missionary endeavor. The use of the phrase "expectant sharks" symbolizes the predatory nature of the slave-trade, while the term "light of the Gospel" alludes to the idea that the perpetrators of this trade claim to bring enlightenment and Christianity to those they are enslaving. In essence, the quote reveals the dark irony behind presenting such a horrific practice as a noble mission and exposes the moral contradictions that were prevalent during that time period.

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