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)?
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