Discussion Questions Ch 155 + Epilogue

“Till, gaining that vital centre, the black bubble upward burst; and now, liberated by reason of its cunning spring, and, owing to its great buoyancy, rising with great force, the coffin life-buoy shot lengthwise from the sea, fell over, and floated by my side.” (427).   In the vital moment, Ishmael was saved by Queequeg’s coffin, which served as a life-buoy and buoyed up Ishmael’s body. Does it kind of symbolize cruel competition in human being’s society?

Ishmael is the only survivor while all other Pequod’s shipmen die. In the end of Moby Dick, Melville depicts how Ishmael escapes dangers before he was saved by the Rachel.  “Buoyed up by that coffin, for almost one whole day and night, i floated on a soft and dirge-like main. The unhorsing sharks, they glided by as if with padlocks on their mouths; the savage sea-hawks sailed with sheathed beaks.” (427)

How do these descriptions reflect the relationship between human being and nature? 

Do you think the end of Moby Dick is ironic? What is Melville purpose? 

Discussion Questions chapter 135-Epilogue

1. At the beginning of chapter 135 Ahab (I think, might be Starbuck) says, "Ahab never thinks; he only feels, feels, feels; that's tingling enough for mortal man! to think's audacity. God only has the right and privilege. Thinking is, or ought to be, a coolness and a calmness; and our poor hearts throb, and our poor brains beat too much for that" (419). Does this quote mean to point out Ahab's passionate madness as well as his lack of rationality? Does it mean that one can't live and think at the same time? Do emotions/feelings like passion and desire and madness forbid humans from thinking clearly?

2. Also at the beginning of chapter 135, Ahab (again I think) says, "Would now the wind but had a body; but all the things that most exasperate and outrage mortal man, all these things are bodiless, but only bodiless as objects, not as agents" (419-420). Is the whale only a symbol of Ahab's wrath? Does he perhaps seek out something else, something bodiless and abstract?

3. In the Epilogue it says, "Buoyed up by that coffin...I floated on a soft and dirge-like main"(427). What does it mean that the coffin ends up being what saves Ishmael? How does this impact the ending of the book?

Moby-Dick Discussion Questions over Chapter 135 and the Epilogue

1) Thinking

Ahab encounters a “lovely day,” what could be “a new-made world,” what could be “food for thought, had Ahab time to think; but Ahab never thinks; he only feels, feels, feels; that’s tingling enough for mortal man! to think’s audacity. God only has that right and privilege. Thinking is, or ought to be, a coolness and a calmness; and our poor hearts throb, and our poor brains beat too much for that” (419). Instead of pausing to reflect, monomaniac Ahab continues on his mindless quest. Is he discouraging readers from thinking? Should we let fate sweep us along, like Ahab, or question everything, like Ishmael?

2) Human Insignificance

The sea hasn’t changed since Ahab was a child. Indeed, Ahab proclaims that it’s “the same!--the same!--the same to Noah as to me” (420). Later, after the Pequod and its crew have disappeared underneath the waves, “the great shroud of the sea roll[s] on as it rolled five thousand years ago” (427). In Loomings, Ishmael describes the human obsession with the sea. How does the depiction of the sea in the final chapter -- as a body that will outlast any human -- help us understand our fascination with the sea? Are we drawn to it, in part, because of its immortality, because of its endlessness?

3) Mechanical Men

The journey is coming to a close. As the whale makes its final charge, “nearly all the seamen now hung inactive; hammers, bits of plank, lances, and harpoons, mechanically retained in their hands, just as they had darted from their various employments” (425). The men don’t appear to act of their own volition, instead part of a larger machine, frozen “mechanically.” How does this image, along with the image of Tashtego continuing to hammer in the flag while the ship sinks, add to Melville’s commentary on industrialism?

4) Life and Death

The “coffin life-buoy” returns as Ishmael’s savior (427). How does this impact the meaning of the symbol?

Discussion Questions Over Ch. 135 and Epilogue

1. Before Ahab lowers himself on the Third Day, he shares a special parting exchange with Starbuck:
       
        "Some men die at ebb tide; some at low water; some at the full of the flood;-and I feel now like a billow that's all one crested comb, Starbuck. I am old;-shake hands with me, man."
         Their hands met; their eyes fastened; Starbuck's tears the glue.
        "Oh, my captain, my captain!-noble heart-go not- go not!-see, it's a brave man that weeps; how great the agony of the persuasion then!"(421).

  Here, Ahab and Starbuck show a sudden and unexpected display of humanity. Indeed, throughout the text, Ahab and Starbuck have clashed constantly. Their conflicts make this exchange all the more important and exceptional. What does this resolution to their relationship mean? How does Starbuck's conceit that Ahab is a "noble heart" change their dynamic in the end?

2. What is the significance of the two "hearses" being Moby Dick and the Pequod? Both are cannibals in a way. Does that fact label Ahab as a "savage" in the end?

3. How is the end of the Epilogue significant? We once again see Ishmael identify himself as an "orphan." Why don't the sharks and sea-hawks attack him? Is it because he is "chosen" by God, or perhaps he is "orphaned" from the world itself?

Ch. 135, Epi

Moby-Dick embodies the concept of nature comprised of dual aspects. In “The Chase- Third Day,” Moby Dick reveals his masculine and feminine attributes. He is coined with the pronoun “he;” however, there are several feminine qualities to his being. For example, once he breaks the surface, the water “creamed like new milk” (422). Milk is associated with motherhood, and the newness of such milk implies a recent infancy or birth. Thus, the conventional perception of youth and maternal nature is tied to the whale’s femininity. Yet, there exists another possible layer. Milk itself is white. What does this suggest about white in relation of femininity? Also, if the feminine whale obtains the power “possessed by all the angels that fell from heaven,” what does this further imply about femininity (422)? Is there in fact a dual nature within feminine characteristics? A violent connotation to the heavenly description of both nature and the feminine?

In the impending doom of the Pequod, Melville addresses several reoccurring themes within the novel: industry, fate, mortality, and “whiteness.” The men cling onto the last moments of their lives mechanically, acknowledging their insignificant power as “mortal men” against the “predestinating head” of Moby Dick (425). If the crew represents mankind’s attempt to wield nature through industry and Moby Dick symbolizes fate itself, what does the situation imply in regards to industry’s fate? Does nature solely determine fate? Furthermore, how does the aspect of “white” fit into all of this? Because the whale is white, is nature also associated with whiteness?

In the “Epilogue,” Ishmael emerges as the sole survivor of the Fates. His peaceful surroundings contrast sharply with the black vortex of the mechanical ship and its crew. In fact, it is once the Pequod sinks that nature calms down and order is restored. A feminine ship arrives to rescue Ishmael, contrasting sharply with the robust, nature-hunting Pequod. Even the Rachel’s captain is vastly different than Ahab; his passion is not a selfish pursuit, but, rather, he is determined to find his son. In this sense, the Rachel is likened to a mother. How does the arrival of a maternal ship coincide with the peacefulness of the ocean in this moment? How does this matneral ship compare with Moby Dick’s own maternal behavior? Moby Dick was described as having a new child, while Rachel retraces her steps as if in search of her missing children. How does motherhood contrast between humans and animal? Emotion? 

DQ's 135 and Epilogue

1. On the beginning of the third day of the chase, the entire crew of the Pequod is crazed on the idea of catching Moby Dick. "The morning of the third day dawned fair and fresh, and once more the solitary night-man at the fore-mast-head was relieved by crowds of the daylight look-outs, who dotted every mast and almost every spar" (419). What does the crew's obsession with catching the enigmatic white whale say about Ahab's capabilities as a leader? With the entire crew's focus being on one whale, instead of catching as many whales as possible, what questions and concerns can be raised about Ahab's ability to be the captain of a whaling ship?

2. "'Give Way!' cried Ahab to the oarsmen, and the boats darted forward to the attack; but maddened by yesterday's fresh irons that corroded in him, Moby Dick seemed combinedly possessed by all the angels that fell from heaven" (422). In the bible, after falling from heaven for disobeying God, the angel Lucifer becomes Satan. By stating that Moby Dick was possessed by the devil, what themes is Melville referring too? Is he alluding to the theme of slavery by connecting white aspects of the whale with the cruelty and wrongfulness of Satan? Or is Melville attempting to cap off the book with the religious battle between Ahab, who see's himself as godlike and all-powerful, and Moby Dick, the whale with the power of the devil? If the latter is the case, what is Melville getting at when Ahab is slain and Moby Dick remains unbeaten?

3. In the last lines of chapter 135, Melville introduces the theme of change into the epic novel. What is Melville, or Ishmael, arguing when he says, "the great shroud of the sea rolled on as it rolled five thousand years ago" (427)? In the footnotes it states that by using the time frame of five thousand years, Melville is talking about the time of Noah's flood. Does knowing that this is about Noah change the message of the last few lines? What religious themes could be tied into the conclusion of this tale?

Discussion Questions Ch. 135 and Epilogue

1. Ahab constantly uses the sun as a timekeeper and looks to it as some sort of spiritual power that governs his voyage. Right before his death, Ahab states, “I turn my body from the sun” (ch. 135). What does this action signify? Has Ahab given up any hope of religious salvation by rejecting this emblem of faith?

2. Why would Melville describe the “captive” bird as the only “living part of heaven” that accompanies the Pequod’s descent into the deep (ch. 135)? Does this imply that all the whalers on the journey were bound for hell? What is the symbolism of the bird’s acting as the “helmet” of the ship? Could the bird be the saving grace that protects the whalers from damnation? How might the image of the Pequod and all her men sinking into the ocean relate to the sermon that states, “the whale…swallowed [Jonah] down to living gulfs of doom” (ch. 9). Jonah sank to the bottom of the ocean where he met God, so could Ahab and his crew actually be journeying to make the acquaintance of God?

3. What is the significance of Ishmael’s being saved by Queequeg’s mysterious coffin? Ishmael accepts the aid of the life-buoy without questioning its deeper meaning; is Melville using this action as a message that, although Ishmael stated that all things have meaning (in The Doubloon), the truths of life and death are far too transcendent for humans to even attempt to understand? Instead of always questioning, is Melville suggesting that an unexamined life is the safest, albeit unrewarding, way to live life?

Discussion Questions Ch. 132-134

1.In "The Symphony,"  Why does Ahab refuse to go home to his wife and child, even though it appears that he wants to? How does the sea and air, described as a married couple, have an effect on Ahab?

2. Starbuck seems to be the only person who could command the pequod in the event of Ahab's death. By leaving Starbuck on the ship in order to pursue Moby Dick, is Ahab accepting death and the suicidal nature of his quest? (chapter 133)

3. At the end of chapter 133, Ahab describes himself as neither a man nor a god. What makes Ahab neither natural nor supernatural?

ch. 132-134

1.

"Ahab leaned over the side, and watched how his shadow in the water sank and sank to his gaze, the more and the more that he strove to pierce the profundity. But the lovely aromas in that enchanted air did at last seem to dispel, for a moment, the cankerous thing in his soul. That glad, happy air, that winsome sky, did at last stroke and caress him; the step-mother world, so long cruel-forbidding-now threw affectionate arms  round his stubborn neck, and did seem to joyously sob over him, as if over one, that however wilful and erring, she could yet find it in her heart to save and to bless. From beneath his slouched hat Ahab dropped a tear into the sea; nor did all the Pacific contain such wealth as that one wee drop" (405).

Ahab, once a dominant and mean character, is no more. While who the true leader of the ship is right now is ambiguous, Ahab seems to feel that as if the sea is his mother and his home which comforts him and cry with him. What wealth, as seen in the quote, does Ahab's tear contain? What is the meaning of Ahab crying and seeking comfort from the sea?

2. 

"A gentle joyousness-a mighty mildness of repose in swiftness, invested the gliding whale" (409). 

Why is Melville using "joyousness" to describe the whale while he also depicted the sea's sobbing "joyously" in the previous chapter? Is he saying that in Ahab's mind, the whale equals the sea? Since the only thing Ahab has in his mind is to capture the whale, can we say that everything else is unimportant to him, thus his whole world (the sea) is simply Moby-Dick?

3.

"His ivory leg had been snapped off, leaving but one short sharp splinter" (417).

Eventually Ahab got wounded in the capture of Moby Dick, but he said "But even with a broken bone, old Ahab is untouched; and I account no living bone of mine one jot more me, than this dead one that's lost." Why does this sacrifice mean so much to Ahab? What other sacrifices did he make throughout the journey? Are they worth the prize?

Discussion Questions 132-134

Chapter 132
In this Chapter, Ahab seems to be resigning to his fate. He's been out on sea for 40 years, with little time on shore, where he's abandoned and widowed his wife. How does this relate to the description of "Masculine sea" at the start of the chapter? What does he mean calling the eye "the magic glass" (406)? What foreshadows his downfall in this chapter, besides just Ahab's words?

Chapter 133
Ahab gets in trouble with Moby Dick. He's thrown to "the bottom of Stubb's boat, like one trodden under foot herds of elephants. Far Inland, nameless wails came from him, as desolate sounds from out ravines" (411). What is the significance of the land imagery here, if Ahab is out at sea? How does this show Ahab's position at this time?

The birds have an interesting role in the chase for the whale(409). Why does Ahab seem to obtain their advanced sight? Do they represent some other force or idea at work? Does spotting the whale with this possibly divine intervention represent Ahab's fate to fight Moby Dick?

DQ's 132-134

1. On Page 405 is Ahab's joyfulness for the type of day that is occurring a foreshadow of darker things to come or is it merely a slightly different outlook from Ahab on life that we had not been able to fully see until this point in the book?

2. Is the fact that Ahab is the first member of the ship supposed to be used as a tool to show his expertise in whaling or is it used to show that he is the most blood thirsty person on the ship and is constantly thinking of the revenge he wishes to gain?

3. What would happen to Ahab if he ever successfully caught the white whale? Would that be the end of his journey? Is the whale now his final concern or could he find the drive to fish for whales once again after its capture?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 132-134

1.  In "The Symphony," Ahab realizes that his whaling voyages have consumed over 40 years of his life.  What is the significance of these "forty years of privation, and peril, and storm-time"? (405)  In the Jewish faith, 40 is a very important number, usually used as a critical division between two particular eras or periods. Rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights before the flood.  The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years after escaping from Egypt.  Assuming that Melville intended this Biblical reference, as can be assumed by his borrowing of Ahab's very name, how does this relationship affect our interpretation?  Could Ahab, like a Hebrew wandering in the desert, lost, have finally found his way?  What does this do to foreshadow the beginning of the chase of Moby-Dick in the following chapter?  What ironies is Melville pointing out, that Ahab's "Holy Grail," his "Promised Land," is killing a whale?

2.  In chapter 132, Ahab and Starbuck discuss Nantucket, the land base for the whaling crowd.  Nantucket is described in chapter 14 as "a mere hillock, and elbow of sand; all beach, without a background" (64).  Its residents, Nantucketers, have a special relationship with the sea.

The Nantucketer, he alone resides and riots in the sea; he alone, in Bible language, goes down to it in ships; to and fro ploughing it as his own special plantation.  There is his home; there lies his business, which a Noah's flood would not interrupt, though it overwhelmed all the millions in China.  He lives on the sea, as prairie cocks in the prairie; he hides among the waves, he climbs them as chamois hunters climb the Alps.  For years he knows not the land; so that when he comes to it at last, it smalls like another world, more strangely than the moon would to an Earthsman.  (65-66)

From the understanding of Nantucket we gleaned early on the book, its role is as a bridge between land and sea, and those who leave it for the ocean rarely return to stay, as it holds nothing for them.   What then, should we make of the following conversation in "The Symphony"?

Away with me!  let us fly these deadly waters!  let us home!... How cheerily, how hilariously, O my Captain, would we bowl on our way to see old Nantucket again!  I think they have some such mild blue days, even as this, in Nantucket.  (406)

These two excerpts provide conflicting views of home: the sea or the land.  This confusion shows the internal conflict within the sailors, their homelessness as well as landlessness.  Why might Melville have the two primary leaders of the ship reminisce about the life they missed on land before their great and epic pursuit of the white whale?

3.  Solipsism is a major point of consideration in Moby-Dick.  Solipsism is the belief that only one's mind, or self, can be proved true.  Much of the novel supports this theory, especially Ishmael's musings about the uncertainty of the sea and the constant elimination of clear, defining boundaries and binaries.  However, in chapter 32, Ahab has an identity crisis – questioning not only the world around him, but his role in his own self.

Is Ahab, Ahab?  Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm?  But if the great sun move not of himself; but is as an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I.  By heaven, man, we are turned round and round in this world, like yonder windlass, and Fate is the handspike.  And all the time, lo! that smiling sky, and this unsounded sea!... Where do murderers go, man!  Who's to doom, when the judge himself is dragged to the bar?  (407)

This is a classic moment of struggle between the conflicting notions of Free Will and Fate.  Does Melville's novel overall support Fate? Or could this just be another instance of conclusion-less questioning, as is most of the novel?  I am particularly struck by the final line of the above quotation because it brings up a good point of irony about "final judgment" as it is viewed in most religions.  If our fates are already planned out, and God rules the life of the individual, how can he ever condemn a sinner, when he lifted the sinner's hand?  Do we think Ahab believes in his own Free Will?  Does he see himself as a murderer?