DQ's chapters 97-101

Discussion questions:

In chapter 99 (335), when the crew are surrounding the doubloon, Queequeg compares some of the symbols on the coin to the symbols of his tattoos, but walks away without communicating his thoughts to the other sailors. Can we assume that Queequeg was able to make a connection to the designs on the doubloon? What was going through his head at the time? What similarities exist between the three mountain peaks and the zodiac, and Queequeg? Is there anything “cannibalistic” about the design in the coin?

At the end of chapter 99 (335), Pip approaches the doubloon after watching everyone else take a crack at it, and concludes that the doubloon will be the downfall for everyone. He says “here’s the ship’s navel, this doubloon here, and they are all on fire to unscrew it” and implies that, in doing so, they are going to destroy the ship because they are so caught up in the reward of the white whale, that they are blinding themselves to the danger of it. Is Pip right? Is the Moby Dick going to sink the ship before anyone gets a chance to claim it?

At the end of chapter 100 (340), we are reminded again of the absolute hatred that Captain Ahab feel towards Moby Dick, or what some might call insanity, by his impatience with Captain Boomer and his doctor after they tell him about how Captain Boomer lost his arm to Moby Dick. Boomer says “hark ye! he’s best let alone,” a far more appropriate and humane approach to his run-in with the whale. Is this enormous contrast between the mindsets of the two captains an attempt by Melville further emphasize the absolute insanity of Ahab?

DQ: 97-101

The Lamp: 97
       The perks of being Whalemen, is as good as "the milk of queens," however they are still thought of as dark or lonely. Is this Ishmael's way of comparing royalty and money against hardwork and sweat? Do whaler's deserve more respect for their work? (329)

The Doubloon: 99
       Is the Doubloon signifying the open-mindedness of the ship? By showing a doubloon of Equadorian descent as a reward for Ahab's most wanted "villain." Multiple people have been in awe of this coin, and while it isn't American, yet South American,  it is still desired by all people for it's beauty. Just as the harpooners from pagan areas, is this coin more valuable than it's background seems?
     

DQ's for Chapters 97-101

In the short chapter "The Lamp, " light imagery is common. What is meant by "the food of the light?" Melville  says that the oil that is burned by sailors is the purest known. What is the significance of the fact that the oil used by sailors has never been touched by light, shown in the quote "a fluid unknown to solar, lunar, or astral contrivances?" Think about relations between cannibalism and light.


Devil imagery is common when talking about the Doubloon. Ahab invokes it, as does Stubb and Starbuck. What is the significance? Could Ahab, who sees himself in the coin, be calling himself a devil? Is this true? Is Ahab conscious of this?

Ishmael tells us that "some certain significance lurks in all things, ... else just to sell by the cartload, as they do hills about Boston, to fill up some morass in the Milky Way" (331). Is Ishmael correct in this? How does this relate to themes of common man being a hero? How does it relate to America? The rest of the book? If all things have meaning, does this mean all the interpretations of the Doubloon are correct? How does this fit with previous statements of the book?

Discussion questions Ch. 97 - 101

In chapter 98, Stowing Down and Clearing Up, Melville depicts how sailors clean up the ship which is contaminated by Whales’oil and blood by using “[t]he unmanufactured sperm oil” which “possesses a singularly cleansing virtue”. (330). In here, which theme does Melville want to express? How does the comparison of cleanness and dirtiness relate to theme capitalism and Industrialism?                                                                          

        

“ [T]he image of the rounder globe, which like a magician’s glass, to each and every man in turn but mirrors back his own mysterious.” (332) In chapter 99, What does Melville attempt to imply when he exposes human being’s material desires through sailors’ reactions toward golden coin?                            

What does Melville want to tell us when Starbuck says “[n]o fairy fingers can have pressed the gold, but devil’s claw must have left their moulding there since yesterday.(333)”  Who is devil here?        

“ This coin speaks wisely, mildly, truly, but still sadly to me. I will quit it, lest Truth shake me falsely.” (333). Why he “will quit it”, what is the golden coin represent? How does Melville’s consciousness relate to Christianism principle?

Discussion Questions Ch. 97-101

1. On page 332 (Chapter 99) Ishmael describes the doubloon as "pure" and "immaculate" sacrifice that is used for a greater purpose. Obviously, Melville is alluding to the biblical death of Jesus Christ. What is Melville saying about religion by comparing the death of Jesus to Ahab's monomaniacal quest? Can the doubloon lead to some for of salvation for Ahab?

2. In chapter 100 (page 336) In his hurry to get to the English ship, Ahab steps off his boat for the first time since losing his leg. He is described as somewhat of a burden and seems to feel the full effect of his handicap. At one point Ishmael says that he is "reduced to a clumsy landsman again." Is this the beginning of the end for Ahab?

3. How  do you think meeting the English Captain, who had an extremely similar experience with Moby Dick but chose to discontinue his quest for the white whale, will have an effect on Ahab?

Discussion Questions 97-101

1. How does the line "[the whaleman] burns, too, the purest of oil, in its unmanufactured, and, therefore, unvitiated state" relate to Ishmael's notion that the best places, and things, are uncharted and uncivilized (Chapter 97)? Ishmael states that anything in its uncivilized state is pure, and how might this thought contradict Ishmael's actions and duties as a whaler promoting industrialization?

2. Melville continues to reference a worship of the sun. In Chapter 99, he writes that the doubloon is a "medal of the sun." Ahab and whales have been depicted as sun-worshippers, and Pip was compared to the sun in Chapter 93. Could there be any meaning behind all this reverence toward the sun? Is Melville suggesting a critique of religion by emphasizing a greater appreciation of natural elements during the turbulent time of industrialization and human desecration of the wild frontier?

3. Ahab states that "[the world] cannot solve itself," a statement that justifies the obsession and perseverance with which he approaches the search for Moby-Dick (Chapter 99). However, after discussing his lack of power over the signs of the zodiac and their implications, Ahab seems to accept his lack of free-will when he laments, "So be it, then. Born in throes, 'tis fit that man should live in pains and die in pangs" (Chapter 99). Ahab's search to create significance in his life leads him on the quest to kill the white whale, a mentally and emotionally excruciating endeavor. Does Ahab consider the pain of his monomania natural? It appears that Ahab has realized that his journey might be doomed, but has he really accepted his own lack of control?

Discussion questions 91-96

1. Does Melville connect the extraction of ambergris through "the inglorious bowels of a sick whale" to the "fine ladies and gentleman" to show the fine line between the the putrid bowels of a whale to the elite class in society or to show that human nature can completely change the properties of something and make it important? Are the separation of these things important to him?
2. Does Ishmael use the example of Pip as a ship keeper to prove to us that he, Ishmael, is a more important part of the ship? Does the usage of  the nickname Pip signify the lack of experience that Melville might be trying to get across to us in order to contrast with his own wisdom? Is the same idea applicable to Dough-Boy?
3. On page 323, Does Ishmael use the language that he does to not subtract from the masculinity of their accomplishment? Is this a common theme of the language used throughout the telling of this story that creates the masculine hardy image that is created of whalers in this book? Does Melville use this to affect his own image do to his whaling background?

discussion questions ch. 91-96

1. Stubb tricks the French into giving away the valuable whale in a joking but ironic way. Knowing that the  French captain had little experience in whaling, Stubb abused this naivety of the captain and 'robbed' the precious ambergris from him. Does this reflect America's imperialism that reached its peak in the 1800's and 1900's? Or, in a general sense, is this simply a part of human nature---1. meet new people 2. see what they got 3. be friends with them 4. rob them? 

2. Building on the previous question, what is Melville's perspective on this event? No bad consequences occurred to Stubb and Ahab's crew, and they successfully got the 'purse': ambergris. However, Melville doesn't openly praise Stubb's actions either. Is Melville just describing the mind tricks going on in politics and wars during his era objectively?

3. While ambergris exists only in the sickest and the most infected whales, it is the most valuable substance besides oil that can be found in whales. Does this interesting contradiction symbolize something else? Putting Moby-Dick aside, aren't old men usually the wisest? America, at Melville's time, was still a very young nation. Is Melville warning the country that they don't have enough 'ambergris' in them, that they are not steady as a nation yet?

DQ's 91-96

1. What does the "not very pleasant smell" signify? Is Melville using this smell as foreshadowing for further negative events in the novel? Or does he simply intend for it to be a bad smell?
2. "Now this ambergris is a very curious substance, and so important as an article of commerce, that in 1791 a certain Nantucket-born Captain Coffin was examined at the bar of the English House of Commons on that subject" (317). Elaborate on the importance of ambergris. Is Melville once again attempting to emphasize the vastness and importance of the whaling industry by detailing the uses of ambergris? Describe the contradictory nature of ambergris's origin and its uses.
3. What does Ishmael mean when he says, "for even blackness has his greatness" (319)? Does this alter or enrich our thoughts on Ishmael's stance on race and racism?

Discussion Questions Ch. 91-96

1. The explanation of how Ambergris is formed, on page 318, is the jumping-off-point for Melville's commentary on corruption and incorruption. The process of turning a dead animal into a perfume is much like the process of imperial colonization. Western Europe spread out to the far corners of the globe and "corrupted" the countries by making commodities out of their resources and population. Does Melville make any other connections to things being "corrupted"? Does this imagery relate to the ongoing discussion about who is the real savage?

2. Ishmael describes how to prepare a whale for the try-works in very detached, mechanical terms. He runs through the process in a strictly technical sense. How does this kind of description influence the view of their actions? Can it be that the mechanical language detaches us from the reality that they have just killed a majestic creature and are now butchering it? Does Melville intentionally present the scene from an industrialized point of view so as to comment on how beautiful things are being lost in the name of industry?

3. On page 328 we find that the author is rebuking the flames of the try-works and embracing those of the sun. Does Melville's description of the the try-works present a negative view of industry? Doesn't Melville teach us to fear nature? How are the try-works a symbol for the direction of 1850's America as a whole?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 91-96

One

Ishmael highlights the irony of ambergris when he exclaims, “Who would think, then, that such fine ladies and gentlemen should regale themselves with an essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale! Yet so it is. By some ambergris is supposed to be the cause, and by others the effect, of the dyspepsia in the whale” (317). So is this luxury item, this symbol of elegance and high-fashion, the producer or the product of degradation and sickness? Is it the existence of materials items that amplifies greed, or is it the existence of greed that increases the rate of industrialization and leads to more material items? Or is materialism simply a vicious cycle with no beginning or end?

Two

To what extent does Ishmael use Pip to break down racial constructs over the course of a chapter that, on the surface, seemingly highlights the boy’s inferiority? Ishmael describes how “Pip turned his crisp, curling, black head to the sun, another lonely castaway” (321). By putting Pip in the same category as the sun, is Ishmael hinting at the boy’s underlying nature? He seems to disagree with the crew’s opinion of Pip: “from that hour the little negro went about the deck an idiot; such, at least, they said he was (321). How is Ishmael able to distance himself from the rest of the crew? Why is Ishmael, in particular, suited to break down racial constructs? What makes him such a keen observer of the underlying nature of his surroundings?

Three

In chapter 58, Ishmael discusses the terrors of the sea; he then describes, “As this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horror of the half-known world” (224). Is Ishmael hinting at the importance of exploration and risk-taking? Is he implying that a dangerous, scary, unsettling life—full of unanswered questions—is better than a placid, safe, simple life—full of questions never asked? At the end of chapter 96, is he making a similar claim? He says the following:

There is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he for ever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains; so that even in his lowest swoop the mountain eagle is still higher than other birds upon the plain, even though they soar. (328)

Could the eagle be an allegory for the person who flies wildly, who is unsure of a precise destination, who may experience the “blackest gorges” of suffering or the “sunny spaces” of joy—but who will always be better-off than the bird that only barely takes off from the ground, than the seaman who never quite ventures away from the shore, than the human who never fully embraces a risk?

1) "The manufactured sperm oil possesses a singularly cleansing virtue. This is the reason why the decks never look so white as just after what they call an affair of oil" (330).

Regarding this quote, how does Ishmael's usage of the term "white"describe the overall atmosphere of the Pequod? What does this suggest about his interpretation of the word, and how does this utilization compare and contrast to the "Whiteness of the Whale" chapter? Furthermore, does Ishmael's description of the crew as "bridegrooms" attribute a feminine quality to the men? How does gender play a role in the overall theme of "whiteness?"

2) In contrast to an earlier portion of the chapter, Ishmael explains that, once another whale is spotted, the crew renews the cycle and "the ghost is spouted up" (331). How does the ghost (a traditionally white apparition) compare to the another mentioning of white on page 330? Ishmael describes the cycle as taking a violent turn, and it becomes "man-killing!" How does the new attitude of the men shift? Does this reflect upon the theme of gender? How does gender tie into the differences in whiteness?

3) The theme of interpretation is embedded within the pages of "The Doubloon." Ishmael asserts various statements, such as:

"If we bend down our eyes, the dark vale shows her mouldy soul; but if we lift them, the bright sun meets our glance half way, to cheer" (333).

"Shall I call that wise or foolish, now; if it be really wise it has a foolish look to it; yet, if it be really foolish, then has it a sort of wiseish look to it" (334).

and finally...

"But one morning, turning to pass the doubloon, he seemed to be newly attracted by the strange figures and inscriptions stamped on it, as though now for the first time beginning to interpret for himself in some monomaniac way whatever significance might lurk in them. And some certain significance lurks in all things, else all things, are little worth, and the round world itself but any empty cipher..." (331).

Now, consider this: the zodiac cycle mentioned later on is described as being "one round chapter." Does that seem to tie into the "round world itself?" If so, what does this suggest in regards to Queequeg, with his tattoos that "look like the signs of the Zodiac?" How has his worth shifted within the chapter? Even more so, does the cycle of the zodiac reflect or connect to the cycle of the men? Are we all trapped within the same path, continuously transitioning from feminine to masculine qualities?

DQ chapter 91-96

1. In the chapter Ambergris Ishmael tells us how found in the intestines of a sick whale is a very valuable substance called ambergris that is used in perfumes. "Who would think, then, that such fine ladies and gentlemen should regale themselves with an essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale!" (317). How can something so gruesome and vile also be valuable and sweet-smelling? Can this be related to the cannibal/civilized theme?

2. In the chapter The Castaway Stubb threatens Pip that if he jumps again, he will leave him in the ocean. Ishmael observes and says "perhaps Stubb indirectly hinted, that though man loves his fellow, yet man is a money-making animal, which propensity too often interferes with his benevolence" (321). Ishmael points out the terrifying fact that humans often choose money over human life. How does this relate to industrialism and racism of the era?

3. In the chapter A Squeeze of the Hand Ishmael becomes entranced in his job of squeezing lumps of sperm back into fluid. Ishmael says, "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" (323). What does this say about the relationships between the sailors? Does Melville mean for this to be interpreted sexually?

Discussion Questions Round III: Chapters 91-96

Question 1
Chapter 93, The Castaway, focuses on the young Negro, Pip, who is left out at sea on a whale hunt because he does not stay in the boat.  While it is assumed by Ishmael that Stubb did not really intend to abandon Pip to drown, Stubb himself says, "We can't afford to lose whales by the likes of you; a whale would sell for thirty times what you would, Pip, in Alabama" (321).  In stating this, Stubb essentially claims that Pip's life is worth less than that of a Leviathan, a beast.  How does this connect with the racial allegory that many people suppose underscores the drama of Moby-Dick?  Would Melville agree or disagree with Stubb in measuring the value of life based on the sale price at an auction?  What does this say about rising capitalist ideals in the Industrial era, that the product is worth more than its unskilled producers?  Does Melville confuse any binaries by creating a hierarchy of value amongst both people and animals?

Question 2
Though many of Melville's anatomically relevant chapters (The Fountain, The Tail, Cetology, etc.) have revealed some deeper philosophical insight about whales, the whale industry, or just about writing, Chapter 95, The Cassock, does not seem to accomplish those goals.  Why, then, would Melville include a chapter about that particular part of the whale, except in the interest of being thorough, though he has already "promised nothing complete"? (116).  However, he does compare the mincer's appearance clothed in "the cassock" to that of an archbishop, so he could be playing with the idea of religious rituals, claiming that whaling itself is a religion, or simply satirizing religion in general.

Question 3
Chapter 96, The Try-Works, illustrates the burning of the whale's corpse, run, of course, by the "pagan harpooneers" (327).  These fires help make the Pequod seem like it is "plunging into that blackness of darkness" and "the material counterpart of her monomaniac commander's soul" (327).  Even though Ishmael is supposed to be steering the helm, he is intrigued and captivated by these fires, so much so that he loses his sense of direction.  Could this hypnotic confusion of place also be a confusion of his own identity?  Does Ishmael feel his control over himself melting away and being replaced by the mob-mentality on the Pequod?  What does the association of these fires with darkness and with Ahab do to muddle the line between light and dark that has been explored other locations with respect to skin color?  Does Ishmael have any residual feelings of prejudice towards his "pagan" companions?

Chapter 42-44 DQ's

Think about what Melville says about light. He says that it remains “white or colorless in itself.” Does this match with what light actually is? If white is all colors combined, what does that mean about the whale? Light touches all things, does that mean whiteness does too?

Think about the idea of Albino people. How does it change, or not change, for the whale? Is there a significance for use of the word “Albino” in reference to the whale as opposed to white?

Ahab is referenced as Prometheus, a titan from Greek mythology. Is Melville elevating him above godly status, or subtly putting him below? What about “the vulture that feeds upon that heart forever?” How is this vulture that Ahab has created similar to the “creature” that Prometheus created, or rather enlightened, humans? How does the quest for the whale fit into these things?

discussion problems ch. 45-48

1. In Surmises, Melville quoted, "That protection could only consist in his own predominating brain and heart and hand, backed by a heedful, closely calculating attention to every minute atmospheric influence which it was possible for his crew to be subjected to." Ishmael hints that Ahab realizes the importance of the atmosphere and the crew's inner thoughts. How does this realization affect Ahab's strategy of  marking Moby-Dick as a superstitious figure afterwards? Does making the whale god-like a great solution of Ahab's case?

2. Ishmael states that "with my own hand I ply my own shuttle and weave my own destiny into these unalterable threads." While people have the "free will" to weave their own fate, the threads remain "unalterable." What does this symbolize about Ahab's voyage? Is Ahab forced by fate to pursue Moby-Dick and seek revenge or did he choose to do that?

3. Stub is described by Ishmael as "He would say the most terrific things to his crew, in a tone so strangely compounded of fun and fury, and the fury seemed so calculated merely as a spice to the fun, that no oarsman could hear such queer invocations without pulling for dear life, and yet pulling for the mere joke of the thing." In contrast to "dark" Ahab's furious and pushy tone, Stub charms the crew with the same power and dignity Ahab possesses. Why does Melville develop Stub into such a character? Is he meant to replace Ahab?

Ch. 16-18 DQs

1. In Moby-Dick, there are characters with varying degrees of commitment to their respective religions. How does religion affect one character's ability to relate to another? i.e. the Fighting Quakers. Do the religious characters come across as more sympathetic to the reader? and how is Melville intentionally using this?

2.  How does Queequeg's customs and culture affect his relationship with Ishmael? for example Yojo and his fasting/ Ramadan. Should he even try to hold onto his culture now that he is an outcast? should Queequeg try to assimilate with the other whalers?

3. Melville alludes to captain Ahab as a mysterious and heroic figure. How does the mystique of Captain Ahab have an effect on Ishmael even before their first meeting?

Questions for Ch. 45-48

1. In "The Affidavit," Ishmael says that on three occasions he saw a whale get away after being harpooned. On one occasion Ishmael says that three years later, "this man and this whale again came together, and the one vanquished the other, (171). He uses Man as a symbol of industrialism and whales as a symbol for all things natural. Is Melville/ Ishmael implying that it is impossible for Industrialism and nature to coexist and one must consume the other by telling this story?

2. In "Surmises," Ahab becomes aware that some of the crew are not in agreement with his feud with Moby Dick, especially Starbuck. Ahab knows that, "for all this the chief mate, in his soul, abhorred his captain's quest, and could he, would joyfully disintegrate himself from it, or even frustrate it," (177). Later in the chapter, Ahab makes the decision that he has to try to be a better captain to his crew. Why does he do this? Is it because he desperately wants his revenge on Moby Dick, and must maintain control of his ship by avoiding mutiny to accomplish this? Or is Ahab genuinely interested in being a good captain by not risking the safety of his crew and having a successful whaling voyage?

3. In "The Mat-Maker," Ishmael alludes to the theme of fate with the weaving of the mat. Being on a ship on the open ocean, it doesn't appear that Ishmael has any control of his life and is truly at the mercy of fate. What is Melville saying about American Society and how the average American should conduct themselves?

Discussion Questions for Ch. 45-48

1. What is the point of Ishmael noting that each whale is known by a particular name by most whalers whereas every whaler who dies is forgotten by the world? Are the whales more important or more glorified than the whalers? Ishmael's anger toward this injustice is evident when he says, "For God's sake, be economical with your lamps and candles! not a gallon you burn, but at least one drop of man's blood was spilled for it"(172).

2. Melville personifies sperm whales in more than one instance. On page 174, Ishmael recounts the story of the Commodore's ship almost sinking after an encounter with a sperm whale. How does Melville's comparison between the Commodore and St. Paul show personify or deify the whale?

3. How has Ahab transformed himself into a dictator? Melville describes Starbuck's captivation with Ahab as a "magnet at Starbuck's brain"(177). Can any comparisons be drawn between other fascist dictators and Ahab?

Chapters 45-48 Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions

1.  In "The Affadavit," Ishmael claims, "So ignorant are most landsmen of some of the plainest and most palpable wonders of the world, that without some hints touching the plain facts, historical and otherwise, of the fishery, they might scout at Moby Dick as a monstrous fable, or still worse and more detestable, a hideous and intolerable allegory" (172).  While in the footnote it states that "Melville is not referring to the book Moby-Dick" but rather to the white whale itself, much of the analysis surrounding the white whale done concerns its allegory, especially in the context of slavery in America.  Knowing this, what are we supposed to do with Ishmael's warning to stray away from treating the whale as simply an allegorical figure?  Meanwhile, he also asserts that this mistake of misinterpreting Moby-Dick is a problem unique to "landsmen."  Though we ordinarily associate land with safety and knowledge, here Ishmael attributes the greater understanding to sailors and the like.  How does this fit with Melville's agenda to break down traditional viewpoints and destroy binaries?

2.  The beginning of "Surmises" offers a commentary on Ahab, noting his willingness to "sacrifice all mortal interests to [his] one passion" (177).  More miraculous than Ahab's monomania, however, is his ability to control those who do not even agree with his irrational quest.  Starbuck, his first mate, after reflecting on his disinterest in hunting the white whale in "Dawn," proceeds to go along with the mission, as his "body and [his] coerced will were Ahab's, so long as Ahab kept his magnet at Starbuck's brain" (177).  What does Starbuck's submission to Ahab's power, despite his disagreement about the fundamental principles of the voyage, say about the nature of tyrannical power and the mob mentality?  How does Ahab brainwash people who are conscious of being brainwashed?  Why is Starbuck unable to break free?

3.  In "The First Lowering," after the crew of the Pequod finally meets the stowaways, Ishmael has a strange foreboding.  He "silently recalled the mysterious shadows [he] had seen creeping on board the Pequod during the dim Nantucket dawn, as well as the enigmatical hintings of the unaccountable Elijah" (183).  Why do the new crew members resurrect the eeriness of the chapters that took place on land?  What does the reference to Elijah, the prophet, hold in terms of the success of their voyage?  Could Ishmael's instinct be connected to the conclusion of the chapter, in which Queequeg stabs a whale, but it gets away and harms their boat?  At what price will killing Moby-Dick come?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 45-48

Discussion Questions for Chapters 45-48

1. From the opening line of the novel, "Call me Ishmael," to the current moment, there has been a clear element of unreliability in the narration of the tale (18). In The Affidavit, does Ishmael's attempts to verify his story through facts foster more trust in the narration, or further sentiments of unreliability?
2. Explain why Melville chose to contrast the slow, uneventful beginning of Chapter 47 with the exciting Chapter 48. Can this contrast be related to any of the other major comparisons in the novel?
3. Ahab's devotion towards killing the white whale is made even more obvious in Chapter 48. In both his speech on the top of p. 182, and the fact that he hid a separate elite whaling crew aboard, Ahab has made it very clear that he won't stop until Moby Dick is dead. In your opinion, will Ahab's insanity lead the Pequod to it's demise or will Ahab's quest prevail?

Questions for Ch. 45-48

1. As Ishmael weaves his sword-mat, he does so "mechanically." Because Melville often links humans to machines and industry, what does this description say about the concept of carving one's own destiny? Does it allude to mankind's desire for control? The American Dream? Furthermore, how does chance come into play? If coincidence truly has the last say and overpowers free will, what is Melville saying on the matter of control and ambition?

2. Melville attributes mechanical descriptions to mankind throughout the novel, and he continues to do so with his "manufactured man" in "Surmises." However, Melville adds onto the typical description of man by making him dimensional. He suggests an additional impassioned layer underneath humans' industrial nature. The White Whale reveals this barbaric savagery and stirs emotion within the crew. After the "Whiteness of the Whale" chapter, is there any significance to the fact that the White Whale is able to influence the internal nature of humans?

3. When Tashtego cries, "There she blows," the sperm whale sighted is likened to a ticking clock. This comparison contrasts with the previous natural characteristics Melville gives the sea creature. Normally, whales symbolize natural resources, while humans represent the industrial side of the whaling business. Furthermore, Ahab thens calls for the time, which connects to the mechanical clock description of the sperm whale. What is the significance of time within this scene? Does it suggest a connection or bridge between the two natures of the whaling business?

DQ's 42-44

1. Is Ishmael's philosophical rambling supposed to confuse the reader? Is the lack of perfect logic in the chapter the Whiteness of the Whale supposed to hint at the lack of logic in racism?

2. Ishmael points out the absurdity of searching for one whale in all of the ocean, but then continues on talking about Ahab's ability to calculate latitudes and tracking where sperm whales may be at certain times of the year. Could Ishmael be justifying Ahab's quest and could he believe that Ahab is actually capable of tracking one whale?

3. As Ishmael talks about Ahab and his obsession with killing the white whale he says, "yielding up all his thoughts and fancies to his one supreme purpose; that purpose, its own sheer inveteracy of will, forced itself against gods and devils into a kind of self-assumed, independent being of its own" (170). Could Ahab's obsession, which consumes him, be even more dangerous than the whale itself? Is Ahab putting himself in more danger than its worth? And even if Ahab does kill the whale, does the whale ultimately win because Ahab has already lost control of his own self?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 42-44

1) Race

Of course, the classic question: to what extent is Ishmael discussing race in his discussion of "whiteness"? How can a reader extend his statements into allegorical commentary on American society? He says the following:

With whatever is sweet and honorable and sublime, there yet lurks an elusive something in the innermost idea of this hue, which strikes more of a panic to the soul than that redness which affrights the blood. (160)

Is Ishmael referring to the true nature of white individuals—slave owners and racists—underneath their skin?


2) Footnotes

Melville's use of footnotes has been relatively infrequent so far. In chapter 42, however, he includes an extensive footnote about Ishmael's (or perhaps his own) first sighting of an albatros:

I remember the first albatross I ever saw. It was during a prolonged gale, in waters hard upon the Antarctic seas. From my forenoon watch below, I ascended to the overclouded deck; and there, dashed upon the main hatches, I saw a regal, feathery thing of unspotted whiteness, and with a hooked, Roman bill sublime. At intervals, it arched forth its vast archangel wings, as if to embrace some holy ark. Wondrous flutterings and throbbings shook it. Though bodily unharmed, it uttered cries, as some king's ghost in supernatural distress. Through its inexpressible, strange eyes, methought I peeped to secrets which took hold of God. As Abraham before the angels, I bowed myself; the white thing was so white, its wings so wide, and in those for ever exiled waters, I had lost the miserable warping memories of traditions and of towns. Long I gazed at that prodigy of plumage. I cannot tell, can only hint, the things that darted through me then. But at last I awoke; and turning, asked a sailor what bird was this. A goney, he replied. Goney! never had heard that name before; is it conceivable that this glorious thing is utterly unknown to men ashore! never! But some time after, I learned that goney was some seaman's name for albatross. So that by no possibility could Coleridge's wild Rhyme have had aught to do with those mystical impressions which were mine, when I saw that bird upon our deck. For neither had I then read the Rhyme, nor knew the bird to be an albatross. Yet, in saying this, I do but indirectly burnish a little brighter the noble merit of the poem and the poet. 

I assert, then, that in the wondrous bodily whiteness of the bird chiefly lurks the secret of the spell; a truth the more evinced in this, that by a solecism of terms there are birds called grey albatrosses; and these I have frequently seen, but never with such emotions as when I beheld the Antarctic fowl.

But how had the mystic thing been caught? Whisper it not, and I will tell; with a treacherous hook and line, as the fowl floated on the sea. At last the Captain made a postman of it; tying a lettered, leathern tally round its neck, with the ship's time and place; and then letting it escape. But I doubt not, that leathern tally, meant for man, was taken off in Heaven, when the white fowl flew to join the wing-folding, the invoking, and adoring cherubim! (162-163)

What does this signify? Why, suddenly, does Melville provide so much detail about this single bird?


3) Conscious Analysis

When elaborating on the characteristics of "whiteness," Ishmael claims that "without imagination no man can follow another into these halls" (162). What does he mean by this? How much thought does it take to break down the context and associations of "whiteness"?

42-44 DQ's

1) Amid the numerous celebrations of the color white, Ishmael explains that it also pushes something to be more terrible or intimidating: "This elusive quality it is, which causes the thought of whiteness, when divorced from more kindly associations, and coupled with any object terrible in itself, to heighten that terror to the furthest bounds" (160). Directly referring to the Polar Bear and Great White, could Ishmael also be referring to the terribleness of his own skin? Due to meeting Queequeg and other various skin colors, could he see that, though it's well known that men are terrible, the white men are potentially the most terrible?

2) "Cough be damned! Pass along that return bucket" (166).  "Hark!" offers an interesting dialogue between a sailor who is searching for drama and rumor while the other simply wants to get his job done. Is this a depiction of the English/American desire for drama against the Peruvian (Cholo) determination to his work? Subtly pushing the question of where American dedication and passion lies?

3) "...While he himself was marking out lines and courses on the wrinkled charts, some invisible pencil was also tracing lines and courses upon the deeply marked chart of his forehead" (167). While Ahab pursues revenge against the White Whale, he doesn't realize the stress it puts on his body. As he "sleeps with clenched hands" and "wakes with... bloody nails in his palms" (169). While Moby Dick roams free, especially free of stress (as we know), Ahab is beating himself up under his own desire and pressure of finding the whale and achieving revenge, is this an image we should understand to be in effect in our lives? Is revenge really necessary? Particularly going through all the pain he has been through to get it?

Chapter 42-44 Discussion Questions

1. Why would Ishmael equate the disgusting qualities of whiteness with land in the paragraph that begins “First: …” (Chapter 42)? What comparisons can we draw between Ishmael’s view of land here and his view of land in Chapter 23: The Lee Shore? How has Ishmael’s perception of land changed?

2. Why would Ishmael/Melville follow such a pivotal and philosophical chapter with the lighthearted dialogue in Chapter 43? Does Ishmael want us to move quickly from his philosophical treatise onto the mystery regarding the stowaways? Or is he suggesting that his ramblings are relatively insignificant given the circumstances at hand?

3. In Chapter 44, is Ishmael attempting to portray Ahab as a hero for coming up with his masterful mapping system and plan to catch Moby Dick? How does the theme of fate versus free will manifest itself in the character of Ahab? In the last paragraph, is Melville detaching Ahab’s body from his soul – his desire for vengeance – when he writes, “the [White Whale] was the eternal, living principle or soul in him; and in sleep, being for the time dissociated from the characterizing mind, which at other times employed it for its outer vehicle or agent, it spontaneously sought escape from the scorching contiguity of the frantic thing, of which, for the time, it was not longer an integral” (last paragraph of Chapter 44)?