In Chapter 7, “The Chapel,” Ishmael goes into a Whaleman’s Chapel the day before his departure from Nantucket. He claims that there are very few people who would fail to visit the church the day before their departure out to sea, making it seem like God would favor those who step foot in the chapel before their journey on the water, over those who don’t. As Ishmael enters the chapel he takes of note of the memorials engraved into marble tablets on the wall, each one marking the death of a man at sea. Two of the three memorials Ishmael takes note of involves death that was caused by a whale, obviously something that would make someone going out on a whaling boat the next day a little uneasy. Towards the end of the chapter Ishmael begins to talk about fate and death, “I regarded those marble tablets, and by the murky light of that darkened, doleful day read the fate of the whalemen who had gone before me. Yes, Ishmael, the same fate may be thine” (Melville 42). Death follows those who go on whaling ships, whether you’re a sailor, a captain, a cook, or a commodore, both the sea and death will treat you all the same. Even if none of the crew mates die, the very idea of whaling involves the killing of whales and the exploitation of the sea.
Ishmael knows this. He knows the dangers of going out to sea, that each day is he just as vulnerable to succumb to the power of the ocean as the day before and the day after. Ishmael is aware of what he is getting himself into. However, it does not seem to bother him: “Yes, there is death in this business of whaling – a speechlessly quick chaotic building of a man into Eternity. But what then? Methinks we have hugely mistaken this matter of Life and Death. Methinks that what they call my shadow here on earth is my true substance… In fact take my body who will, take it I say, it is not me” (Melville 42). Death does not seem like something Ishmael is afraid of. He does not believe that his body defines who he is, but his soul and his spirit that makes the man. The death of his body is not the death of Ishmael, and he is not afraid of what he may face. I will be interested to see if Ishmael keeps the same sentiment while on his voyage, or if the dangers that await will change his attitude.
This is a strong blog post and an interesting reading of the scene. You write, “Death does not seem like something Ishmael is afraid of. He does not believe that his body defines who he is, but his soul and his spirit that makes the man.” I would not have come to that conclusion, so I’m intrigued by your interpretation. Should you decide to go here in your midterm essay, be sure to do more close reading to show us exactly where and how the novel does what you say it does. But this is smart and I look forward to hearing more from you about it in class!