Tag Archives: obsession

Final Essay

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In the novel Moby-Dick, Melville uses Ahab to highlight how having an unhealthy obsession can take over a person’s whole self and eventually lead to madness. Ahab’s intentions from the beginning of the novel with the great White Whale were pretty visible and as it went on, his insanity became more deranged and more evident. This can be seen with the reversed ritualistic blessing of Ahab’s harpoon, his overall neglect and manipulation of his crew, and his rejection of Christian values. Melville points out what an unhealthy obsession looks like and how it leads to one’s downfall by also using religious and satanic imagery.  

In Chapter 113, The Forge, when Ahab drenches his harpoon with blood that Perth upgraded to help him defeat the White Whale. Melville writes, “‘Ego non baptizo te in nomine patris, sed in nomine diaboli!’ deliriously howled Ahab, as the malignant iron scorchingly devoured the baptismal blood” (Melville 532). Ahab performs a reverse baptism by drenching the weapon in pagan blood rather than holy water. His upgraded harpoon goes beyond the function as just a weapon, it symbolizes Ahab’s madness– his dedication to vengeance. By transforming the harpoon into a ritualistic object, Ahab’s obsession can be seen reshaping his reality. What was once just seen as a simple hunting tool turns into a weapon of mass destruction– an embodiment of his growing madness. His fixation is being put into the weapon itself, showing how obsession does not stay contained, that it in fact grows and intensifies until it consumes everything around it. 

Melville uses Ahab to show when a person allows vengeance to dominate their life and how it leads to self-destruction. Ahab believes the Sperm whale is out to get him and allows this thought to take control of his life. When in reality Moby Dick was just living his own life. So, since his attack, he’s been allowing Moby Dick to haunt his mind everyday and this is why he upgrades his harpoon, to make sure this “evil” thing is dead so it can not get him. It had at first consumed his mind and now it is consuming the physical objects around him. Ahab forges a harpoon that is as destructive and extreme as his obsession– and one that would eventually lead to his own demise. He created a superweapon to not only kill an animal but to kill a divine force, revealing how his anger and vengeance steered him away from reality, representing how a person can deteriorate from within. The upgraded harpoon reminds me of video games where you customize your character’s weapon to the max so they can deal more damage for the ultimate boss battle. The more upgraded, the better and Ahab had given personalized upgrades for his harpoon. He says “Here are my razors– the best of steel; here, and make the barbs sharp as the needle-sleet of the Icy Sea” (Melville 532). His weapon at first did not have all the upgrades but as his obsession deepens, his weapon also gets upgraded. If this was a normal whale hunting journey, he wouldn’t need all the crazy upgrades but Ahab’s thirst is so strong for the chaos to the point that he has their blacksmith forge an upgraded weapon of death to use for the great White Whale. Because his weapon is so lethal, it puts him in more dangerous situations, giving him the confidence to defeat the White Whale, but the overconfidence is blinding him to the dangers around him. By pouring all of his energy into the enhancement of his weapon, Ahab neglected the well-being of himself and his crew, showing how obsession can fully control his thoughts and actions which can lead directly to one’s own self-destruction.  

With Ahab neglecting his crew goes to show that his obsession is leading him to being selfish even though he is the captain of the ship. He is in charge of all the men there and he should have more compassion for them. But, with him disregarding them and their lives reflects that he does not care about anything or anyone other than Moby Dick. Ahab’s lack of care for his crew can be seen ultimately in the end with all of their deaths (except Ishamael’s) and if he wasn’t so focused on the whale and was focused on his crew instead then the outcome could possibly be different for everyone. The disregard for his crew comes from his own belief that authority is absolute, elevating himself above moral responsibility and divine power. Ahab declares to Starbuck “There is one God that is Lord over the earth, and one Captain that is lord over the Pequod” (Melville 517). Ahab believes his status as a captain puts him in the same category as God ruling over earth and that his command should be followed with unquestioning obedience. Author Ryan LaMothe writes in his article, “Ahab’s carelessness is connected to a kind of idolatry, a kind of faith in his self-interested pursuit of vengeance. The crew of the Pequod are trusted as long as they serve the commands and aims of Ahab—instrumental faith… Ahab, like God, is sovereign, and as sovereign Ahab demands the loyalty of the crew in relation to the aims of the captain. They are to trust him blindly, like they trust God.” Ahab’s connection to idolatry and referring to himself as a God tells that he wishes to be worshipped. Plus, he demands loyalty and yet does nothing for his crew in return. He uses their help for his own gain, which is killing Moby Dick. His crew, specifically Starbuck, is seen calling him out. In chapter 134, The Chase—Second Day, Starbuck fights back against Ahab and says to him, “never, never wilt thou capture him, old man—In Jesus’ name no more of this, that’s worse than devil’s madness” (Melville 611). Starbuck is not referring to Ahab as a God or anything God-like but rather quite the opposite—the devil. Ahab’s madness is apparent to his crew and Ahab is seen as deranged even though he is their captain—their leader. This highlights that Ahab’s leadership is nowhere near God and that it is morally corrupt and misguided. 

After Ahab’s weapon gets its upgrade, he blesses it in Latin and the translation of what he says is “I do not baptize you in the name of the Father, but in the name of the Devil.” Ahab does a reverse blessing, a satanic-like ritual and calls upon the Devil rather than calling upon God.  He would rather get help and protection from evil forces rather than God’s strength against the White Whale. His fixation runs so deep that he corrupted the most sacred of ideas and instead of using faith to keep vengeance out of his heart, he uses it to keep it within. He abandons all forms of faith and chooses to turn to darkness itself to help destroy the whale. By deliberately summoning the Devil, Ahab shows that his fixation has reached a point where calling upon the spiritual world would bring him aid in his ultimate plan. Melville uses Ahab’s reverse blessing to show that obsession can harm a person’s mind and their actions so much that they are willing to violate moral boundaries and society values. During the time Melville wrote this and when it was released, society had valued Christianity. In Jonathan Cook’s article, he writes, “In broad terms, Ahab’s obsessive hunt for the White Whale constitutes a blasphemous pursuit of a creature that he believes acts in the capacity of a divine agent or principal, and it is likely only Ahab’s condition of “madness” that potentially assured antebellum readers that such sentiments did not represent a direct threat to the traditional Christian beliefs of the era.” While Ahab himself does not necessarily have Christian values, the society in which he lives does, and they take these Christian values to heart. His growing madness is portrayed as something that steers him from these shared beliefs. And Starbuck, who is a “Quaker by descent” represents this religious structure and stands in contrast to Ahab’s blasphemous behavior. Also, because Ahab is deemed as mentally unfit, his rejection to the Christian faith is a result of madness rather than reason. 

The reverse blessing continues and Ahab uses pagan blood from Queequeg, Tashtego and Daggoo. By using the pagan blood, it seals the deal for the blessing and shows how obsession has corrupted Ahab entirely. He is fully transforming his hunting weapon into a satanic weapon. Ahab made the conscious decision to use blood for his weapon in the ritual as it “scorchingly devoured the baptismal blood.” By using the blood from non-Christians, he believed it would make his upgraded harpoon stronger. He is rejecting the idea of the Christian faith and instead chooses to side with the Devil, believing that spiritual corruption is the only way that will lead him to his goal. Through Ahab’s blasphemy and rejection of Christianity, Melville suggests that the deliberate rejection of the Christian faith is not empowering, but more as a sign or moral collapse. Jonathan Cook’s also writes, “Instead of promising eternal life through the ingestion of the blood of Christ, as in the Christian sacrament of Communion, Ahab is proclaiming an eternal pact of death against the god-like White Whale, creating a blasphemous ritual to solidify his power over the crew and induct them into a satanic pact.”. Ahab is dragging his crew further into his mess as he makes them accomplices to the satanic-like ritual. His crew mates are different and have their own religious beliefs— such as Starbuck and his Christianity and Queequeg. So, by Ahab making his crew mates take part in his ritual shows that when an individual is obsessed it corrupts their moral and religious beliefs and also corrupts those around them. 

Every decision, thought and action is planned out carefully to reach the overall objective of destroying the White Whale. However, as Ahab gives his all into achieving the killing of Moby Dick, he becomes more unrecognizable and increasingly disconnected from reality as he crafts a tool of destruction that mirrors his corrupted mindset. Ahab becomes a representation of what happens when a person lets an obsession control their lives, leading them down all the wrong paths. 

         

Works Cited 

Cook, Jonathan A. “Melville, Moby-Dick, and Blasphemy.” Studies in American Fiction, vol. 49 no. 2, 2022, p. 145-173. Project MUSE, https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/saf.2022.a920136. LaMothe, R. Literature and Social Pathologies: Ahab’s Masculinity as a Distortion of Care and Faith. Pastoral Psychol 72, 49–63 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-022-01042-y

Power. Intention. Madness 

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In the chapter leading up to the chase, it’s evident that Ahab is slowly becoming more and more maddening as time passes and they have yet to complete their mission. However, at the very sight of the whale, the object of his desire, he seems almost more insane than before. 

“And did none of ye see it before?” cried Ahab, hailing the perched men all around him. “I saw him almost that same instant, sir, that Captain Ahab did, and I cried out,” said Tashtego. “Not the same instant; not the same—no, the doubloon is mine, Fate reserved the doubloon for me. I only; none of ye could have raised the White Whale first. There she blows! there she blows!—there she blows! There again!-—there again!” he cried, in long-drawn, lingering, methodic tones, attuned to the gradual prolong-ings of the whale’s visible jets.

In this sentiment, Ahab displays his erratic behavior in the manner that he speaks, continuously repeating himself in tandem with the whale. Almost as if he’s formed a parasite-like relationship to the whale itself, even claiming that “Fate” had a hand in their coming together again. This one-sided connection he feels to the beast shows the depth of his obsession. Leaving the world of the physical all together, when attributing this mission to “Fate.” 

In addition to this madness, there is also Ahab’s power and intentions to consider. At the beginning of the ship’s departure of their original mission to Ahab’s–the appeal in such a turn in monetary terms. Ahab offers them money and glory in return for their service, using this driving competition to fuel their mission.

However, once they finally come upon the beast, Ahab claims the find as his own, with the intention of keeping the doubloon for himself, claiming “fate” as the result of this action. In this scene it’s clear that Ahab never really did have the intention to pay someone to kill the Whale, instead it was utilized as a ruse in order to get them to follow his order. Using the promise of money as power, but in this scene that is unraveled by this confession. Through the illusion of power, Ahab was able to trick them into doing his own bidding and effectively leading them to their deaths. 

Pierce the Whale

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Considering the Loose-Fish doctrine and the whiteness of the whale acting as a blank canvas for Ahab to project upon “all that most maddens and torments… all evil” (200), you can see how vain and piteous Ahab’s final curses upon Moby Dick are: “Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee” (623). Having finally arrived at the expected point, watching his ship perish without him, knowing his death is imminent, he, for the last time, resigns himself to the obsession that set him on this voyage because it is all he knows. Even though we, along with Starbuck and other characters, don’t view the whale as malicious but rather as a dumb brute, Ahab is firm in his declaration that Moby Dick is “all-destroying but unconquering.” This refusal to be “conquered” in his final moments is Ahab’s last attempt at claiming Moby Dick as his Loose-Fish. If Ahab convinces himself that he is righteous in this endless hunt, which he has done throughout the entirety of the novel, he is justified in his own mind to continue walking down the doomed path, no matter the deaths he is responsible for. By piercing Moby Dick with his final curses from hell’s heart for hate’s sake, Ahab willingly condemns himself as a martyr; but Ahab is no martyr in the way he desired. Rather, he is a warning to America of this unrelenting chase towards one thing built upon a vain justification. Ironically, Ahab has become the Fast-Fish, fastened to the whale, tied to “all evil” (his own words), even after death.

Chapter 113- The Forge

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In chapter 113, we are able to see how Ahab’s obsession has taken over him. It consumes him so much that he turns away from God and does not wish for his blessing but instead wishes for the blessing of the devil. This becomes more clear with the forging of the specialized harpoon and the covering of the weapon in blood from the three pagan harpooners. Melville writes “‘Ego non baptizo te in nomine patris, see in nomine diaboli!’ deliriously howled Ahab, as the malignant iron scorchingly devoured the baptismal blood” (Melville 532). This part really caught my attention especially since it is in Latin. What Ahab is saying here is he baptizes the weapon not in the name of the father but in the name of the devil. We can also see Ahab performing this “satanic” ritual by using the blood from the three pagans. With the baptizing of Ahab’s weapon we can see how his obsession with the whale has corrupted him. His fixation is so intense it calls forth an alliance with evil. The upgraded harpoon is more than a weapon, it is a symbol of Ahab’s madness—his devotion to vengeance. Ahab wishes for chaos and has Perth forge a weapon of death to use for the Great Whale. Instead of using faith to keep the vengeance away, it is being twisted to keep the vengeance near. Another thing I want to add is the whale has been referred to as a mystical and god-like thing a number of times. So, to see Ahab bring up the devil’s name to bless the harpoon shows just how deep his obsession runs. He has to turn to darkness itself to help destroy this divine being. Melville uses this moment to reveal the destruction obsession causes. 


The Bachelor and the Concept of Freedom

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In chapter 115, the Pequod gets an interesting interaction with the ship called “The Bachelor.” This ship is characterized as joyous and lucky—as they have an abundance of materials and spoils from whaling as they return home. This ship is particularly important in this moment because it is meant to contrast against the mood of the Pequod. Whereas the Bachelor has been able to fulfill its purpose as a whaling ship, the Pequod has yet to achieve their goal in killing the White whale. The Pequod is still bound by their mission, in contrast to the Bachelor who is sailing for home. In this scene, the ship they encounter is meant to be a representation of freedom, hence the name “The Bachelor.” A Bachelor, by definition, is someone who has not been married and is therefore “free” or available, in regard to dating. In the context of whaling, the Bachelor ship represents freedom in the sense that they are not bound by a particular mission—they achieved their goals, and they get to go home. 

And thus, while the one ship went cheerily before the breeze, the other stubbornly fought against it; and so the two vessels parted; the crew of the Pequod looking with grave, lingering glances towards the receding Bachelor; but the Bachelor’s men never heeding their gaze for the lively revelry they were in.” (538). 

In this moment, we witness the fleeting freedom of the Bachelor and the longingness of the crew. However, unlike the Bachelor, they are bound by Ahab’s continued obsession that prohibits them from the same type of freedom. The captain of the Bachelor even beckons Ahab to board his ship, yet Ahab rejects this, insisting on hunting the whale and asking the other captain if he’s seen it. Despite this generous offer, Ahab is blinded by his pursuit, and rejects this offer, and in a sense, he metaphorically forgoing freedom of any kind—imprisoning himself in his mad obsession. He doesn’t want freedom; he wants the White Whale by any means necessary. The brief encounter with the Bachelor shows us the current sanity of the current characters. With the crew slowly sinking into despair and their captain quickly descending into madness.  

Blame God

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Reading Starbuck’s last plea to Ahab in “The Symphony” was very disheartening because we know that Ahab couldn’t be swayed from his crusade. Starbuck, the voice of reason, or our symbol for “we the people”, is practically begging to change course back to Nantucket, but his words fall on deaf ears as “Ahab’s glance was averted; like a blighted fruit tree he shook, and cast his last, cindered apple to the soil” (592). Ahab can’t even bother to look at his first mate during his request, “blighted” by whatever this force is that keeps him on his mission, the “last, cindered apple” of any hopes of salvation now gone from him. We had the first confrontation in the Cabin just last week, but this is the final moment when the captain turns his back on his people, hardly listening to them as he leads the Pequod to their doom. I know it was present throughout the novel, but this scene of Ahab’s final soliloquy before The Chase felt the most like Shakespearean tragedy as we, with Starbuck, just want him to stop, but we know it won’t happen, and can only watch as he broods over his so-called fate, questioning whether he even has any agency or he’s just a puppet of God:

“Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm? But if the great sun move not of himself; but is an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I” (592).

In giving up his agency, claiming that it may just be that God is moving him on this path, Ahab is reassuring himself that this is just the way it has to be. If the great sun that allows us to live doesn’t have control over it’s actions, then why should Ahab’s small heart and brain have any power? So Ahab assigns himself to what he believes to be his fate, despite the consequences it will have for the people he is responsible for. Placing the responsibility on a higher being is a way for him to excuse his actions that he knows will not bear the fruit he wants (where have we seen that before?) Despite the countless warnings and pleas from other ships (and Starbuck) and ill omens and prophecies, Ahab, or rather God, in his eyes, cannot be moved. By assuming divinity, Ahab prevents any alteration towards a better outcome for the nation state of the Pequod, leaving the people “blanched to a corpse’s hue with despair” (593).

Essay 1: Authority, Self-Awareness, and Obsession

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In the 19th century, authority at sea was absolute. The captains had the say in everything, and this unchecked power was a matter of life or death. Being able to lead means understanding your people’s capabilities, and in a whaling ship, the boat’s life are the shipmates, like organs in a body. As the brain, Ahab from Moby-Dick knows this, but instead, he uses his position to satisfy his vengeance and obsession. When Starbuck questioned Ahab’s pursuit, Ahab saw it as a motivation. He calls himself “demoniac” and “madness maddened,” revealing his self-awareness as part of his insanity rather than a barrier. Ahab turns his madness into justification for his actions as captain.

Ahab’s self-awareness enables his rationality to make obsessive decisions, turning his authority as captain into an outlet for vengeance. In chapter 37, Sunset, Ahab was sitting alone in his cabin, staring out the windows, when he pondered, “They think me mad—Starbuck does; but I’m demoniac, I am madness maddened! That wild madness that’s only calm to comprehend itself!” (Melville, p. 183). The sentence “They think me mad—Starbuck does…” shows Ahab acknowledging how people see his craziness, but instead of denying it, he redefines it. By saying, “I’m demoniac, I am madness maddened!” he is claiming a higher, almost supernatural-like, form of madness. Melville’s choice of using repetition and the word “demoniac” shows how Ahab consciously justifies his abuse of authority with madness. He portrays how someone under emotional obsession can be dangerous regardless of clarity. In the phrase, ”That wild madness that’s only calm to comprehend itself,” that calmness is not sanity but a moment of control inside insanity. Ahab acknowledges the chaos he controls rather than resists. He understands he became the embodiment of absurdity, insanity, vengeance, and obsession, and he lets it all define him. Such madness isn’t blinding Ahab; it sharpens his vision. He clearly sees what he’s doing and he still chooses destruction.

What does that have to do with life or death? Simple: if madness himself is the brain, the rest of the body is obliged to follow it. You are reading this essay because you want to understand my insight, and just now you may have been wondering what authority, obsession, and self-awareness have to do with anything, or maybe you just came here to find something to talk about in the reply section. Whatever your reason for being here, you wouldn’t have been able to if your fingers, blood, and/or nervous system refused to obey. The same goes with captains: their team, or in the context of Moby Dick, their crew would not be able to do anything without a voice to follow. However, there would be a little voice in the mind that goes against their wishes. For Ahab, that little voice of reason is Starbuck. When Ahab thought, “They think me mad–Starbuck does,” he isn’t rejecting the warning. This is the first domino to fall before the ship’s fate: as the more these two bicker, the higher chance the ship would split before Moby Dick the whale is back in the action. This reveals how obsession overrides reason and sets the crew to an inevitable downfall. The type of captain matters far more than being charismatic, and much like the captains, leadership in the historical and modern context are just as vulnerable to emotions.

During that time, royalty and those that could taste that similar power were often indulging in said power. Melville’s warning still resonates today: a leader driven by obsession leads their followers to ruin. Our politics, our social circles, our families, our social media circles like influencers, there is a reason why there are followers. For Captain Ahab, his followers are the crew of the Pequod, and with one incentive, he managed to convert regular sailors and whalehunters into soldiers to do his bidding. This is what Melville criticizes about authority: awareness without restraint, paired with obsession, is just another form of power that can destroy the very people meant to be protected.

Ahab & Prometheus

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As our characters continue to pursue their mission to hunt down Moby Dick, Ahab’s seemingly vengeful quest slowly reveals his obsessive state of mind that gradually affects his leadership.

This charismatic leader is becoming more maddening over time as his quest for his personal revenge stretches on, jeopardizing the mission and the lives of his men. The more time that passes on the Pequod, the more Ahab is driven further into his obsession, leaving him feeling like he is lacking.

“What trances of torment does that man endure who is consumed with one unachieved revengeful desire. He sleeps with clenched hands; and wakes with his own bloody nails in his palms.” (219). 

This uneventfulness to him is described as torment and his lack of achievements are causing his low morale and deteriorating mindset. This feeling is then manifested in a physicality when it describes him inflicting self-harm—a clear sign of his extreme emotional distress. 

To encapsulate this emotional state, Ahab is then compared to the Greek God Prometheus to reflect on how his continued obsession will eventually lead to godly punishment.

 In the story of Prometheus, the Greek God of striving, he is characterized as having a particular reputation for being a trickster with the fallibility of favoring the humans. His obsession of gaining humanity’s favor leads him to steal fire from the Gods and give it to the humans as a gift. As a result of stealing he was punished by Zeus, who forced him to be chained to a rock for all times and ensured that everyday a vulture would eat his liver that continuously grew back. 

Prometheus’ story can be considered a lesson about the risk of overreaching achievements resulting in unintended consequences. In the context of Ahab, it becomes a metaphor for how Ahab’s obsession will become his undoing.

“God help thee, old man, thy thoughts have created a creature in thee; and he whose intense thinking thus makes him a Prometheus; a vulture feeds upon that heart for ever; that vulture the very creature he creates.” (220).

 In the line, “that vulture is the very creature he creates,” the vulture is Ahab’s obsession, a feeling that he has made up as a response to losing his leg and blaming the whale for it. Pointing out that the vulture is of his own making, shows that the way Ahab is feeling is simply a construct he made for himself. He chooses to feel this way and project these emotions onto the whale and the idea of taking revenge. So, when he’s unable to attain that, his obsession becomes self-inflicted punishment of the mind. 

 The story of Prometheus is meant to reflect the direction that Ahab’s obsession with the White Whale will take the narrative. It’s clear from Ahab’s recent actions that he isn’t in the right state of mind despite being the captain of the ship. He is not leading with purpose but by obsession that is border-lining madness. If he continues this pursuit of revenge, there will be Godly retribution, most likely in the form of a whale.  His non-stop chase of the White Whale will make him grow increasingly mad, transforming this previously charismatic leader into a chaotic, unhinged force that will lead the crew with erratic passion rather than a captain’s logic. When facing a Leviathan such as the White Whale, one has to be in a clear state of mind or they will die. If the Pequod maintains their pursuit, Moby Dick will be the God that will bring upon Ahab’s death. 

Ahab’s Challenge

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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.

Week 8: Vengeance

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What stuck with me from this week’s reading was a quote from Starbuck in The Quarter Deck. During Ahab’s obsessive rampage about Moby Dick, Starbuck says: “‘Vengeance on a dumb brute!… that simply smote these from blindest instinct! Madness! To be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous’” (p. 178). This idea has been mentioned before in the book and in our class, but it is touched upon again. The innocence of nature, and to what extent these beings are innocent. 

I always find this debate to be particularly interesting because it calls into question what level of consciousness animals possess when juxtaposed to us, humans. What level of moral compass do we expect from these beings, and can we judge them the same way we judge humans? This quote by Starbucks says we can’t, that animals like whales are simply acting upon instinct and not from a place of bad intention or harm. While I can’t speak on whales, I would like to bring up the idea of dolphins. Seemingly harmless and playful, anyone who has done some research on them knows their intentions and interactions with others in the ocean are often harmful and malicious, ranging from getting high off other animals and purposeful assault. 

Another way I want to analyze this quote is from the idea of vengeance, regardless of the “dumb thing” being the source of harm. This calls into question the idea of revenge, and whether that is even something one should take, whether the one who harmed did it on purpose or not. Is that not stooping to that low level, especially one of physical harm? Ahab is the captain of this boat, and should one want to be led by one who engages in petty vengeance? Who might hold a grudge on the ship for a small transgression?