I might not be
posting regularly for #MobyDickReadalong, but I'll try to squeeze some chapters
every now and then into my tight schedule. Here’s my thoughts for the first
seven chapters.
Chapter 1:
Loomings
I was
surprised at the abundant curious and interesting bits in this chapter alone -
and it's only the beginning!
Ishmael
First, of
course, one of the most famous opening lines in literature: "Call me
Ishmael!" I have dutifully (following Brona's suggestion) listened to
Whale Whale Whale podcast, which suggests that Ishmael is not just a person's
name, but has a deeper meaning. Ishmael is taken from Abraham's son, who was a
wanderer, an outcast. The narrator's condition: broke and depressed.
Note:
I've decided not to continue with Whale Whale Whale podcast, as it is full with bantering, like listening to a talkshow, and I have not the patience nor the time to listen to it!
Water is
liberating
Water, to most
people, is mysterious – “the ungraspable phantom of life” – enchanting, and liberating
("...landsmen [who] on week days pent up in lath and plaster - tied to
counters, nailed to benches, clinched to desks"). For Ishmael in
particular, being a sailor is also liberating, despite of the obligation to
serve and obey his bosses.
Sin and
the burden of duty
I was struck
by this passage: "The act of paying is perhaps the most uncomfortable
infliction that the two orchard thieves (Adam and Eve) entailed upon us."
I began to think about sin - or the burden caused by original sin.
Interesting,
eh? Sin and water in one chapter; is it me, or does it remind you to baptism?
Hmm... maybe I've gone too far, but, who knows?... But wait, there's more in
the next chapter...
Chapter 2:
The Carpet-Bag
Ishmael
stumbled upon "an ash-box in the porch" when entering a building he
thought was an inn. And his reaction was: "Are these ashes from the
destroyed city, Gomorrah?" Again, the allusion of sin. When he entered the
building, and found that it’s a negro church, his reaction was: "It seemed
the great Black Parliament sitting in Tophet (=hell)... and beyond, a black
Angel of Doom was beating a book in a pulpit." What do you make of it?
It's still a mystery to me, but I still can't shake off the allusion of 'sin' in
this passage also.
Then there
is the theme of rich and poor – poor Lazarus and the rich man. That the rich is
often belittling the poor's sorrow (Euroclydon/tempestuous wind for the poor is
a gentle breeze for the rich) because the rich "look out from glass window
where the frost is all on the outside".
Chapter 3:
The Spouter Inn
Here a new
theme is presented: prejudice. The first case is when Ishmael pondering over a
curious painting. At first he accused the painter of "in the time of the
New England hags, [the painter] had endeavored to delineate chaos bewitched."
But finally he realized that it was a whale painting. Case number two is the
hilarious scene when Ishmael and Queequeg first met. Each looked upon the other
with suspicion. When meeting someone unfamiliar for the first time, we tend to
imagine the worst.
Favorite
quotes:
“Ignorance
is the parent of fear.”
“Better
sleep with a sober criminal than a drunken Christian.”
Chapter 4:
Counterpane
Picking up
prejudice theme from chapter 3, Melville highlighted how outside appearance is
nothing compared to what it content inside. [Another] hilarious scene of
Ishmael waking up with Queequeg's "blithed" arm hugged him in an
affectionate manner. And despite of being savage and uncivilized, Ishmael was
surprised to find Queequeg very polite and had "neat delicacies".
Another
mystery to me presented itself in this chapter. His awkward situation with
Queequeg reminded Ishmael of his childhood experience with his stepmother and
the "supernatural hand placed in him" in his sleep. Whose hand it
was, do you think? Was it really supernatural? Or perhaps it's his step
mother's whom he thought wicked, but actually cared about him? Again... is it prejudice?
Chapter 5:
Breakfast
There’s the memorable
scene where Queequeg stab his steak with harpoon at breakfast!
Interesting
quote:
“And the man
that has anything bountiful laughable about him, be sure there is more in that
man than you perhaps think for.”
Chapter 6:
The Street
Ishmael
mocked New Bedford's "bumpkin dandies" who go whaling. They do it out
of greed, to enrich themselves – which was reflected from their beautiful
houses.
Chapter 7:
The Chapel
A gloomy
reflection entered Ishmael's mind while he was sitting in the chapel, looking
at marble tablets dedicated for the dead sailors. He pondered about the true
meaning of life and death, and why man is so afraid of death. Life is but a
momentary existence, while death is the truest. With that in mind, Ishmael is
spiritually prepared for the dangerous whaling journey.
Favorite
quote:
"What
they call my shadow here on earth is my true substance. In looking at things
spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water,
and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air."
That is all
for the moment. I have actually read chapter eight (and today began ch. 9), but
I think it requires a dedicated post (maybe coupled with chapter nine), as
there are a lot of thoughts I might want to jot down.
I love how you're focused on the themes revealing themselves already. My knowledge of religious thought is academic only, so even though I noted the biblical references, knew the stories etc, I didn't then jump to the religious meaning inferred by them - original sin and baptism, but given Melville's religious upbringing and beliefs, it's most likely a reasonable inference to make. Sin and redemption certainly then get a good showing in chapters 8 & 9. I look forward to reading your thoughts about this later :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is really great, Fanda. Well done! Ishmael is a pillar in this novel; I am glad we get to see the story through his eyes. He is well grounded, and it gives the reader confidence that he is going to do alright on this journey. I like his philosophy that death is the truest part of a life, and he faces it head on.
ReplyDeleteIshmael is a wonderful narrator. Reliable, open-minded and curious.
DeleteI'm planning a post for next week on themes. It will be tentative and basic, but it seems to help me to think about the book by writing about it.
ReplyDeleteI like all the religious symbolism and wonder what it means, too. Would that be the general frame of reference at that time period for most folks?
ReplyDeleteNice job with all your notes. I also liked this from Ch. 7, "Methinks my body is but the less of my better being. In fact take my body who will, take it I say, it is not me."
While Fanda has focused on themes, Deb the words (& you the whale!); I have become slightly obsessed with Herman himself.
DeleteIt was considered normal, if not necessary, for anyone of good social standing to attend church at that time. Although Melville with his strict Calvinistic upbringing would have had a particular fire & brimstone version of the bible. But like many others during this time, he came to question the practice of religion and the many hypocrisies done in its name. It was also a time when many began to move away from accepting the words of the bible as historical fact, but saw them instead as allegories & stories, or guides on how one should live their life. It’s a time in history I find fascinating (with the explosion in scientific knowledge, exploration & creativity) which I guess explains why Melville’s life has captured my imagination so much.
I love that we’re all getting something different from our reading of MD 🐳
Great post! The opening chapters really are hilarious in a bunch of places. Not what one thinks of Melville--and we may see less of it going forward, I fear...--but a pleasantly surprising start, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteBut I also don't think you've gone too far in connecting sin and water to baptism either!
I for one was not expecting to laugh so much in Moby-Dick. I suspect that might change once we actually leave Nantucket!
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