This section from chapter 80 made me step back to really look at how vast this whale truly is, as it described how large the head of this creature is. Though the brain does not fill the entire cavity, these whales are still very intelligent. These whalemen could tell these creatures’ intelligence by how the creatures might have grouped in formations and more, yet they still hunted them down. These whales were killed for money and were drained of what makes them unique for profit. Their profit from the whale’s communication and life is a big factor in their industry.
“The brain is at least 20 feet from his apparent forehead in life; it is hidden away behind its vast outworks, like the innermost citadel within the amplified fortifications of Quebec. So like a choice, casket is the secreted in him, that I have known some whalemen who peremptorily deny the sperm whale has any other brain than that palpable semblance of one formed by the cubic yards of his sperm magazine. Lying in strange folds, courses, and convolutions, to their apprehensions, it seems more in keeping with the idea of his general might to regard that Mystic part of him as the seat of his intelligence.”
Melville uses particular words to describe the vast leviathan creature and even to tell us how small the brain is amongst the massive skull. He exaggerates his description by telling us that the head of the whale is so big that the brain is so far back in its melon. The brain is very safe in that massive skull of the sperm whale; it is almost hidden in a way. He tells us it is like a very important part of a city being protected by thick walls surrounding it. Melville uses his own scientific knowledge of whales to show us that these creatures are immense but have a small brain compared to their large body.
The use of the word “casket” is not used how you might think; Melville is using it as a case, as the very valuable oil which they hunt for is in their braincase. These very smart creatures were used for their own gain. The sperm magazine is a description of where the spermaceti is stored, as they saw these whales as their money source. That is the substance which they use for candles, lubricants, and more. These whale heads were very important to the sailors, as that is where their money source comes from.
Again, the very large head of the whale is seen as their money source; they might not take into account how important these whales are to the ocean and how smart they are, as they do have large brains. These whales are killed for profit in the end, and were close to extinction during the worldwide whaling from the 1800s to the 1980s. Profit or the extinction of a majestic creature?
Great point here: ‘This section from chapter 80 made me step back to really look at how vast this whale truly is, as it described how large the head of this creature is.” Yes, the text is giving us so many different ways of looking at and thinking about the whale, but we are finally taking to count it’s largeness and vastness. The shift and scale and perspective is very important!
Hey Zoe,
I really love the line: “These whales were killed for money and were drained of what makes them unique for profit.” because it’s actually always been happening for centuries. Exploitation has gone over the roof, and just now, humans are starting to realize the truth of it while Melville has already been mentioning it ever since he wrote this book. This made me realize how intelligent our author was, and I was actually really sad how Moby-Dick was not well received back then.
Hi, Zoe! I loved your take on this chapter, as it is completely different from mine. It focuses on a more straightforward approach to the issue of whaling as opposed to slavery and the pursuit of white superiority, as we have discussed. There is a noticeable absence of care for the whales, aside from Ishmael, or an appreciation of them. They are solely sought out for their oil, and feared for their size and strength, and nothing more. This shows the heart and intelligence of Melville as inserted through Ishmael’s narrations, and how ignorant his audience was during Moby Dick’s first publications to the wrongs and injustices of the world.