In chapter 36, “The Quarter-Deck,” Melville almost literalizes the phrase “speak of the devil.” After Ahab said that he would reward the sailor who saw a white whale matching Moby Dick’s description, Ahab commanded, “Skin your eyes for him, men; look sharp for white water; if ye see but a bubble, sing out.” Shortly thereafter, the harpooners Tashtego, Daggoo, and Queequeg spotted the white whale Ahab had described. Ahab’s phrasing also felt as if he were summoning the whale itself, like he knew it was there. The sequence of events mirrors the phrase “speak of the devil” because almost immediately after Ahab described it, Moby Dick appeared. In other words, Melville turned a familiar phrase into a narrative device.
Moby-Dick
ECL 522: Fall 2025. Professor Pressman
I am glad to see you quoting from the text, but I’d really like to see you spend more time on these assignment assignments– more close reading and more fleshing out of your argument. These are too short and not yet getting to interpretation or analysis of the quote. Please do come see me if this is unclear.