Which best explains the purpose of the first two paragraphs of Chapter 28 of Moby-Dick ?

The opening paragraphs note that Captain Ahab has not appeared on deck since the Pequod left Nantucket, building anticipation around his absence. They then introduce Ahab and lead into a fuller description of him, so their main purpose is to bring the novel’s central character into focus. They do not mainly explain his private motives or describe the ship’s duties in detail.

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