In the second text for this week, The True-Life Horror That Inspired Moby Dick, I found irony in the act of cannibalism. The crew’s fear of going to the islands that were rumored to have cannibals forced them out into sea, and they ended up eating each other. This act was also a bit disturbing to read about–nowadays engaging in something like that would be deeply disturbing and looked down upon. Yet, this was only about two hundred years ago, and seen as normal. Looking at historical context around events is important, and also highlights how constructed social norms are. What we see as right now, might be seen as wrong and/or immoral a hundred years in the past or future. I think having this type of critical thinking is important, as our values are often relative to the society we have been raised in. 

Another part of the cannibalism/society interaction I find interesting is that this cannibalism was seen as normal when forced into those conditions. When people are put into emergency situations, it is always interesting to see what standards/morals become quickly compromised. It makes me think about Lord of the Flies and Lost–both of which highlight what can happen when a group of people are removed from the laws of society. 
I am also interested to see how this may tie into Moby Dick. I honestly know nothing about the book except for that they are on a ship, there’s a whale, and people from different backgrounds. I wonder if there will be cannibalism in the book. I would also be interested in seeing what social norms will be present in the book that people may find ‘issue’ with nowadays, or what might be considered improper. Additionally, I found there to be a bit of karmic humor in this ‘adventure’. After setting a fire, the ship was sunk. I wonder if this may pop up as a theme in Moby Dick as well.