Category Archives: Week 6: Chapters 1-4

Week 6: A False Idol

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One passage I want to examine from the reading this week is at the end of Chapter 10. Melville writes: “How then could I unite with this wild idolator in worshipping his piece of wood? But what is this worship? Thought I. Do you suppose now, Ishmael, that the magnanimous God of heaven and earth–pagans and all included–can possibly be jealous of an insignificant bit of black wood?”

I initially found interest in this passage because of the switch to third person–the narrator speaks to himself, Ishmael, perhaps as a way of dissociating from the situation at hand or separating himself from it. However, after writing this quote out, I am now seeing the use of ‘wood’ and ‘worship’ with Queepueg. What I find interesting in this sexually charged paragraph is the use of a religious idol to represent this relationship. Ishamel, or whoever the narrator is, feels as if he is betraying his identity as a Christian (his identity as a heterosexual?), and feels worshipping a false idol is wrong. Yet he justifies this worship of another idol, saying “could possibly be jealous of an insignificant bit of black wood?”. With this and his switch to the third person, he pulls himself away from the moral qualm faced and makes his actions seem small in comparison to all of the world, as if he can tuck himself away from God. Ishamel continues on this need to justify: “But what is worship?–to do the will of God–that is worship. And what is the will of God?–to do my fellow man what I would have my fellow man do to me–that is the will of God.” This continuous internal dialogue drives a point of obsession, almost in an OCD way as Ishmael continues to justify his actions. I think we can also look at this in a different lens, in one of interpretation and translation. How we choose to understand something, whether religious text, foreign languages, or even Moby Dick is this subjective experience influenced by so many different things. Ishmael here is choosing to interpret God’s will in a way that serves himself. This is not necessarily right or wrong and I have no opinion either way, besides that it is to serve his current situation. This is something we all do, not in a religious sense, but to push through life, there has to be a justification for the things we do that we may find moral qualm with.  

The Sea and Life

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There is literally so much that I could analyze from these chapters, but I keep finding this connection between the sea and how it provides a sense of life for seaborne characters. When Ismael sits down for breakfast in chapter 5, he describes the silence and quiet, awkward embarrassment of the table full of sailors, stating that:

“Yes, here were a set of seadogs, many of whom without the slightest bashfulness had boarded great whales on the high seas – entire strangers to them – and duelled them dead without winking; and yet, here they sat at a social breakfast table – all of the same calling, all of kindred tastes – looking round sheepishly at each other as though they had never been out of sight of some sheepfold among the Green Mountains.” (pg. 34).

This reminded me of the very first chapter, where Melville, or even Ismael, describes why he is writing about the sea and the human connection to the ocean. For me, the quote above paints a picture of burly, sea-roughed men who have seen some shit, comfortable on the seas and vocal about what needs to be done. However, when all sat together at a “social breakfast table,” there seemed to be nothing urgently to talk about, despite their shared experiences. In many ways, the sea brings life to these people in ways that common, daily happenings bring awkwardness. Water and sea life bring out aspects of living that normal life simply cannot, which connects back to Ismael’s introduction to the audience, where he declares that he goes to the sea when he feels depressed with his life. Melville even directly states this relation between life and the sea on page 5, where he says:

“It is the image of the ungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all.” (pg. 5).

It’s in these small moments that Melville connects the role that the ocean plays in bringing forth one’s humanity, personality, and the very essence of life. When on the water, these men have to be vocal and social and themselves because they are surrounded by both nothing and everything else. However, when sitting on a social breakfast table on land, the whalers are at an awkward, silent loss.

Queequeg: King of the Sea [Chapter 4-12]

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Throughout the course of this week’s reading, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the similarities to the way they describe Queequeg to important abstract qualities of ocean fair, and to the whale itself. 

We’re first introduced to Queequeg in chapter three in a very comical way. His personality is very purposefully outlandish, and as our main character continues to develop a relationship with him, he’s able to learn more about Queequeg’s other character qualities. 

Queequeg is not like other characters. He does not look the same, he worships his own deities instead of Christianity, and he acts in a way that’s very outside of the mainstream culture norms—even in small, seemingly unimportant ways, as Ishmeal observes. 

“At that time in the morning, any Christain would have washed his face; but Queequeg, to my amazement, contented himself with restricting his ablution to his chest, arms and hands” (31). 

This characterization of Queequeg is very reminiscent of the Carnivalesque, which can be seen as a break away from traditional ideals and can be used to challenge the current system of power. Queequeg is set up to be seen as an outsider in this town, but making Queequeg a likeable character that Ishmeal is drawn to, indirectly symbolizes Ishmael’s urge to pull away from society by ways of going out to the sea. Queequeg is therefore used to represent the aspects of life at sea that are or can be desirable.  

Queequeg is also used to represent the whale itself, and that couldn’t be any more evident in how he goes about being on the ocean. 

“When a ship was gliding by, like a flash, he darted out; gained her side; with one backward dash of his food capsized and sank his cameo; climbed up the chains; and throwing himself at full length upon the deck” (61).  

Without proper context, this excerpt could easily be describing a ship attack involving a whale. The story purposely portrays Queequeg in this way to both demonstrate the animalistic qualities of man and as a means of humanizing the whale. By relating its qualities to a likeable human character, it creates a more intimate connection between man and beast through demonstrating our stark similarities. 

Queequeg has been my favorite character so far, and I’m excited to dive deeper into these aspects of his characterization as we continue our readings.

Week 6: Ishmael and Queequeg sitting in a tree…

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Okay, so we breezed through the etymology, extracts, and the first three chapters with very few issues. Not bad! For this post, I want to focus on chapter 4.

Last week, we were introduced to the cannibal Queequeg in chapter 3. Ishmael is intimidated by his looks and his cannibalistic nature, and is outright terrified of him, believing that “ignorance is the parent of fear.” However, he is assured by his landlord that Queequeg is actually a nice guy, leading to the realization that he and Queequeg are just as human. Come Chapter 4, and the first sentences we read are… oddly intimate. Wasn’t Ishmael afraid of Queequeg before? What caused this drastic change in tone when it comes to describing his man-eating freak? As seen through Ishmael’s interactions with Queequeg, Herman Melville challenges the heteronormative view by establishing our beloved male character’s relationship with another man instead of the usual woman.

I should note that this intimacy begins right at the beginning of the chapter. After a night’s rest, Ishmael finds “Queequeg’s arm thrown over [him] in the most loving and affectionate matter,” addressing us readers (and us as the character) by saying we “had almost thought [he] had been his wife.” (Melville 28) Now, I want to pay close attention to the word choice in this paragraph. What does Ishmael mean when he said we’d think Queequeg would be his wife? We know Queequeg couldn’t possibly be his soulmate considering they only met for one night. However, the way he talks about Queequeg for the rest of the chapter does raise a few eyebrows.

Heteronormativity is the belief that heterosexuality is the “normal” sexuality, and that romantic relationships are between a man and woman. What Melville is trying to do here is invoke a certain image in the reader that goes against this belief. Close your eyes and imagine someone putting their arms over their lover in bed, if you will. If you saw a woman with a man, you saw it with a heteronormative approach; it is considered “normal” for a woman to put their hands around a man while they lie together in bed. Melville spins this assumption around by making the reader imagine a man sleeping with another man–in this case, Ishmael and Queequeg–which goes against what was considered normal at the time. Also, have you noticed how the chapter reads like a gay man swooning over his partner?

Another (small) thing to note is how the word “gay” was used when Ishmael talks about “the sound of gay voices all over the house” while lying in bed. (Melville 29) Gay people were nary a thing in the mid-1800s, and the word “gay” was used in place of “happy,” so it’d make sense to read this part as Ishmael hearing happy voices. Nowadays, gay people are recognized in most parts of the world, and it’s rare to see gay used as a substitute for happy.

I think it’s safe to say that Moby-Dick is an LGBTQ+ novel because there are parts where a man develops feelings for another man. Or–a crazy thought here–Ishmael is to Queequeg as Herman Melville is to Nathaniel Hawthorne, because Melville appreciated Hawthorne’s works so much it’s almost as if they were lovers.

Why include the gravestones?

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From the intimate relationships developments to the religious context of Jonah and the Whale, what stood out like a sore thumb was the mention of the chapel’s cemetery, “…there these silent islands of men and women sat steadfastly eyeing several marble tablets, with black borders, masoned into the wall on either side the pulpit.” (pp. 40-41) I wondered why Ishmael even read the content engraved on the stones. This early in the story and it’s already foreshadowing one of the worst possible fates… and so far we only have two characters. It’s not difficult to wonder what their future holds, but there’s always a tinge of hope that they wouldn’t. The narrator even included, “Yes, Ishmael, the same fate may be thine,” (page 42) which doesn’t help with the “hope” part.

Overall, I can see Ishmael, Queepeg, or both dying in some way, shape, or form, just because of the mention of the graves and Ishmael’s morbid curiosity. It would be a surprise if neither of them died, though I’d expect some shipmates’ deaths.

Jonah and the Whale – Potential Foreshadowing? – Chapter 9

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This week I stumbled upon the following passage in Chapter 9, on page 47. “Yet what depths of the soul does Jonah’s deep sea-line sound! What a pregnant lesson to us is this prophet! What a noble thing is that canticle on the fish’s belly!”

For those who don’t know, or struggled to understand how Melville framed the story, the Book of Jonah in the Bible is that Jonah, a prophet, disobey’s God by not going to the City of Niniveah. Jonah attempts to escape from God on a boat, and when the boat is being overwhelmed by a storm, her relives that it is his fault, and asks the shipmates to throw him overboard. The storm stops, and he is swallowed by a “big fish”, and then is thrown up after 3 days, after which he goes to the city of Nineveh.

Why do I bring this up? Because I believe this is an instance of foreshadowing. My guess is that Ahab will either be mutinied against, like Jonah being thrown overboard, or eaten by the “Big Fish” that is Moby Dick, just like Jonah.

Now, I don’t remember much of my first read-through, but I do remember that Melville is brilliant at foreshadowing. (If you were paying attention in the first 3 chapters, you will be rewarded later on). I do not remember, however, if this pays off or not. I guess I’ll just have to read and find out.

This Chapter within Moby Dick is riddled with quotes that feed into that theory as well, not just the one I shared. In fact, pretty much the entire Chapter supports this. I believe that this is a clear instance of Chekov’s Gun. And, while Melville does tend to go on philosophical tangents, which this can also be perceived as, I believe it will directly relate to the plot.

If you want to do your own research, I highly recommend reading Jonah. As Mapple says, it is only 4 chapters. It’ll put into context a lot of what the sailors, most of whom are Christian or grew up son, act and think the way they do about and around whales.

Chapter 7

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In this chapter, Ishmael arrives at the chapel where he is faced with the reality of the dangers from whaling, he is reminded that the end of the trip is not the same for everyone and there is one outcome that can never be overruled as they sail away-death. Melville starts off the chapter with a change of scenery, the once clear and sunny sky changed to driving sleet and mist pushing the readers beneath the dark cloud alongside the sorrowful widows, sailors and their wives as they scan over the marble tablets replacing the presence of the once mortal sailors.

While taking in what is in front of him Ishmael becomes aware of his own possible death stating “Yes, Ishmael, the same fate may be thine. But somehow I grew merry again…Methinks my body is but the lees of my better being. In fact take my body who will, take it I say, it is not me.” (P. 42) Ishmael repeats, almost daringly, for death to take his body for his body is a use of passage for his soul to move freely. In acceptance, Ishmael is not afraid of death as he as his true self will live on much longer, suggesting a separation of soul and body.

Knowing that he just viewed what life was like for the living after the death of a sailor, I think this was a changing point for Ishmael. If there was any doubt or fear that he might have been considering, eliminating the fear of death is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, gain. Humans naturally fight to survive in near death experiences and having an already eased mindset in case of death will most likely push Ishmael into unforgiving circumstances.

Ishmael and Queequeg

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While reading chapters four through twelve of Moby-Dick the development of friendship between Ishmael and Queequeg was extremely notable. The growth of understanding and friendship between these two characters seems rather abrupt, however, it was refreshing to see two people from rather opposite backgrounds begin to bond and respect each other. Throughout chapter three of the novel, we see Ishmael do anything in his power to remove himself from Queequeg path before he ever meets him. However, once the two meet this feeling of understanding begins and really transforms in chapter ten. Ishmael’s open mind towards Queequeg was fascinating because of the ways it challenges what is considered acceptable in American society during these times. The men are drastically different, but those factors did not deter Ishmael, they made him curious, “I began to feel myself mysteriously drawn towards him. And those same things that would have repelled most others, they were the very magnets that thus drew me” (Melville 57). Within Melville’s society, it had become far too common to judge someone immediately based on whether they came from a different race, culture, or religion. However, this is his way of inviting us to be curious and learn about others before joining in on the close-minded ways of judging before we understand. Through their relationship, Melvillie is showing more than just two men becoming friends, he is exploring how people from different backgrounds can care for each other if they allow themselves to open their minds. 

Ishmael and Queequeg become friends despite their different upbringings, but Ishmael is also shown understanding and respecting Queequeg’s culture. One way that this is shown in the novel is after they spend time reading and smoking together, their friendship deepens, it states, “he pressed his forehead against mine, clasped me round the waist, and said that henceforth we were married; meaning, in his country’s phrase, that we were bosom friends; he would gladly die for me if need should be” (Melville 57). This passage holds its importance with Melvillie’s word choice. Ishmael acknowledges that the showing of intimacy from Queequeg, such as a kiss on the forehead along with the term “married” is simply his way of saying they have become very close friends within his culture. Melville expands on the idea that within American society these gestures would be seen as way too quick and should be signs to further distrust someone. However, Ishmael’s understanding and respect for Queequeg and their newfound friendship allows him to put aside the toxic idea that American/Christian thinking is the only valid way. While reading it felt like Melville is calling out society for their idea of savage vs civil and how quickly everyone is to judge others that don’t conform to their ideas, but completely ignore the violence and wrongdoings of those that are like minded. This reading was great and I am extremely interested to see where Ishmael and Queequeg’s relationship is taken throughout the novel.

Ishmael and Death

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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.

Moby Dick : Chapters 4 – 12

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As I am starting to read these chapters, what has really been apparent to me is the way in which Herman Melville uses Ishmael’s observations of Queequeg to demonstrate both inherent bias and shifting perspectives.

The quote “Thinks I, Queequeg, under the circumstances, this is a very civilized overture, but, the truth is, these savages have n innate sense of delicacy, say what you will; it is marvelous how essentially polite they are. I pay this particular compliment to Queequeg, because he treated me with so much civility and consideration, while I was guilty of great rudeness…” (Melville 10) is, to me, a perfect example of what Melville is using the observations of Ishmael to convey. Within this quote, we are able to see the way in which Ishmael feels about Queequeg have shifted from the first three chapters of the book. Initially he is frightened of Queequeg because of his appearance and the internal bias he has against those both of a different race and those of a different way of living. I think this quote shows just how much Ishmael has started to shift his opinion on Queequeg and is understanding that he does have these biases. In this quote, he talks about Queequeg in a kind manner, saying that ‘savages’ are actually very polite when just the chapter before he was petrified to even be in the same room as someone he sees as a savage or a cannibal. He also acknowledges how his own biases led him to be rather rude and unfair to Queequg initially and how in response, Queequeg was kind to him rather than being rude back to him.

I think this quote and these first few chapters in general really do a great job emphasizing how much Ishmael is experiencing a change of perspective and a shift from what he already thought he knew. I am very curious to see how this open-mindedness continues to be utilized throughout the story as he continues to meet people who are completely different than him and ahve goals that may not align with his.