26
September
2008
Pg. 189 When Ishmael returns from the boat race with the whale. Ishmael’s boat got capsized and for some time he feared for his life. When he got back on the boat he asked three separate people if that was normal. When he learned it was, he began to re-think his life and thus, for the 4th time in his life, he wrote his own will, giving everything, of course, to Quequeg.
Pg. 190 “To the success of the voyage, it is the right for a whaling captain to jeopardize that life in the active perils of the chase.” Ahab has the right to put one of his, or all of his crew members life in danger.
Why are the men on the boat with Ahab?!?! Because Ahab has a peg leg and thus a disability, most people were surprised he wanted to go back out onto a boat, not to mention to be the captain. So, no one thought he would want to be on one of the smaller boats that went after the whale. Thus the other captains and owners of the ship did not put a team together for Ahab. So Ahab looked out for himself and put together his own team. That is who Ahab has been storing away in the boat.
Pg. 192 “On life and death the ond man walked.” Ishmael describes Ahab that his is life (good leg) yet death or devil (peg leg).
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
23
September
2008
In class Mr. W said that this passage was going to be another one that most people are going to hate. When he said this i put myself under this category of hating these chapters, however Melville proved to be interesting. I enjoyed these chapters as it was an insight as to how on earth the Pequod is going to find Moby Dick in the huge ocean (a question i have been asking since the introduction of Moby Dick) and it tells us how the other whaling boats interact with each other by letting them know about what whale they saw where and how many men died in the attempt.
It seems to me that in chapter 45 Ishmael is having doubts about Captain Ahab and his attempt to find and kill the most dangerous whale known to fisherman stories. I picked up this hint when Ishmael tells us that he knows three different occasion on which a whale was hit with a harpoon and got away. He also lets us know that every ship the Pequod has encountered has had at least one man who is no longer on the ship.
When Ishmael describes Ahab’s technique of how to find Moby Dick, i got a little bit lost. It seems to me that Ahab cuts the ocean on his map into a grid. After this is done each grid is thoroughly searched. This seems like a risky way to find a whale as its position could move with out the captains knowledge.
Chapter 43 was very short and confusing. I am not sure what the men on the Pequod were doing so late at night moving water buckets however they acted as if it was a crime to do so. One of them continued to think that he heard a cough and was thus on edge. In the chapters that followed, Melville mentioned mutiny a few times and how its possibility was very high as the first mate disagreed with the Captain as well as most of the ship.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
23
September
2008
The American Scholar is probably a holy bible for writers, however to me, it was an extremely long writing that made little to no sense. However what i did get out of it was this, influence of writing is very important. Emerson speaks about the English poets that have “shakspearized” thier writings. Emerson wants people to step back and take a look at not only thier own lives, but to appreciate the people and nature around them. He also gives an outline of how he thinks people should act and write; from their souls and to really and truly mean what they say, to be passionate. However Emerson acknowledges the fact that this rule can be broken, and even he will break it. –so he contradicts himself—you can see why its confusing.
I had a much different perspective on Emerson’s poem, I Became a Transparent Eyeball. My first reaction to this poem was that man is learning to love and be one with nature. He speaks of loosing himself in the youth of the forest. In the woods he can forget all his problems and fears, his pride and dignity, and just be one with nature in silence. If you are alone in nature, with no other human around you, it is here your actions are the most pure and honest. He becomes and eye to see everything yen not to be involved. In the woods he feels his youth.
Transparent Eyeball: Transparent- means you can see right through as if nothing is there. You can look at is and yet it makes no difference in you life. Eyeball- is a beautiful thing that allows you to see your surroundings. An eyeball is not transparent but a window into the world. To oneself, their own eyeball is transparent but to others it is not. Transparent means to see nothing while an eyeball is what you use to see everything. This phrase contradicts itself as if an eyeball was transparent, there would be nothing to see.
However, the author says that when he is in the woods disgrace and calamity leave his eyes. His should becomes pure. All that is bad exits through his eyes. Thus his eyes are fresh, youthful, or transparent.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
19
September
2008
Chapter 41 further explained the idea set by Ahab that the entire crew was to dedicate their life upon the Pequod to looking for the white whale Moby Dick. Ishmael puts the plot of the rest of the book into place with these few pages as he explains his own view of the journey as well as his fellow whale catchers.
“For not only are whalemen as a body unexempt from that ignorance and superstitiousness hereditary to all sailors; but of all sailors, they are by all odds the msot directly brought into contact with whatever is appalling ly astonishing in the sea; facec to face they not only eye its greatest marvels, but, hand to jaw give battle to them.” Ishmael empasizes the task of the whalers at hand. That not only do they have to listen to what Moby Dick is like, but very soon they are going to have to face him a fight him. (pg. 153)
“Ahab and anguish lay stretched together in one hammock…then it was, that his torn body and gashed soul bled into one another; and so infusing, made him mad.” After Ahab was wounded by Moby Dick he was forced to live with himself and his disability for some time before he could build up the strength to go back out into the sea and get his revenge. During this waiting period is when Ahab went mad for the blood of Moby Dick.
The Whiteness of a Whale could be taken for another random chapter in Moby Dick like the ones were Ishmael describes many different whales. However this one was different. I enjoyed this chapter because Ishmael brought up several things I have never thought about and now that i don realize, i think i will be able to understand moby dick the whale better. Ishmael firsts says what the average response to the color white is. I agree with him as it seems to mean purity and innocence. What i did not realize were the negative things the color white can be. Ishmael describes a person who is albino. Although there is mentally nothing wrong with that person, or physically impairing, people are taken aback and even scared of albino’s. Ishmael puts this same thought process for whales. Even though a white whale is indeed just a white whale, the look of it makes you feel strange inside and not very trusting. Ishmael talks about another reason white seems so disturbing to him. “Or is it, that as in essence whiteness is not so much a color as the visible absence of a color…” (pg. 165) The color white describes something that is there but cannot be seen. Or it is something that replaces another. If this is so then what is behind the white and what is the white showing. What does Moby Dick have about him that makes him so strange and feared by all the big seamen. Why is Moby Dick so mysterious, what could he possibly be hiding?
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
17
September
2008
This reading introduced MANY new characters and a new plot. When Captain Ahab had everyone gather on the ship and he told them that it was his purpose to find the big white whale, Moby Dick, and have his revenge. Most of the seamen accepted his plan, although the harpooners looked overwhelmed as they had heard rumors of Moby Dick and did not want to mess with him. However Captain Ahab would not take no for an answer as he was forced to convince Starbuck to go along with the plan and help catch the great white whale. Starbuck was unsure as he was ready to catch whales, just not a specific one for his bosses vengeance. However as society often goes, the boss beat those lower than him and thus Starbuck, the harpooners, and the rest of the seamen have no choise but to look in all the seas for this great whale.
I know they eventually find Moby Dick, but how is my question. This great whale probubly moves all over the place since Ahab lost his leg. It will be a wonder how they track down one specific whale in all the seas.
Chapter 40 was fun and interesting. Melville was bringing the reader into the life of the seamen and showed us what they talk about and what they are really like. According to Melville, the love to dance. Several of the seamen were making music while others joined in with a clog dance, while others loafed around and relaxed. Each time a new man spoke, and most times no man spoke twice, Melville introduced them by saying “nationality, seamen”. Thus the reader was able to see the array of nations represented on the Pequod. This broad spectrum connects to American society as America is often referred to as a melting pot and here on the boat there seems to be a mini melting pot. Like American society, there was bound to be differences on the Pequod between different ethnic groups. The Spaniard and the black man from an Island got into a tussle at the end of the chapter. And others fought over who would dance and who refused. It will be interesting to see how the relationships between the different nationality sail men work out throughout the rest of the book.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
16
September
2008
This addition of the book courtesy of John B. Putnam gave a detailed and gruesome picture of what a whaling ship is and how it goes about its business of killing and then extracting everything it needs from the whale. I learned that when the whale is returned to the boat, it is help up by Fluke chains while some kind of hood takes off the outer layer of blubber. What you cannot see however arethe sharks that are biting at the whale while it is tied to the boat. Putnam also takes into account that it is very difficult to be on a whaling ship when the whale arrives as the boat is made slippery from blood and blubber.
On the last page there are several drawings of different tools used on the ship. One is a mincing knife, ew! Another looks like a dust pan that is used for “scraping up stray bits of blubber and spermaccti adrift on deck. Then there is a ladle used to get out the dried pieces of blubber and a spoon used to remove the oil. All the tools and stratagies used makes whaling much more dangerous, and gruesome. I don’t think ill be eating anything for the next few days.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
16
September
2008
Even though i usually find myself reading books with dialogue and plot, I could not say that i did not like Moby Dick, even though it was the complete opposite. However, the chapters this post is about killed me, they truly drove me to sleep. For about 8 pages, Melville finds the need to list like an encyclopedia about 15 different whale species and what they look like and why they have the name they do. For example, i learned that the Huzza Porpoise whale is a miniature sperm whale. Random facts like this made the chapter seem to go on and on forever!
The last chapter i had to read, chapter 35, seemed to ramble on about something, I’m not sure what. I wish Melville wrote ALOT less references to the bible or Greek mythology because it makes the reading just that much harder.
I did however like the chapter where all the seamen are having “dinner”, thier mid day hot meal. It was interesting and amusing to read that there is a certain order of who eats and when. For example, Captain Ahab told the first mate, who told the second mate, who told the third mate, that it was time for dinner. They all could not be told at once. Then the Harpooners eat which scares the waiter half to death as three gaint “cannables” are feasting on chicken bones right in front of him. I hope there are more sections like this one to keep me into reading the book.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
14
September
2008
In one of the chapters Ishmael tells the land people, us readers, why whalers are good men. For several pages he tries to explain the stereotypes of whalers and then denounces them all. On the other hand, this is Ishmaels first time on a whaling ship and his first time being considered part of any whaling team. Thus i cannot take Ishmael very seriously as he tries to sound like a professional on a topic he is just learning about. Ishmael is tring to protect a life style he is entering into. Andperhaps this is not to get the reader to understand more about whaling, but it is an attempt to convince himself that what he is doing makes sence and is not a fluke.
It is also worth noting that on page 101, Ishmael goes as far to claim that a whale ship “was my Yale College and my Harvard.” Ishmael not only speaks for himself here but for Melville as well as he never went to college either. This is another example of how Melville is living through Ishmael and how important whaling is to both of them.
Captain Ahab is somewhat introduced in chapter 28. He makes his first appearance on deck and although he does not speak, gives a lotof ideas to Ishmael of what kind of person he is. Ishmael referred to Ahab as “supreme lord” and”dictator” (pg. 107) when he saw how his first, second, and third mate did all his bidding’s. On the outside, Ishmael along with the rest of the crew notices a white mark on the captain and soon a roomer starts that he was “branded” out at sea (pg. 109). Another roomer that Ishmael hears is that Ahabs peg leg was chisled out of a sperm whales jaw bone.
1st mate: Starbuck – Harpooner Queequeg 2nd mate: Stubb – Harpooner Tashtego 3rd mate: Flask – Harpooner Daggoo
“I will have no man in my boat, ” said Starbuck, “who is not afraid of a whale.” pg. 102
“I am here in this critical ocean to kill whales for my living and not to be killed by them for theirs…” pg. 103
DID YOU KNOW?… Starbucks comes from an old Nantucket name. They became known for exotic coffees and baked goods. Starbuck, the first mate on the Pequod is an ancestor of the Starbucks coffee we know today.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
11
September
2008
The strangest and funniest part of this section of reading was when the crazy seamen stopped Ishmael and Queequeg to tell them about the boat they had just signed onto…the Pequod. When Melville firsts introduces the boat he said it was named after the “celebrated tribe of Massachusetts Indians, now extinct as the ancient Medes.” (pg. 69) However there is a subscript written next to this sentence which informns the reader that the Pequots were not extinct. This is yet another example of Melville and Ishmael confusing the reader and throwing us off course. Anyways, when the two companions came across the crazy seamen, he warned them of the ship and especally of captian Ahab. When Ishmael had decided he had had enough and began to walk away, he quickly asked the man what his name was. The man replied Elijah. the subscript at the bottom of the page sells us Elijah wasthe prophet who denounced the king Ahab. (pg. 88) This was very interesting as the man who was warning Ishmael and Queequeg about the captian, is indeed named after one of his enemies.
When Ishmael went onto the boat to speak with Captain Bildad and Captain Peleg about getting a spot on their voyage, I was very impressed in the way Ishmael wiggled his way on the ship. He had to convince the men that he was useful and not there to flee the land as a criminal. And when it was time to sign up Queequeg, he convinced the extremely Quaker Captains to take on this foreign cannibal. It took some work however when Ishmael said that Queequeg, along with the other men and “every mother’s son and soul of us belonged; the great and everlasting First Congregation of this whole worshipping world; we all belong to that…” (pg. 84) With this the Captains were very mooved and put Queequeg on the ship with a fair lay of nineteen.
I was a bit confused with Queequeg’s day of religion. He had to fast and was praying all day however I believe it was in a very uncomfortable postion in wich he stayed all day and all night. And then the morning after he told Ishmael that his god Yojo wanted Ishmael to find the right whaling ship and that it was thanks to Yojo’s blessings and power that the two companions came together. Any clarification?
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
9
September
2008
The reading begins when Ishmael walks back into the tavern to find Queequeg by the fire. Ishmael notices how he is so relaxed and seems so normal for a man like Queequeg. Ishmael saw a “simple, honest heart” (pg. 54) in Queequeg. However, even though the island native is doing things any civilized man would, he still has a remaining head sitting on his lap. Ishmael continues to watch Queequeg, especally when he starts flipping through pages of a book in some methodical order. After studying Queequeg, Ishmael concludes taht “Queequeg was George Washington cannibalistically developed.” (pg. 55) This was a strange and random remark as Ishmael somehow connected the two men.
Once again Ishmael and Queequeg were sharing a bed however this bedtime had alot less drama than the first. The two men were mutal as they climbed happily into bed together. Ishmael notes that unlike the previous night when he felt discusted that Queequeg was smoking in bed, Ishmael was able to overlook that flaw due to his love for Queequeg. In fact the two shared the pipe as Queequeg began his story of his life and how he became a harpooner so far away from his home island of Kokovoko. (pg. 59)
The next morning Ishmael and Queequeg made sure to get onto the same boat to Nantucket. Once they settled their things on the boat, a young shipmate mocked Queequeg. The giant man took the young man and threw him across the boat. Queequeg was scolded for this by the captin and it seemed like it would be a long boat ride. However soon after, the sail on the ship went haywire and hit the young man overboard. Queequeg jumped into the water and dove inorder to pull the young shipmate up from under the water, saving his life. Ishmael saw all this from the main ship and looked at his new companion with great pride and satisfaction. Queequeg however did not think anything of this deed and just seemed to think to himself, “we cannibals need to help these christains.” (pg. 64) This quote was interesting and funny because even though Queequeg was just getting made fun of for being stupid and a cannibal, the next moment he saved a christains life. This may foreshadow that Queequeg is not the kind of man he appears to be on the outside.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
