Homosexual Relations on the Pequod

            We have been told that certain instances in Moby~Dick can be read as references to homosexual relations among the members of the Pequod. None of these instances had occurred to me until chapter 94, entitled “A Squeeze of the Hand.” In this chapter, Ishmael related the experience of squeezing lumps of congealed spermaceti back into their liquid state. To me, it seemed that his description of this process was a metaphor for his developing homosexual relations with his fellow Pequod crew. Ishmael begins by describing the process as a “sweet and unctuous duty!” and proceeds to describe how he squeezed all morning long and “melted into it” until “a strange sort of insanity came over me; and I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers’ hands in it…Such an abounding, affectionate, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes sentimentally”. 

Other may make of this passage what they will, but it seems that Ishmael is certainly relating the development of homosexual relations with his crew by describing his ecstasy in the squeezing process. He also harbors no regret over his actions, saying “Come; let us squeeze hands all round; nay, let us all squeeze ourselves into each other; let us squeeze ourselves universally into the very milk and sperm of kindness.” Furthermore, Ishmael declares that all men must lower his conceit of attainable felicity, implying that we must find happiness wherever we can, even if it is not ideal. This is a difficult subject to discuss formally, but I look forward to hearing responses as to what we can make of Ishmael’s and the crew’s homosexual relations, if anything at all.

White Stuff

      Throughout the novel we have noticed several allusions are references to biblical characters and themes. On individual theme that I would like to discuss is the repetition of “white” symbols, and how these differ from others. In religious terms, white tends to represent something of purity and peace, however we notice that in Moby Dick it is referred to more as something of fear and power. So where does this separation come from? I believe that the nature of the sailors’ voyage, being something of vengeance especially for Ahab, has put them in the position where they are not abiding by “Gods intentions”. Similar to Jonah, the man that was swallowed whole by a whale, Ahab finds himself in a situation where he has not made good with god and disregards all the signs in his life. In both the stories of Jonah and Moby Dick, it seems that the “white whale” may act as more of a “holy tool of punishment” rather than just a symbol of purity. For this reason, it seems understandable why the sailors fear moby dick, because he IS gods wrath and a physical symbol of what god can do. Characters such as Elijah in the book create foreshadowing and hints towards future conflicts and destruction. It seems fit that these holy forms of retribution and punishment would be in a white and powerful form.

Melville's Word Choice

As I read this novel, I am struck by the tone of Ishmael or the author. Although we talked about the diction and the sound of Ishmael’s voice at the end of class of Tuesday, it goes further than that and the technique is one of the fundamental techniques that Melville uses in the novel. I find that the sound of his words is important to him. He is not purely driven on plot or even a random literary device. It sees that he has carefully laid out his words, even at slow points in the book; it seems to me that every word was meticulously chosen by Melville.

            I have also noticed the type of words that he tends to choose in his writing. While some of the words may be long or too advanced for the average reader to understand, I think there is something precise in his word choice. Melville may not have written a concise book, but the vocabulary that he used allowed him to accurately describe all the on goings of the Pequod and Ishmael’s adventure pretty clearly. At times it does make me feel like I’m reading a narrative about something as opposed to reading a novel with a first person point of view, but nevertheless Ishmael is a successful narrator in that he paints any scene unfolding in front of him accurately.

Tahitian Island

I was particularly interested in a quote from the book on page 299:

"For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies on insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed  by all the horrors of the half known life.  God keep thee!  Push not off from that isle, thou canst never return!"

I really liked this quote because I think it really shows that Ishmael truly thinks that whaling is life, at least life as he now knows it.  It seems to me that maybe a part of Ishmael is content with going whaling and another part is horrified at the dangers he has found.  It almost seems as if with these dangers he has found that he feels he can no longer return to his "Tahiti" because of how the horrors of this life have changed him.

This was confusing for me because we talked about at the beginning of the novel whether we thought that Ishmael's decision to go whaling was one that he was content with, really something he wanted.  We wondered if it was something that would bring him peace in the sense that it would clear the "drizzly November" in his soul.  Now I am coming to think that there is more significance in that first page than first meets the eye, maybe even some foreshadowing in it as well.  He describes this adventure as his version of "pistol and ball", so referring to suicide, and saying that instead he just takes to the sea.  Maybe the sea in this case is more of an escape than any other time, maybe it will be his last.  I may be reading too much into that but I just thought that it was interesting how these two kind of tied in together.

Another thing I want to say about this quote is that I think it is truly one that can be applicable to all of us.  I think it is a way that the author is trying to get us as readers to be able to connect the novel to our own lives.  Our Tahiti is like our comfort zone, our place where we feel we can truly be ourselves and we feel safe, and the ocean of horrors surrounding us is everything else.  I mean in that case it seems that maybe Ishmael suggests it is safer to stay in your comfort zone but I actually think that throughout the novel he shows us that he believes the opposite.  He is an adventurer, and we see that through each of his adventures he has made unexpected friends, and learned many new things.  I do not think that this quote is to be taken seriously but almost as a mockery to those who so not go to seek out things in life.  You have to face the oceans to truly experience life, and although you are peaceful in Tahiti you are not truly living.

Apperance and Reality

In Chapter 55, Ishmael introduces the idea of mimesis, meaning that no art can accurately depict a tangible object. Specifically, he elaborates on the long history of the world’s futile attempts to portray the mighty, mythical whale. He narrates that the artistic portrayals “are about as correct as a drawing of a wrecked ship, with broken back, would correctly represent the noble animal itself in all its undashed pride of hull and spars.” The only way to understand the true strength of the creature would be to witness it.

This idea of a discord between appearance and reality can be drawn out and applied to many other parts of the novel. Much like the whale, Queequeg’s true identity would never be encompassed by a pictorial representation. While he outwardly appears as someone who has “been in a fight, got in a dreadful cut, and…just come from the surgeon,” the reader is able to see past his rough exterior to a benevolent friend. Ishmael goes as far as to describe him as “the precious image of each of us men in the whaling world.” If Ishmael had never overcome his fears of sharing the bed with this fellow, he could never have discovered this truth. Again, we see that the only way to understanding is through first hand experience.

More Religious References

Religion is abundant throughout the novel. An instance I thought to be important in foreshadowing the rest of the story is the warning given by Gabriel from the Jerobeam, a ship that pulls up to the Pequod to exchange information. When the ship first pulls up, Stubb immediately recognizes Gabriel simply from hearing a story about him. Gabriel had been a prophet among the shakers in New York and proclaimed himself to be the archangel Gabriel on the ship. He ordered the captain to jump overboard and mesmerized the rest of the crew. When Mayhew, the skipper of the Jerobeam, ordered Gabriel to be put ashore, the rest of the crew threatened to desert unless Gabriel remained. Gabriel warned against killing Moby Dick as he was the “Shaker of God.” When a mate threw a lance at Moby Dick, he was thrown overboard and drowned in the water. When Gabriel’s “prophesy” came true, the crew became his disciples, as they believed he was a messenger from God.

-Gabriel warned against killing it, calling it “the Shaker God incarnated.”

            The scene was significant because Gabriel watched the drowning from atop the masthead like he was either conducting a sermon or communicating from God. After the story, Ahab makes it clear that he still plans on hunting Moby Dick so again Gabriel gives the warning saying, “Think, think of the blasphemer—dead, and down there!—beware of the blasphemer’s end!” He is urging Ahab to adhere to religion and listen to him. The fact the Ahab plans to ignore his warnings does not bode well for the members of the Pequod.

Veneration of the Whale

From his lengthy descriptions and his genuine excitement over the intricacies of whaling, it is evident to the reader that Ishmael is indeed a scholar. However, he is not a scholar of math or science but of whaling and the ocean. Interestingly, however, Ishmael does not reserve his veneration for whalers like Ahab or Starbuck or even Queequeq, but instead puts on a pedestal the very species that he hunts: the whale. Throughout the novel, Ishmael venerates Moby Dick , and whales in general, the same way a scholar venerates the expert in their field.

For example, on page 379, he comments that like great men such as Shakespeare, the whale has a large forehead where their genius is almost visible like “antlered thoughts descending there to drink.” And, as with all of his descriptions of the whale, this effect is magnified by the leviathan’s size leading to the impression that such a large species combined with such a dignified appearance creates a “deity”(379) like figure which man fears. Later on, Ishmael continues to build the parallel between the whale and great men by contesting that the vapor that appears from a whales spout is similar to the “vapor” appearing from the minds of great men, “while in the act of thinking deep thoughts”(409). Ishmael’s fascination with the whale contributes to the theme of the power of nature vs. man.

Fore-Telling, not Foreshadowing

Since the majority Moby-Dick is overly descriptive and informative, it seems kind of strange that Ishmael nearly explicitly states future events in a weak attempt at foreshadowing.  It comes as a surprise to me that the expectations of what is going to happen later in the novel, especially since, “Out of the trunk, the branches grow; out of them, the twigs. So, in productive subjects, grow the chapters,”(315). This is clear throughout the book, with much mentioning of the “aforementioned” such and such, usually involved in the devotion of an entire chapter to describing a rope, or an area of a boat (ie. The Line, or The (aptly named) Crotch). One would think that an event as major as Queequeg’s impending doom, which was made obvious in the beginning of the novel, would take up at least two or three chapters, rather than just a mere sentence or two.  There is much back and forth between subjects, mentioning them all in one chapter, then taking the next few subsequent chapters to discuss each individual subject in further detail, like the introduction of Chapter 73 that seems to needlessly mention the fact of the whale head hanging over the side of the ship, but declines to further elaborate on the subject at that time. Why mention it then, if it’s not a pressing enough topic to address immediately? Why not just wait, Ishmael, and talk about things when you intend to completely finish talking about them? And the aspects an audience is most concerned with, namely the action, are briefly addressed in a single sentence, such as the “peculiarity of the whale’s eyes is a thing to always to borne in the mind of the fishery; and to be remembered by the reader in subsequent scenes,” (360), or in the conclusion of Chapter 80, “that the great monster is indomitable, you will yet have reason to know,” (383). Why does Ishmael not devote as much description to these hints? Is it his attempt at being subtle? If he were being subtle, why not instead just surprise the reader instead of leading them toward what they should be expecting? But Elijah and Gabriel’s screaming portents that bad bad things will happen in the voyage of vengeance upon Moby Dick seem to pretty clearly delineate the fate of the Pequod and its crew under Ahab; it obviously won’t end entirely happily. It struck me as strange that so much verbosity would be spent on the minutest details, but that the major hints are simply stated without nearly as much eloquence.

Anthropomorphizing

In this past week’s reading, Ishmael spent a great deal of effort describing whales and seemingly assigning them human characteristics.  I first noticed this in chapter 69 “The Funeral”, where Ishmael describes the release of the whale’s remains to be “mourned” by the vultures and sharks that devour it.  Furthermore, in the chapter that I found to be most interesting, “Schools and Schoolmasters”, Ishmael describes habitual nature of whales to form schools of females, with one male “schoolmaster”.  In detailing this, Ishmael notes the male’s tendency to protect his harem, his family if you will, from the possible danger that foreign whales entail.  Ishmael even compares the romantic feelings that he believes male whales feel for their female counterparts to that of humans with his quote, “As ashore, the ladies often cause the most terrible duels among their rival admirers; just so with the with the whales, who sometimes come to deadly battle, and all for love”.  This statement is particularly interesting because it presupposes that whales possess the capacity to love and admire females in a capacity that surpasses mere reproductive instinct.  Following this digression by Ishmael, it is possible to come full circle and view the events of the preceding chapter, “The Grand Armada”, with a new look.  While following the herd of whales, the crew is besieged by a pirate ship that is attempting to kill them for the valuable possessions onboard.  Through this event, it becomes possible to further humanize the hunted whales, as it becomes apparent that the humans onboard the Pequod are no less in danger of being hunted than the whales are.

Comedic Relief? - A Small Essay by Will Patrick

Oh yeah, there is comedic relief in here. Like any good book, Moby-Dick has comedic relief to cheer up the audience. Comedic relief is abundant. Okay, get the picture? I'm talking about comedic relief. After gruesomely describing the death and blood fountain of the "majestic" whale, Melville feels the need to cheer his audience up.

"How?! Where?! Why?!"you may scream at the screen. How can such a arduous -- indeed tedious -- novel possibly contain such a line to make me consider laughing? Tell you, I will. It occurs in Chapter 64- Stubb's Supper. Let us turn to page 320. Here we are introduced to the cook, Fleece, an extremely old and rather grouchy black servant. (Blog Author's Side Note: servant is most likely not the correct term, however repeating "cook" or its synonyms is redundant. Correct me if you so wish.) Stubb, giddy with the success of killing a freakin' whale, decides to screw with the poor man. Example A: 


“Cook,” said Stubb, rapidly lifting a rather reddish morsel to his mouth, “don’t you think this steak is rather overdone?  You’ve been beating this steak too much, cook; it’s too tender.  Don’t I always say that to be good, a whale-steak must be tough?  There are those sharks now over the side, don’t you see they prefer it tough and rare?  What a shindy they are kicking up!  Cook, go and talk to ’em; tell ’em they are welcome to help themselves civilly, and in moderation, but they must keep quiet.  Blast me, if I can hear my own voice.  Away, cook, and deliver my message.  Here, take this lantern,” snatching one from his sideboard; “now then, go and preach to them!”


TL;DR: Stubb says the steak is too tender, and tells Fleece to preach to the ravenous sharks below.


The comedy is in the way Fleece preaches to the completely cognizant, English-speaking sharks below. He speaks as thus: “Your woraciousness, fellow-critters.  I don’t blame ye so much for; dat is natur, and can’t be helped; but to gobern dat wicked natur, dat is de pint.  You is sharks, sartin; but if you gobern de shark in you, why den you be angel; for all angel is not’ing more dan de shark well goberned.  Now, look here, bred’ren, just try wonst to be cibil, a helping yourselbs from dat whale." 


Basically say the dialogue out loud how it is spelled. You'll eventually get the dialect. I thought this was comedic relief as the cook, in me brain, sounds like this guy (start at 3:07) combined with this fella. Thus, Melville sufficiently brought me, the audience, back to happy land before delving into even darker parts of the book. 


Any comments, questions, criticisms, or divine praise can be placed in the comment section. 


*TL;DR: The cook, Fleece, is hilarious and preaches to sharks. He sounds like Mr. Smee and Oscar the Grouch. Thus, alleviating the effect of the gory mess we just read about. 
** TL; DR means Too Long; Didn't Read. It summarizes that passage
***Now that I think of it, Captain Hook is a bit like Captain Ahab. 
****Just in case, I apologize in advance for the informality. But it is a blog, which shouldn't be that formal. 

Take-away message from Hope Leslie

Here's what we learned from Hope Leslie (pardon my typos!):

Ryan: Whenever I read a novel, I always ask myself why the author felt there was a need for the story to be read (aside from publishing deals, fame, etc.). With Hope Leslie, I've arrived at the conclusion that Sedgwick wanted to give color to the monochromatic history of our forefathers. They loved, had personal ideals and desires, and came from different backgrounds. She wanted us to truly appreciate their struggles by humanizing them.

Rick: While Sedgwick uses the novel to illustrate various concepts (including nationalism, gender roles, and religion), she does so through the themes of justice, sacrifice, and loyalty portrayed throughout the novel. These three themes work together to drive the main points of the plot across through character intention and development throughout the book.

Michael: What I ultimately gained from reading Hope Leslie was a new way to look at characters in literature based on their acceptance of and obedience to social norms. The recurrent idea in the novel of challenging society's unjust doctrine cast characters in positive or negative ways. In Hope Leslie, happens ultimately conflicts with complacency with social norms. This theme reflects Sedgwick's desire to create a national literary identity through her depiction of Everell. He breaks away from society's desire for him to marry Esther in order to pursue his own happiness, something that never could have happened in England.

Brendan: Hope Leslie as a novel reveals the innate differences that people have between each other and the ways in which people view them and react. These differences can be seen as physical: skin color, class, clothes, gender, as well as emotional and "characteristical," judgment, values, and loyalty. These two contrasting ways of viewing people made an interesting view at the development of each character and their dynamic throughout the story.

Chase: Hope Leslie's story carried with it some strong themes about justice, morality, gender roles, and racial barriers. Sedgwick was able to use her characters to express her feelings that justice should be executed according to personal virtue, and morality should be objective of personal differences. She also shows that women can do good works even under oppressive circumstances, and that racial stereotypes mean nothing to the individual. The content of one's character should be the only judge of personal value.

Duncan: The most important thing I took from this book was Sedgwick's writing style. The use of letters in the text acted as ways to pull the plot along as well as character development. The letters allowed the reader crucial insight into the character's personality and background, which really helps the reader relate to the story.

Worth: I learned how sacrifices can alter lives, relationships, and people's views on different cultures. Nelema, Everell, and Magawisca are three characters who are changing throughout the novel. Hope Leslie also shifts her views on Native American culture after she reunites with her sister Faith.

Elizabeth: The most important aspect of Hope Leslie, to me, was the doubling of characters. I hadn't realized before we went over it in class, but Sedgwick compares Hope to characters who are thought less of like Gardiner and Nelema to kind of demote Hope. Throughout the novel, Hope gets away with everything because she is placed on a pedestal so comparing her to lesser characters makes her seem more real.

Kate: I think a huge theme of this novel was the idea of letting go. It is an important and necessary part of the human experience. Rosa had to let go of Gardiner. Esther had to let go of Everell. Mr. Fletcher had to let go of Alice. Magawisca had to let go of Everell and Hope had to let go of Faith.

Jenny: Sedgwick does a good job of pointing out a lot of the social constructions of her time period. She, in her own way, then critiques these boundaries that society had set up (through the character development). This show me an important way in which literature can be used: offering social and political commentary.

Barbre: I think the most important thing I learned from the book, and the most interesting aspect was the different characters' respective views of morality and justice. There is no right or wrong per se; however, when looking at them side by side it was easy to see that some characters' views were flawed. Hope's view particularly interested me, as she did not succumb to the pressures of Puritan ideals, but rather was guided by her own set of principles and was true to them.

Emily: The most important aspect that I took away from this novel was the importance of love. It seems as if love drives everyone's actions throughout Hope Leslie. For example, Magawisca sacrifices her arm out of love and admiration for Everell. Hope ends up helping Magawisca get out of jail because she loves Everell and Everell owes his life to Magawisca. Esther also acts of love for her friends, Everell and Hope, by leaving to go to England and let them have their life and for her to start over. Made sacrifices out of love.

Shannon: I think the most important lesson that can be taken away from Hope Leslie is that there is more to a person than the clothes they wear or the social category they are lumped into. Although Sir Gardiner dresses and outwardly presents himself as a gentleman, he is actually the villain. Conversely, Digby, who is of a low social class, continually defines himself as brave and honorable.

Justan: The misunderstandings between the Indians and Puritans was probably worse than I thought. The justice that the Puritans brought to American was very un-faltering, probably wasn't a good thing. Race, sex, and social status are always substantial in the public eye and realizing this is the only way to fix it. A lot can be learned from these things.

Will Cox: The most interesting thing I got from Hope Leslie was the severity and depth of classes/roles in society. Each character during the novel was given a defined role that, although the book encompassed a significant time span, did not change. This was especially seen in the societal role of women and also had parallels carry over with Native Americans.

Kerry: I found the historical aspect of the book the most interesting. Sedgwick attempts to show the Indian vs. English conflict from both sides. Throughout the entire book, justice is a very strong theme and each character has his or her own idea of what justice is. Although each of these people's ideas are different, no one is necessarily wrong. I think Sedgwick was trying to use this idea to show the Indians were just doing what they thought was appropriate without offending readers.

Nina: I found it very interesting how Sedgwick really gave women and Native Americans a fighting chance in this novel. When we think about the true history of America neither of these parties are given credit for their contributions. I believe both played a huge role, and I love that she attempts to convey that even though it is not all historical. Women for years were not viewed as important or smart, or capable, but this novel pushes the societal views of women. She uses the characters to critique societal views of women and Native Americans. Very interesting!

Abby: I think what is most interesting to me is the historical content of this book. I was raised in Massachusetts, so I am very familiar with the context of the novel. The narrative that Sedgwick provides for the inhabitants of this time really gives me a different perspective about our national identity and history. The social construct of the characters and their environment drive the plot and Sedgwick evaulates the role players of this time.

Berton: My favorite part of this book is how Sedgwick writes in historical figures (like Winthrop) but at the same time writes a fictional story. I find it cool because it's like she is rewriting history from a different perspective and from a different time period. At first, I wasn't sure if I would like this book and I found it sort of low, but in the end I found it very enjoyable.

Breeze: I believe that Sedgwick's most important point in Hope Leslie was that independence is important in order to live a life based on justice. Using the historical context of the Puritans, Sedgwick created a stark contrast between those who blindly follow the law, and end up unhappy or looking foolish, and those who use their conscience or personal sense of morality and are portrayed as heroes/heroines.

Sarah: From Hope Leslie I gained that loyalty to yourself and your values is the most admirable and important characteristic one can have, and that these loyalties and values are derived from a higher source, whether that be God (Protestant or Catholic) or the Native Americans' Great Spirit. Being independent, bold, and strong while trusting in yourself and remaining steadfast to your personal values is the most satisfying way to live and will result in a happy ending.

Ben: The most important thing I took from the novel was the differing views of both culture and gender of the era. Hope is able to defy traditional gender roles and become a female protagonist in a time period where women were seen as inferior. Magawisca defies both gender and cultural identities as she is seen as much more civilized than many of her white counterparts.

Will Patrick: THe major thing I took away was the role of emotion vs. religion. There are multiple points in the book -- mostly revolving around the men (Mr. Fletcher, Everell, Winthrop, Gardiner) -- where a character has to choose between what their heart wants and what their religious beliefs say for them to do. It ties in with their sense of justice too, where justice is either determined by their heart or by what they believe (case by case or unprejudice or laws).

Class summary 2/2/12

1. Race Relations - Tolerance?

a. Early Chapters Ishmael and Queequeg: Chapters 3 and 10 both describe relationship as marriage like (share a bed, Ishmael smokes from Quequeg’s pipe)

Later Chapters romantic?

b. Crew Relations (Chapter 27, Harpooners and Mates)

i. Differences between relations on land and out to sea

c. Whiteness not necessarily a good thing - chp 42 - (Emily)

d. Each character is so quick to judge Queequeg as inferior because of his complexion and religion, when in fact Queequeg is easily one of the more tolerant and talented character that Melville introduces.  Furthermore, those who accept him for who he is, specifically Ishmael, are greatly rewarded throughout the novel by the good deeds that Queequeg does for them - Will Cox

2. Religious Allusions
A. Church Service (chapters 2 and 9)
1. “Blackness of Darkness”
2. Father Mapple “Preaching the truth in the face of Falsehood.”

ii. Story about Jonah, different explanation than most would initially rationalize

B. Allusions to Bible and Shakespeare - Basis of Melville’s reading

i. Foreshadowing in Biblical Names(Ryan)

ii. Ahab, Ishmael, Elijah

C. Initially told all people on Pequod had to be Christian
i. interesting that the were okay with Queepeg, showed they valued skill over mentality

D. Comparisons between Moby Dick and God

i. Can be in more than one place at a time, somewhat immortal, “intelligent malignity”

ii. Ahab as going against God’s will by going after Moby Dick (Kerry)

3. Ahab

• Monomaniac- Grudge against whale

i. Ahab searching for truth (Chapter 35 Masthead, Ishmael talks about the mysteries of the ocean and only seeing a small part of a big picture)   

• blindly on a quest, tragic quest?

a. Fatal Flaw as in Greek dramas (Worth)
b. Monomaniac

• Chp 52, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Poem)

i. Foreshadowing- a Mission destined to fail (Ryan)
ii. Crew met death chasing a dream/fate

• Fate, freewill, and chance (chapter 35)- how do all of these relate to Ahab’s desire to kill Moby Dick

4. Ishmael as a narrator

• The narrator is more like a normal person, which makes it understandable why he is so easy to like.  Melville wastes no time doing this, establishing a human to human relationship in the first line when he says, "Call me Ishmael."  This establishes a relationship of ease, and makes it easy to follow him, as if listening to a friend.

• Not a “plot driving character,” which also makes readers more comfortable with his perceptions (Tyler)
• Otherwise would be a single plot and less interesting, probably

• Informative Narrator: Why does Ishmael provide so much additional information, ie chapters on Cetology 32 and whaling in 33(Ben)

• Alluding language and Romanticism- Ishmael’s longing to be at sea (Jenny and Mike)

Whales

• Fascination with whales, because of size and mass
• not fair fight between Ahab and Whale
• Leviathan = Lucifer?
• Moby Dick is something of a symbol for power?
• Moby-Dick  or Moby Dick
• Ahab sees Moby dick as equal

Places of interest

• Nantucket
• New Bedford whaling museum
• Multiple nationalities of crew

1. Overall quest (I think chapter 47 does a nice job providing the reader with a metaphorical picture of fate, freewill, and chance, as it relates to the woven mat)
1. tragic quest
2. private revenge and for humankind
1. madness - chp. 36, 41
2. blasphemy - chp. 19, 36, 37
2. Ishmael
1. suicidal initially
2. Chp. 42, relationship with whale
3. Changing point of view
1. initially first person retrospective
4. Reference to Moby Dick as “Job’s whale” chp. 41
5. Biblical Ishmael
1. sole survivor, social renewal?
6. Reference to time period like knights
1. Moby dick - dragon
2. Ahab - King protecting territory (boat) against dragon (whale)
7. Most important chapters (so the book said) 1-13, 23, 36-38, 40-42, 93, 99

    a.  Chapters 1-13 are important, because I feel that the story changes direction a bit after Ishmael and Queequeg arrive in Nantucket

Thoughts on choice of narrator

After only briefly reading Moby Dick the novel, and without even meeting Ahab yet in the early parts of the novella, it becomes very clear the type of relationship he will have with Ismael, and the reason Ahab is not the narrator.  Much like in the novel Great Gatsby, the "plot driving character" is not the narrator.  Gatsby being my second favorite Fitzgerald novel, which is also my second favorite novel of any author, I love this move by Melville.  Gatsby and Melville are both incredible personalities, but what makes them so unique is there obsession; their pure passion, that consequently withholds them from being the Narrator.  They see so clearly the world they are in, that it would not be fair to the common reader to have to see the world through their eyes when the passion is lacking in the reader.  Although I think it would be extraordinary interesting to read a view from Ahab, it would be very skewed from my mindset.  The narrator is more like a normal person, which makes it understandable why he is so easy to like.  Melville wastes no time doing this, establishing a human to human relationship in the first line when he says, "Call me Ishmael."  This establishes a relationship of ease, and makes it easy to follow him, as if listening to a friend.  You can almost feel a breath of relief, as you relax and continue reading.  It is truthfully a beautiful move by Melville.  Similar to which, is the opening paragraph of the Great Gatsby, where Nick appeals to really all shapes and sizes by honestly letting his guard down and the reader inside.  Ahab and Gatsby have an unarguable more amount of charisma and character, but would not be able to let their guard down and leave the almost romantic world they live in.  The reader would feel uneasy and nervous, never really trusting the narrator, which in character driven novels as these, would make for a very difficult read.

Etymology and Extracts

One thing I find very striking about Moby-Dick is its introductory Etymology and Extracts and how they relate to larger themes found within the book.  The Etymology provides several definitions of the word whale and takes its spelling from a variety of different languages.  This section is not merely to provide the reader with additional information about the origins of the word “whale,” but to open the reader up to a story that transcends the variety of cultures and speaks to the different facets of human nature, as a whole.  The opening statement about the Usher also hints at this by saying, “He loved to dust his old grammars, it somehow mildly reminded him of his mortality.”  This is not just a story about whaling, but about larger issues regarding humanity. 

                Melville does not add the Extracts for sheer entertainment purposes either, even though the narrator toys with that thought in the opening paragraph.  In a statement that we, as the reader, must take very tongue-in-cheek, the narrator explains, “these extracts are solely valuable for entertaining.”   However, the extracts range anywhere from the Bible to Shakespeare, offering unity among a range of quotes.  As with the Etymology, this section also opens the reader up to larger themes within the novel and hints at the intertextuality, or combining of genres, throughout the story.  This can be seen in the story's stage-like dialogues and in the many religious allusions throughout novel.