#MobyDick2ndRead: Ch. 26-31: Arthurian, Shakespearean, Gatsby

Chapter 26: Knights and Squires

Starbuck, the first mate
= Courageous, experienced, intuitive, wise.

= Very brave if needed, and only taking risk after careful calculation.

= Found an interesting analysis on this blog that Starbuck actually represents two figures: Sir Lancelot from the Arthurian legend and Jesus Christ. I think the Christ line is a bit exaggerated, so I'd follow the Arthurian legend, which makes more sense, considering this chapter title.

= I was pondering a lot through the last two paragraphs, and this article enlightened me on some subjects. First: the "valor-ruined man", which means a man with too much courage, who's gone into something foolish.

= This article also mentions the theme of Transcendentalism which is presented in the last paragraph, in Ishmael's soliloquy to "the Spirit of Equality" (=God). So, God here is considered as the center of everything which revolves around Him, and everything is equal to Him. Does this make sense to you? Does transcendentalism place God as our equal? The article also relates this with the Round Table of the Arthurian legend, where everyone round the table is equal. I vaguely understand that in transcendentalism men are equal and independent, and that nature is sacred. But I've thought, by "transcendent", it means that they acknowledge God as their superior, but they just ignore religion practices - or am I just confuse it with Agnostic? Oh.. you got to help me here! :))

Favorite quotes:

"I will have no man in my boat who is not afraid of a whale."

"The most reliable and useful courage was that which arises from the fair estimation of the encountered peril, but that an utterly fearless man is a far more dangerous comrade than a coward."

"This august dignity I treat of, is not the dignity of kings and robes, but that abounding dignity which has no robed investiture."

These three quotes well explained Starbuck character, which I noticed in someone I know - they sometimes seem indecisive in critical moments, but in fact, they are analyzing, weighing facts, past experiences, risks, and results. They might not shining as great men because they don't always rush to fight - at times they'd even withdraw from it - it'a just that they don't want to waste time and energy for only small or moderate results. No, it's not cowardice, I personally call that WISE!

Question:
What have Bunyan, Cervantes, and Andrew Jackson got to do with this chapter? Do they represent the "kingly commons" or the trancendentalists?

Chapter 27: Knights and Squires

Stubb, the second mate:
= Careless, take everything easy - even life, which to him is valueless. And he smokes! I can never trust heavy smokers... I believe his indifference (and his pipe.. ) is just his way to counter real fear.

Flask, the third mate:
= Pugnacious and ignorant. He's just what Starbuck refers to with "more dangerous comrade than a coward".

I have made this structure on my first read, so that I don't have to return to this chapter each time I forget who's who.

Melville ended this chapter by pointing out (again) that whaling is a dangerous "life-and-death" occupation, and he alluded to the dark foreshadowing faith of Black Little Pip.

Chapter 28: Ahab

Ahab is the King Arthur of the Pequod.
=Previously enigmatic, now, as Ishmael sees him for the first time, he is "solid, firm, fixed, erect, fearless". 

=He has a whitish mark on his face, which added to the formidable appearance of Ahab. 

=Ishmael's description of his ivory leg, made of sperm whale's jaw bone, and his erect way of standing on deck at night, nailed his charismatic characteristic forever in literature:

"Upon each side of the Pequod's quarter-deck, and pretty close to the mizen shrouds, there was an auger hole, bored about half an inch or so, into the plank. His bone leg steadied on that hole; one arm elevated, and holding by a shroud."

You know, Ahab's erect posture with fixed sight to the darkness in this image reminded me of Jay Gatsby's stretching hand towards the green light. I just realized that Moby Dick is Gatsby's Daisy to Ahab!

Chapter 29: Enter Ahab; to him, Stubb

Here's one of many Shakesperean theme Melville used for Moby Dick. You can't but imagine chapter 29 and 30 in a staged drama.

=Ahab might appear to be strong and sturdy in posture, but fragile and very unstable mentally.

=His considerate decision in not walking through the plank at night to not waking the crews is but a slight glimpse of his original personality, which, but of a passionate revenge, would make him a great captain.

= Stubb is the first to (though still vaguely) realize the deplorable state of Ahab's mental condition - the early stage of manic madness.

"I don't well know whether to go back and strike him, or - what's that? - down here on my knees and pray for him?"

Chapter 30: The Pipe

Ahab's soliloquy is only highlighted his trouble mind, as Stubb has witnessed in the previous chapter.

"The fire hissed in the waves; the same instant the ship shot by the bubble the sinking pipe made" - was like a foreboding sign of what Ahab's mental instability would do towards Pequod.

Chapter 31: Queen Mab

=Another Shakesperean theme - Queen Mab is the queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. "She is referred to as the fairies' midwife, who delivers sleeping men of their innermost wishes in the form of dreams." (Britannica). "Queen Mab and her carriage do not merely symbolize the dreams of sleepers, they also symbolize the power of waking fantasies, daydreams, and desires." (Sparknotes)

=Though the one who is dreaming here is Stubb, the allusion of Queen Mab fits with Ahab's desires (and Jay Gatsby, don't you think?)

=About Ahab's kick, I think Stubb is wrong. A kick is a kick, be it from a living leg or an ivory one. It's the intention that counts. It's just Stubb's denial reasoning. I think he's terrified of Ahab, but, just as in Ishmael's denial despite of Elijah's "prophecy", Stubb, unconsciously, tried to shut off his conscience that keeps pointing to the dark evil surrounding his boss.

And so, here I must end. Ere long, we'll get to the one aspect I didn't enjoy from my first read: the lectures! But, I'll brace myself... :)

Resuming My Journey Aboard Pequod, #MobyDick2ndRead Ch. 23-25

Last year I joined Brona in a Moby Dick readalong, in which I excitedly participated for several weeks, before deciding to sign off; with a vague plan to resume some day when I have more flexible schedule. And, guess what, I think NOW is the time! The pandemic has made me restless and uncertain; and I need some soothing, slow-paced books to read. Willa Cather's Song of the Lark is my main choice, and Moby Dick will be the energetic Thea Kronborg's sidekick. How's that, huh?

So, here I am, onboard Pequod once again. This time without pressure, without timeline, it'll surely be fun! I'm picking up right after I've left it last year at chapter 22. Let's go, matey!

Chapter 23: The Lee Shore

=Second and last appearance of Bulkington, supposedly the pilot of Pequod. (Why don't we hear more about him? Was it to emphasize the lack of recognition of whale men?)

=Is it a credit for untold stories of many great shipment or whalemen?

=Or praise for wide-minded people who prefer challenges of exploring the unknown rather than staying in comfort zone?

=Or maybe it's an opening of Melville's advocate of the whaling occupation? I think all of those, and I'm glad of having returned on this stage!

Chapter 24: The Advocate

=Now the real advocacy! Following previous chapter, Melville lamented the misconception of whaling and whale men. Comparing it with war, he emphasized the irony of honoring our men of war - great generals and all, who in reality is the same 'butchers' - much higher than whale men.

= Breaking down the advantages of whaling:
* Pioneer of discovering (and making way to) the remote parts of the earth (way before the much praised James Cook).

* Help bringing the liberation of Spanish colonies.

* Help clearing the way of merchants and missionaries.

* Help opening Japan after its "Sakoku" isolationist foreign policy, which have restricted relation and trade with other countries for 220 years under the reign of the Shoguns. Though my little research revealed that it was actually done by a diplomatic military ship called The Black Ship, commanded by a Matthew Perry (did FRIENDS's Chandler popped in your head at this name? LOL). I don't know. Maybe the whale men had done something important before Perry landed there, but gone unrecorded in history; who knows?

=Proofs of the honorable Whale:
*Job has written it in the Bible.

*Edmund Burke (member of British House of Commons) has speeched praises over it.

*Marcus Aemilius Scaurus, Roman Senator, has brought its bones in his victory prossession to Rome.

*Constellation Cetus was drawn from its figure.

Have ye been convinced now? No? Wait... Melville still has more up his sleeve...

Chapter 25: Postscript

Just wondering, did Melville forget to mention this on previous chapter, or is it just to emphasize its significance? :)

=Whale provides its sperm oil for the English to anoint their kings and queens on coronation. Melville put much effort to mock this process, though he must have perfectly known that the tradition was derived from the Bible - anointing oil is a symbol of sanctifying or blessing a person. He did know this, right? Again, he took this opportunity to ridicule the Church - and I suspect won't be his last.

I took the same approach of this second read of Moby Dick as last year's readalong, which is annotating-reading-listening-taking notes. I must thank Brona again for the invaluable sources she has introduced me to.

See ye in my next posts! This is beginning to be fun.. :)

Moby Dick Ch. 20-22: Aboard at Last!

Ch. 20: All Astir

= Aunt Charity, Bildad's sister, is the very opposite of her beloved brother. She is the embodiment of pure Christianity! - attended to all crews' needs with loving care. You gotta love her!

= I have just realised on this chapter, why Captain Bildad's name was quite familiar. Why, it's one of Job's friends from the Bible (Book of Job)! Bildad is the one who accuses Job of having done something bad to deserve God's wrath. An appropriate name for Bildad the Captain, whose main job description seems to be christening the savages, or his own crews.

Ch. 21: Going Aboard

= The mysterious Elijah: prophetic or lunatic?

= What was it that he'd wanted to warn Ishmael & Queequeg? Captain Ahab, or the dangerous voyage ahead?

= Were the shadows of some sailors, which Ishmael saw but not Queequeg, real or hallucinatory?

= Elijah, as is the Bible's Prophet Elijah, prophesied doom. Is his function in the story merely to portray the dangerous voyage of whaling (in the 19th century's superstitious style), or something else?

= Colonial mentality. I might have gone too far here, from the book's theme, but the comical scene where Queequeg innocently sat on a sleeping sailor on board Pequod has nevertheless prompted me to think about inferior mentality caused by colonialism. [From Wikipedia] "A colonial mentality is the internalized attitude of ethnic or cultural inferiority felt by people as a result of colonization, i.e. them being colonized by another group. It corresponds with the belief that the cultural values of the colonizer are inherently superior to one's own." Remember how Queequeg told Ishmael that "in his land, owing to the absence of settees and sofas of all sorts, the king, chiefs, and great people generally, were in custom of fattening some of the lower orders for ottomans." They'd buy "eight or ten lazy fellows" for that purpose. How, do you think, can these lower orders give themselves to be degraded like this? I think it's because they believe they were inferior to their kings or chiefs. Yes, it's not colonialism in this case, but the idea popped up in my head, because Indonesia have inherited the same mentality from our centuries of colonialism, and it affects us, sadly, even today.

= Another train of thoughts of mine on this subject: Queequeg, whose mind is noble in almost every other subjects, felt nothing is wrong with the degraded practice of his natives. It proves that one cannot fairly judge other's behavior as ethically or morally right or wrong, without first perceiving his or her background. In John Grisham's The Chamber, for example, the main character is a prominent KKK member who bombed a building and killed some innocent Jewish kids. He insisted he was not guilty at first, because it was what his family always taught him from childhood. Later on, after contemplating his action while in jail, he realized that what he's done was wrong. I won't open argument of whether it's possible or not here; my point is that, quoting the valuable advice of Nick Carraway's father (The Great Gatsby): "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." In that light, Queequeg’s queer humor is quite acceptable.

Ch. 22: Merry Christmas

We were introduced to Pequod's chief mate, one of my favorite characters: Starbuck. You know, it never struck me, on my first reading, that his name was similar to that of the worldwide coffee chain: Starbucks! Later on I searched its history, and found that it's actually half-named after Starbuck the chief mate. Pequod has also been suggested, but they finally picked Starbuck, but ending it with an 's'. Interesting, right? The more you dig, the more Moby-Dickish bits you'd find!

I will end this weekend's update with another interesting finding: a superb 34 minutes video of whaling around the world:

The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage 'Round the World by New Bedford Whaling Museum

It also mentions the one whaling voyage which a decade later has inspired Melville to write Moby Dick. In 1820, a whaling boat from Nantucket called Essex was rammed by a huge whale, and sank in Pacific oceans. From 20 crews, 8 survived, after resorted to cannibalism. The story was later told, in 1821, by its first mate, Owen Chases.

I have wanted to write three more chapters for this post, but I have wasted the last valuable 34 minutes I could spare yesterday by watching above video... so... it's all I could squeeze at the moment. Next weekend I'll be travelling, so no update is possible till the week after. See ye again, shipmates!

Moby Dick Ch. 12-19: On Religions and Some Cultural Backgrounds

Ch. 12: Biographical

How relatable is this passage about Queequeg's origin to our present world. Son of a High Priest on his native island, he was rejected, bullied, and distrusted when entering the "so-called-Christians" land. Christians, who regard themselves as superior towards other races, but often behave lower and more savage than they whom they called "savages". Only Queequeg, so far (yes, not even Ishmael - see ch. 17!), who regards fellow human being as brothers/sisters - all race and nation is just the same - that's what I call humanity at its best. "It's a wicked world in all meridians; I'll die a pagan."

Ch. 13: Wheelbarrow

= A hint of cultural diversity, the hilarious story from Queequeg. And it's good that Queequeg throws the shade over Ishmael's laughing at him about the wheelbarrow incident. And actually it's not the first time - Ishmael will do similar thing at ch. 17. Those arrogant "boobies and bumpkins" also had their fair shares by bullying Queegueg!

= Another hint of sin and slavery (related to ch. 1 - the passage about "the two orchard thieves [Adam and Eve]) in "the intorelableness of all earthly effort" and "how I spurned that turnpike earth- that common highway all over dented with the marks of slavish heals and hoofs."

= Again, another hint of water as deliverance against dust/land (as in ch. 1), and as key to freedom.

= I admired Queequeg's humbleness; he was unconscious of his heroic action, which was exemplary to all (particularly to Christians) - "It's a mutual, joinstock world, in all meridians. We cannibals must help these Christian's." Bravo, Queequeg!

Ch. 14: Nantucket

I have found an interesting fact while researching about Nantucket. Remember Peter Coffin, the owner of Spouter Inn, whose name has thrown dark gloom over Ishmael? Did you know that the real Peter Coffin was one of the owners of Nantucket back in 17^th-18^th century? A Hussey – as in the Husseys, owner of Try Pots inn [ch. 15] was also the name of one of the owners.

[From Wikipedia] :

“In October 1641, William, Earl of Stirling, deeded the island to Thomas Mayhew of Watertown, Massachusetts Bay. In 1659 Mayhew sold an interest in the island to nine other purchasers, reserving 1/10th of an interest for himself, "for the sum of thirty pounds ... and also two beaver hats, one for myself, and one for my wife." [In] 1659, when Thomas Mayhew sold his interest to a group of investors, led by Tristram Coffin. The "nine original purchasers" were Tristram Coffin, Peter Coffin, Thomas Macy, Christopher Hussey, Richard Swain, Thomas Barnard, Stephen Greenleaf, John Swain and William Pike. These men are considered the founding fathers of Nantucket, and many islanders are related to these families.”

Interesting, eh? I imagined how Melville might have been amused while finding this name (Coffin), which really fitted the dark gloom he wanted to cast around chapter 3!

By the way, I loved the poetic description of Nantucketer: "....with the landless gull, that at sunset folds her wings and is rocked to sleep between billows; so at nightfall, the Nantucketer, out of sight of land, furls his sails, and lays him to his rest, while under his very pillow rush herds of walruses and whales."

Ch. 15: Chowder

Another interesting fact: the chowder (but tell me first, can you read this chapter without salivating all over? LOL). Anyway, I always assume that chowder is a creamy soup. Is it the same in your place? But, again, researching about 19th century chowder, I realized that then, chowder was a layered casserole. I found this information in a post by a food blogger called The American Table.

“Traditionally, chowders are more like soupy casseroles, and that ‘chowdering’ referred to the process of layering ingredients. One of the first recipes for a chowder, for example, was published as a poem in the Boston Evening Post on September 23, 1751”:

First lay some Onions to keep the Pork from burning

Because in Chouder there can be not turning;

Then lay some Pork in slices very thing,

Thus you in Chouder always must begin.

Next lay some Fish cut crossways very nice

Then season well with Pepper, Salt, and Spice;

Parsley, Sweet-Marjoram, Savory, and Thyme,

Then Biscuit next which must be soak’d some Time.

Thus your Foundation laid, you will be able

To raise a Chouder, high as Tower of Babel;

For by repeating o’er the Same again,

You may make a Chouder for a thousand men.

Last a Bottle of Claret, with Water eno; to smother ’em,

You’ll have a Mess which some call Omnium gather ’em.

The original chowder, I guess, would have looked similar to this:

  

[credit: Book Phantom]

Ch. 16: The Ship

First meeting with the owners of Pequod: Captain Peleg and Captain Bildad. I noticed first of two inconsistencies regarding religion and its practices.

= On Bildad: despite of "Ye have been studying those Scriptures, now, for the last thirty years...", Bildad treated his crews cruelly. And I loved how Melville picked the verse of Matthew 6:19-21 ["lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth...] to be particularly cited by Bildad when he decided to "swindle this young man" by giving him "long lay". Tipping my hat to you, Mr. Melville, that's just brilliant!

Ch. 17: The Ramadan

Inconsistency #2 was shown by Ishmael, when he criticized Queequeg's extreme practice of Ramadan. While keep saying that he (Ishmael) "cherish the greatest respect towards everybody's religious obligations, never mind how comical...", he was obliged, nevertheless, to scold Queequeg "rather digressively" by bullying or making fool of his beliefs, or faith, or whatever you call it: "Hell is an idea first born on an undigested apple-dumpling; and since then perpetuated through the hereditary dyspepsia nurtured by Ramadans." I personally was quite surprised by this speech - I thought Melville (through Ishmael - or is he not entirely Melville's voice?) made a point of condemning Christian's superiority towards other religions/beliefs. Not believing in other religions (or religions in general) is one thing (and tolerable), but making fool of them publicly is disrespectful. By doing that, Ishmael acted just like the Christians he criticized. We might regard other religious practices are ridiculous, but we must pay respect to them all the same - each to his own belief!

Ch. 18: His Mark

Captain Bildad and Captain Peleg, each has his opposite view of religion.

- Bildad: studied diligently the Scriptures, but practiced none.

- Peleg: ignored the Scriptures, but practiced it.

Browsing Brona's post, I have found out that Melville was assumed to be Agnostic. I shrugged off this idea at that time (last week), since so far, Melville has diligently quoted Bible verses, telling stories from Bible, and named his characters from Old Testament - not mentioning the powerful my-so-far-favorite chapter: The Sermon. But then, I began to notice few inconsistencies in the previous chapter; and now, this Peleg's argument with Bildad. So, maybe the Agnostic idea was not entirely ungrounded, after all. I begin to feel that Melville, perhaps disappointed with his fellows Christians, began to dream of (or "converted" to) a religion beyond existing religions, which was based on humanity and nature (which explains Ishmael's feeling of freedom, related to sea). Well, let's see!

Chapter 19: The Prophet

For an Agnostic (if Melville was really one), he really borrowed Biblical aspect so abundantly for his book! :) Now he brings us the Book of Kings - Elijah the prophet and King Ahab. I'm excited to see where he'd bring us to with this line.

And so, it’s all for now. ‘Till next week!

Moby Dick Ch. 8-11: Still about Sin, Repentance, Prejudice, and more on Christianity

A quick update on #MobyDickReadalong – my thoughts of ch. 8 to 11. I am now actually on ch. 15, but just don’t have enough time and energy to work on my journal more than ch. 11. *sigh*

Chapter 8: The Pulpit

My own interpretation on the symbolic meanings of Father Mapple's ship-like pulpit:

The act of withdrawing the ladder (man-ropes) after Father Mapple reached the pulpit:

It symbolizes spiritual withdrawal, or withdrawal from our own will, letting God's will prevail upon us --> in accordance with Father Mapple's sermon in ch. 9.

The pulpit as a "lofty Ehrenbreitstein with a perennial well of water within the walls":

My random research from Wikipedia revealed that Ehrenbreitstein is a fortress built by the Germans on the east bank of Rhine to protect them from France's invasion. However, there's no information about a well ever found within. So I assumed the perennial water symbolizes God's word, which is also "meat and wine of the word". During the War of Coalition in 1798 the France besieged Ehrenbreitstein fortress and brought starvation to its inhabitants, which led it to be handed over to France in 1799. So, when one takes protection within God's word, one would never be hungry or thirsty, because of the "perennial well of waters".

The painting above the pulpit:

It symbolizes relationship between man and God. He never abandons us in the midst of our struggles and dark hours ("a gallant ship beating against a terrible storm..."). All we have to do is to look up, as "there floated a little isle of sunlight, from which beamed forth an angel's face."

Chapter 9: The Sermon

= The powerful sermon by Father Mapple - Simon Callow read it so convincingly at Big Read Podcast, you'd feel like you're listening to the live version!

= Loved the hymn, which is about God's deliverance.

= Jonah's story has never been told so lively and full of emotion like that in this sermon. His sin of disobedience is in accordance with Adam & Eve's original sin (ch. 1).

Favorite quotes:

"And if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves. It is in the disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying God consists."

==maybe we, too, need a "withdrawal" (ch. 8) to make it lighter for obeying God.

"In this world, shipmates, sin that pays its way can travel freely, and without a passport; whereas virtue, if a pauper, is stopped at all frontiers."

== again, prejudices! – judging others by outward appearances only.

On Jonah's repentance:

"And here, shipmate, is true and faithful repentance; not clamorous for pardon, but grateful for punishment."

==humility is the key to complete repentance. With humility, God will "with speed He flew to (the sinner's) relief".

Chapter 10: A Bosom Friend

Ishmael was drawn to Queequeg because of his simplicity and honesty. There's no trace of falseness or hypocrisy ==> "Christian kindness has proved but hollow courtesy." It reminded me of the sailors who gathered around breakfast table at The Spouter Inn (ch. 2); there's a hint of hollow courtesy or falseness there. Queequeg is the only human being we have met so far, who was sincere, honest, and trustful, despite of his being a savage. Others (Christians) were mostly greedy (Jonah's Captain), prejudiced (Jonah's crew), and insincere (sailors in the Spouter Inn).

What is worship?

I only half agree with Melville (Ishmael) on this passage about worshipping.

= Is God jealous of "an insignificant bit of black wood"?

   *Yes, if one treats (worship) the wood in place of God.

   * No, if it is a mere symbol.

= Worshipping is not only doing the will of God, but also "love the Lord thy God with all they heart, mind, and soul".

I agree with Ishmael's action of uniting with Queequeg's worship, if it's only meant to be polite, not by heart.

Chapter 11: Nightgown

Grateful vs Comfort

= to enjoy the blissful of warmth, one should be surrounded in cold ==> you can't be perfectly grateful of something, if the thing is abundant - you'd take it for granted (in accordance with ch. 2 - poor Lazarus & the rich man).

Prejudice vs Love

="No man can ever feel his own identity alright except his eyes be closed." ==> again, "do not judge by outward appearances".
When we shut out our senses, we "see" more honestly and truer by heart ==> "See how elastic our stiff prejudices grow when love once comes to bend them." ==> by "closing his eyes", Ishmael consulted his heart, and love conquered his previous prejudices (seeing with eyes).

Moby-Dick Ch. 1-7: Early Clues of Sin/Redemption & Prejudices Theme

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.

Moby Dick: Final Review

“Call me Ishmael” might be one of the most famous book openings in literary world, yet Ishmael himself turns out NOT to be the leading character at all in this book. Like Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, Ishmael is the narrator of Moby Dick; but unlike Carraway, who is much involved in the events and expresses his thoughts of each character, Ishmael seems to be very passive right after the sail began. Of course he still narrates the story until the end of it, but throughout the voyage, I can’t help feeling that, somehow, Melville has stolen Ishmael’s pen to write the story, and only lent it him again every once in a while. Nevertheless, Moby Dick is such marvelous story, that I won’t complain too much of who is narrating it.

On the other hand, Moby Dick—although has the privilege of becoming the book title—physically appears only in the three final chapters of the book. So, if it is not Ishmael, nor Moby Dick, who is the central character of this book? It is the enigmatic Captain Ahab.

The story is started with Ishmael, who intends to join a whaling ship, which at that time offers a great sea adventure as well as good money. On the way to Nantucket (a village of most successful whalers) he accidentally meets a pagan cannibal named Queequeg. Instead of terrified, Ishmael finds that Queequeg has tender heart and politeness, even more than civilized Christian people’s. I believe Melville has intended to criticize our civilization by this passage. Ishmael and Queequeg become good friends and they both register in a whaling voyage on board of a ship called the Pequod, whose captain is a mysterious man named Captain Ahab.

Even before Ahab really appears—he mysteriously hides ‘behind the screen’ before the ship reaches certain distance from the land—there are numerous issues and stories around this enigmatic captain. Everyone seems to be between respectful and terrified towards the captain. It’s not after Ishmael is on board the Pequod, that he finally sees Captain Ahab. No sooner than that, Ahab makes clear to all crew and mates, what his main intention for the sail is, which is far from executing the ship’s owners business, but for his personal unfinished business: taking revenge to a certain white whale which has snatched his one leg in a hunting. The poor white whale is the famous Moby Dick!

The declaration immediately draws dark clouds over the Pequod, as if the Devil himself suddenly stays among the crew. From then on everyone feels gloomy and restless. The chief mate of the Pequod is Starbuck; a wise, experienced and educated man. He is the only person who bravely confronts Ahab of his secret revenge till the end. Starbuck is my only hope to hinder Moby Dick from Ahab’s wicked plan. However, as Ahab is the Captain—the higher power on board, Starbuck can’t do anything more than persuading and pledging; and both are rejected by Ahab.

Melville put huge effort too to explain the nature of Sperm Whale; the noblest whale in the world. He wrote detailed explanation of sperm whale’s anatomy; the real portrait of sperm whale ‘business management’; and why sperm whales are hunted much more than other whale species. Melville criticized the savage way whalers treated such noble creature as sperm whale, and how they were more massacred than hunted, merely for profiting them. As Melville has slipped a critic about barbarian vs civilized people, I believe Melville wanted to highlight the irony of civilized people who treat other creatures like barbarians, and even eat their prey like cannibals. This is another proof of the irony, that the more industrious a civilization is, the more uncivilized it is.

But the central polemic is still on the hunt of Moby Dick. Throughout the story Melville has planted the noble, pure, divine, as well as powerful and clever impression upon Moby Dick, that you would be very excited to ‘see’ what he is like. So, when he finally (really) appears from the depth of the sea, it’s really impressive; Melville paints the appearance very intensely and beautifully in his prose.

So, in the end, what is Moby Dick about? It’s about the dark sides of men; the passion of revenge; and the quest of justice from God. All these are woven into an epic story about the noble creature—the Sperm Whale—because in Moby Dick, the white sperm whale, Melville saw our Creator.

Moby Dick also talks about conscience. Starbuck is my favorite character here because he keeps his conscience pure till the end. We should imitate him in our daily life, always trying to speak the truth whenever there is evil. Sometimes we are powerless to change things—like Starbuck failed in changing his captain—but the most important thing is our efforts. Last but not least, there is a question about whale hunting—or in this case, hunting any creatures to use them for human’s life—is it right or wrong? I would say, it’s already in our conscience (I talked about this further in my chapter post). Conscience doesn’t have any clear limits or principles, it’s in our soul, and that’s why people can keep on debating upon these matters. And that’s why, I guess, Melville took the effort to write these hundreds of pages of Moby Dick!

Five whole whales for Moby Dick!—one book I’d need to reread every other years…

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*I read Penguin English Library edition*

*This book is counted as:*

10^th book for Back To The Classics 2013

8^th book for Read Big! Reading Challenge

13^th book for New Authors Reading Challenge 2013

60^th book for The Classics Club Project

The Well-Educated Mind Self Project

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Moby Dick: Rhetoric-Stage Inquiry

Do you sympathize with the characters? Which ones, and why?

Actually I sympathize mostly with Captain Ahab. From Ishmael narration, we can see that Ahab is an experienced and talented captain. I think, if I was a passenger, I would feel safe when I know a captain with Ahab’s qualities is leading the ship. It’s so pity that he cannot let go of his anger; he cannot make peace with the bitter past. When the whaling voyage is approaching the end, Ahab feels the divine atmosphere which encourages him to share his noble thoughts to Starbuck. He knows that he can’t receive salvation if he keeps fighting the more powerful power than his. Nevertheless, he keeps on his plan, and it leads him to doom.

What does the setting of the book tell you about the way human beings are shaped?

I can only think of one thing: how men can often be so stubborn (and foolish). When he knows very well that there is only one way to achieve salvation, he choose the other—darker—way that will certainly lead him to death. That’s human beings’ weakness: arrogance; they think they can fight (and win from) God, their Creator.

What exactly is the writer telling you?

Men often blame God for their misfortune, and they foolishly want to contest God for it. It is as foolishly as taking revenge to a whale which has snatched your leg. And why did it do so? Because you have hunted it first. If you let the whale in peace, it would not have hurt you. And why must you hunt the whale? Isn’t it because of your own greediness? So when we have misfortunes, we should reflect our own past. Perhaps we have done wrong or wicked things to God and/or to others? Perhaps we did not obey Him? Perhaps the misfortune is intended to lead us to repentance? By fighting God, not only it would have been vain, but you put yourself farther from Him and your own salvation.

In what sense is the book true?

In man’s stubbornness and foolishness to pick the wrong way only to justify his misfortunes. How often it is, when we get through bitterness or hardness of life, that we accuse God for not loving us; for not being just. Instead of asking His forgiveness and let Him help us, we nourish our wound and won’t let it go before we get even with someone/something, or…..sometimes, with God! It is so true, and I have read in Ruth’s post that Melville, in a way, has been through the same path himself, that inspired him to write this wonderful book.

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Moby Dick: Logic-Stage Inquiry

What does Ahab want? What is standing in his way? And what strategy does he pursue in order to overcome this block?

Ahab wants to make peace with himself, and so, just like any human being, he wants to seek God. After forty years of sailing, Ahab too was weary. But he has something that is standing in his way to the peaceful unity with God; it is his anger of life’s injustice that has snatched his happiness (in the shape Moby Dick who has snatched his one leg). There should be two alternatives to overcome the block: either compromising with life, or pursuing the unfinished business. Unfortunately, despite of chance of repentance given to him, Ahab persists to follow his passion to revenge.

Which point of view does the writer choose to use? What does he gain and lose through it?

It’s a combination of third person-limited—by using Ishmael to narrate the whole story; and the omniscient POV—because through Ishmael Melville questioned often about morality.

Beginnings and endings

Melville used the mystery approaching for starting the novel, by hinting about the mysterious enigmatic Captain Ahab—a person whom people talk both with fear and admiration. The ending is a resolution—as the Pequod and its passengers were swallowed by the ‘sea’ (and the sea is indeed a metaphor, as I hinted below).

Images and metaphors

I think Melville used a lot of whaling-related metaphors here to convey his philosophy, but I’d only analyze one of them that touched me most (and the most intriguing too) – from chapter 132: The Symphony.

‘The snow-white wings of small unspeckled birds’ which represents the gentle thoughts of feminine air is a metaphor of Good; while ‘mighty Leviathans, sword-fish and sharks’ which represents the strong, troubled, the murderous thinking of the masculine sea is the metaphor of Evil.

“…Though thus contrasting within, the contrast was only in shades and shadows without; those two seemed one.” It represents us, human, inside whom there are always the Good and the Evil; and the two powers merge in one soul.

And this following passage is, I think, particularly about Ahab’s condition of soul.

“Aloft, like a royal czar and king, the sun seemed giving this gentle air to this bold and rolling sea.” It might represent how the Good in Ahab’s soul is working to win him from the Evil. And that’s why Ahab suddenly becomes melancholy; it is when love is touching his soul, that he remembers his wife and child, and how he had selfishly treated them. But unfortunately, Ahab had let his revenge passion stays in him. He is too stubborn to unleash the anger; that the Evil might overpower him, and so he can’t but submitted—as we can find it here:

“What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it; what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against all natural lovings and longings, I so keep pushing, and crowding, and jamming myself on all the time; recklessly making me ready to do what in my own proper, natural heart, I durst not so much as dare? (…) Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm?”

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Moby Dick: Grammar-Stage Inquiry

Here again I’m working on the inquiries from The Well-Educated Mind. As part of this first level inquiry, I have posted six summaries of the book:

Chapter 1 – 22

Chapter 23 – 47

Chapter 48 – 66

Chapter 68 – 92

Chapter 93 - 135

Next we are required to summarize the story by creating our own title and subtitle (which is different from the book’s). But before that, we must conclude this one….

Is there some point in the book where the characters change? Does something happen that makes everyone behave differently?

Now, this is quite a tough question, because I really didn’t find much alteration from the main characters throughout the book. Ahab consistently stuck to the plan of killing Moby Dick. Starbuck kept contradicting him, though not too strong. Ishmael kept being an outsider. Stubb…well, he kept being indifferent as ever. But without solving this problem, I might be struggling through the next inquiries. So, after some moments of reflection, I decided that there might be slight changes in Captain Ahab (as the main and central character) and Starbuck.

The point of change is the night before their first day of Moby Dick chases; the only moment when Ahab shared his troubled soul to Starbuck. Before this Ahab was always self-possessed and full of determination, but that particular night he was more human. He thought about how vain and foolish it was for him, to leave his wife and children, to sail solitarily in the sea for forty years. He felt pity for his wife that he has widowed to chase his prey. At that moment Ahab came to a point of repentance; he was inspired by the divine air that was lurking at that precise moment (chapter 132 – The Symphony). God’s power appeared in the shape of “snow-white wings of small, unspeckled birds” which represented the ‘gentle thoughts’ (I’ll analyze this deeper in the next stage inquiry). He appeared to in the eyes of Starbuck, who up to that moment keep his conscience clear (I see my wife and my child in thine eye)

This change changed Starbuck’s view too towards Ahab. Before this, he saw him as a wicked power which will ruin their lives with his monomaniac revenge. But now I think Starbuck regarded Ahab with some pity. Oh, he is just a man, who cannot hide from God’s presence. Ahab’s heart is not completely frozen; he still has affection towards his family. So Starbuck’s approaches to Ahab changed too; he even called him noble.

Give the book your own title and subtitle

Ahab’s monomaniac revenge to a whale – How a whaling ship Captain who was possessed by revenge passion, killed his conscience and against God, given a chance to repent, but discarded it, and so his life is doomed.

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