22
October
2008
“So Ahab’s proceeding in this matter were not unusual; the only strange thing about them seemed to be, that Starubuck, almost the only one man who had ever ventured to oppose him with anything in the slightest degree approaching seemed to doubt somewhat;- it was strange, that this was the ver man he should select for his watchmen; freely giving his whole life into such an otherwise distrusted person’s hands.” pg. 402 chapter 130
On other posts on this blog, i wrote about how Starbuck often talks against Ahab and is the only one on the ship with the guts to stand up to him. If I were Ahab, i would not trust Starbuck with my life as for all i know, this is the opportunity he was waiting for to kill and get rid of me and make it seem like an accident. Then again this could be part of Ahab’s brilliance. If Ahab shows how reliable he believes Starbuck is and even though they have bucked horns many times, he trusts him and is loyal to him as a leader. Starbuck, seeing this, may re-think his view on Ahab a bit. Before he seemed like a man who cared about nothing but himself and could not care less about Starbuck. However by putting his life in Starbuck’s hands, he shows that he does have compassion and realizes that there are other people on the ship, like the second in command, that is capable of leading the boat and having control.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
22
October
2008
“Making so long a passage through such unfrequented waters, descrying no ships, and ere long, sideways impelled by unvarying trade winds, over waves monotonously mild; all these seemed the strange calm things preluding some riotous and desperate scene. ” pg. 392 Chapter 126
FORESHADOWING FORESHADOWING FORESHADOWING FORESHADOWING FORESHADOWING FORESHADOWING!!!!!!!
Why is Ahab SO stupid! It began with the profit Elijah that warned Ishmael and Queequeeg, then EVERY boat that the pequod has met has some sort of connection to Moby Dick that is NEGATIVE! They were either smart and new not to go near it, or they lost an arm, or had some other experience it. Melville is giving Ahab and crew all the signs to not go after the whale and that they will be killed. When the bird came and took Ahab’s hat off his head, Melville was showing an omen that there is a part of Ahab that will never be seen again. Ahab will never go back to his life of living happily, 2 arms 2 legs, a soul free of envy and revenge. In class people say that Ahab has not technically done anything to hurt his crew, but he has. Every time he asks a ship if they had seen the whale and then ignores their warnings, every time he looks over an omen that the Pequod will not win, he puts his crew in danger.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
22
October
2008
In different forms of evil and a victim, a person with an archenemies, at least one of the pair has a part of them connected to the other. Ahab is made of whale, he has the wrinkels in his face, too much for even a blacksmith to remove, a peg leg made of whale, a scar from one of his epic fights, and a soul that is blackened from the obsession of the white whale. Harry Potter has the scar on his head that becomes filled with pain every time Voldemort comes near. The soldier is physically and or mentally disabled by thier enemy that bombed his brigade in another country. The grown man has a fear of dogs because of the teeth scar that is still in his leg from when he was attacked as a boy.
We know that Ahab is not just fooling around with the crew and Melville with the reader. Ahab has a reminder with him all the time that there is a beast somewhere out in the ocean that disabled him, that physically and mentally hurt him. The problem with this is that once Ahab kills the whale, his enemy, he will still have the wrinkles, the missing leg, and only his soul will be at rest. What does Ahab think will happen when the whale is caught and killed? Does he think the scars will go away and his leg will magically be healed. Although we know the Pequod does not make it, it would be interesting to read about what Ahab did with himself after he killed his enemy.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
17
October
2008
. Each man is loyal to it in their own way. The doubloon draws each person to it so that it can never let go, so it can never escape the passion that it holds. Beliefs people acquire and come to believe can dictate their whole life. On an episode of Wife Swap, two families swapped wives for two weeks to see how the other lives. Both families were firm believers in the Bible, however one was extremely conservative and the other, although just or more educated as the other family, was more reform. Just like the doubloon both families idolize the same symbol or scripture, however in very different ways that can only connect to their own family. The loyalty each family had to their way of life was laughable to me, a reform Jew, but was also amazing to see the passion each family had to their beliefs; just as Starbuck, Queequeg, Ahab, and Stubb have toward the doubloon.
There are so many relationships, believes, values, and ideas in America that people tend to be drawn toward specific things in order to find a place in society. This loyalty to different matters depends highly on how they got involved (for themselves or for another’s behalf) and how strongly they are able to relate to it. Some situations call for no more than a glance however others can ruin a friendship, a community, even a crew. Loyalty in Moby Dick is expressed through symbols and relationships similar to those found in every day society.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
14
October
2008
The coin was first pinned to the boat in hope of inspiring the crew of the Pequod to fight against the odds and kill the white whale. However as they years go on, the crew seemed to forget about the coin and although they want the extra money and to please the Captain, it does not seem as important as they lost all the adrenalin from when the coin was first established. As I speak about the coin now it seems almost like a law, it was established and although it was not talked about everyday, it is in the back of the minds of every citizen, or sailor. The coin is law. It is Ahab’s way to control his men and keep them under a tight leash.
Like a law, the coin keeps the community together and interested in a common purpose. As Pip described, it is the “naval” of the boat. It is physically attached to Queequeg as he finds one of his tattoos resembles the doubloon. It is in the hearts of Ahab as he believes he can see every man and their world in it. It is in the religion of Starbuck as he believes it is a Christian symbol. Only Stubb cannot connect to it as others can which gives the reader an idea of what his character is like.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
14
October
2008
When Queequeg goes into the whale in the water to save Dagoo, he is considered a hero. However Queequeg does not show any sign of acknologing he was heroic. Does this mean he is not a hero as he does not want that title? or will he always be heroic as long as some one looks at him through those eyes? Often a person who does a heroic deed does not flatter themselves as their outer actions are conflict with their inner emotions. Queequeg saved Dagoo’s life by jumping into the water, however inside he must have been scared and annoyed at Dagoo for getting him into that mess. It is not Queequeg’s fault for having those feelings, rather it is human, and even heroes are human. On TV on Sunday night is a show called Brothers and Sisters that connects to the theme of being a hero, yet being uncertain about it. The youngest sibling, Justin, was a medic in Iraq about a year ago and although his physical wounds are healed, his emotions are still unstable, especially when he meets a fellow soldier he pulled out of a fire while in Iraq. The man and his family are so grateful of Justin and consider him a hero in their eyes. However all Justin can think about is how he did not save his good friend who was only 20 feet away from him. Justin finds it hard to be considered a hero when all he thinks about is how much he wishes he could swap the man he saved life with his friends.
Even though these are the thoughts of Justin, other “heroes”, and probably Queequeg, they are still heroic in the eyes of others. It is a difficult median that must be found which can drive the so called “hero” into insanity.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
14
October
2008
The Pequod has come across many boats and has stopped to talk to them, and ask questions concerning the white whale. So when the Pequod meets a German ship, there is not too much excitement. However soon the Captain and mates realize the German ship is in need of oil as they have run out. Ahab allows them to take some oil and not much long after, a whale is spotted and both the Pequod and the German ship go after it. The Pequod crew is furious that the Germans, who they just assisted, are not competitors over a whale. The men of the Pequod demand respect from the German ship however it is not given until the men of the Pequod harpoon the whale and thus have a claim over it the Germans will realize. Although the men on the ship are dirty, thick skinned men, they still demand respect and a level of loyalty between whaling ships.
When the whale is finally caught and is no longer racing away, Queequeg is content with his catch and is ready to bring it back to the Pequod without killing it with a spear. Flask however has a different perspective and stabs the old whale, making it spout out blood and die in a painful manner. Queequeg was upset about his inhumane action which is surprising to the rest of the crew. The reader knows that although Queequeg is a “cannibal” and a “savage” to some people, he is really just mis understood and is killing whales, not for the enjoyment, but for his job. Instead it is Flask, the “structured” “civilized” man who is inhumane concerning whales. This is worth noticing because the stereotypes of Flask and Queequeg are so far off, it is important to objectivly and rethink about the stereotypes made of other men on the ship. It shows that Melville did not make characters the way his readers would have thought the would be like. This is also shown with Ahab as he is not a very thoughtful captain as most captains are (instead he leads his crew into harms way and ultimate destruction). And Starbuck is not the loyal first mate one would expect as he challenges Ahab on anything and everything he believes to be wrong.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
14
October
2008
When Subb and Flask went after the whale they harpooned it, and during the dash after whale, it grew closer and closer to the main ship, the Pequod. This is a foreshadow from Melville as we know that Moby Dick ends up attacking the source of this harpoon, the small boats as well as the main one.
The Pequod is also obviously superstitious as the reason Stubb and Flask are after a right whale is due to good luck. Supposedly if you have the head of the a sperm whale and right whale on your ship, it will never capsize. However as w know this is not true and the Pequod ends up going under because of the same thing the right whale almost did, attack the boat.
This topic of being destroyed by a whale is brought up again in ch. 76-the battering ram. Melville writes that you must accept the fact that it is possible that a whale will destroy the boat. It would be foolish not to be worried about stuff like that.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
14
October
2008
It is obvious Captain Ahab is obsessed with his white whale and thus no other catch will please him. When Stubb brings his whale back to the ship Ahab aknowledges that they caught a whale however does not seem pleased. “Some vague dissatisfaction, or impatience, or despair, seemed working in him; as if the sight of that dead body reminded him that Moby Dick was yet to be slain.” pg 235. Ahab will never be satisfied until his whale is caught. This disappointment is a reoccurring theme. Although technically what the crew of the Pequod is doing is giving Ahab more business, he has his eye on the biggest prize and one prize only. Unfortunately for Ahab the prize he has his eye on is unreachable.
Every one has a prize in their mind that they may or may not fight for. It is special to only them and they may do everything in their power to obtain it. The problem is loyalty. If Ahab could catch Moby Dick alone he would have left as soon as possible and would dedicate every second of every day to finding him and would not waste his time on other sperm whales. However Ahab cannot work alone and thus must rely on others who are not as loyal or serious about finding Moby Dick. Because there are others, Ahab must try to convince them into finding the whale even though they have no special reason to catch it.
However it seems Ahab is not the only one on the Pequod racing after the impossible. While stubb is eating dinner he hears sharks smacking up against the boat and the whale. Stubb orders the cook to go and tell the sharks to keep it down. Although this scene is funny as stubb seems quite serious, it is sad that this is what Stubb is trying to accomplish. It seems like everyone on the pequod is trying to catch the impossible.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
6
October
2008
Once again mutiny is a topic of discussion for one of the longer chapters of Moby Dick. Although it was not about the Pequod’s crew and ship, Ishmael and Melville chose to make it an important chapter in the book and this probably has some relevance to the Pequod. Ishmael describes the Town-Ho ship that encountered mutiny and how several people died and how the captain was forced to take extreme measures. I believe this is a foreshadow into the next several chapters or so. Although many of the things Melville writes about are useless and unimportant, they always tie back to the Pequod. For instance, the whiteness of the whale is connected to Moby Dick, the Pequods one bait. It will be interesting to see if a scene like the Town-Hos pans out on the Pequod against Captain Ahab.
The Pequod goes Whaling in this section and although Dagoo says he sees a white whale, it is in fact a squid. This mistake was perceived in two different ways. Most of the crew saw it as a bad omen however Queequeg and Ishmael see it as good. If the squid is there then sperm whales must be near by. From this omen, we can see how different Queequeg and his culture is from the rest of the ship due to his different heritage and religion.
Posted: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
