Response Journal Week 2 - Mayumi

Queequeg’s history was interesting, as it was consistent with his placement and constant movement between the extremes of a savage and a gentleman. Queequeg was of royal blood, heir to the savage throne, a combination of savage and noble, thus he was the best possible savage to be chosen as Ishmael’s companion. In fact, I wonder if Ishmael chose Queequeg’s position as prince to justify their close relationship. Queequeg also sacrificed his nobility on Kokovoko to learn the ways of the Christians, flinging himself on the boat when he was not allowed to sail with. This shows that his intentions to learn Christianity are strong and even magnetic.
Religion holds huge significance in the novel so far, as it is the anchor and the guiding principle for shipmen at sea. Their voyages are isolated, food supply limited, and journeys perilous and filled with monsters, thus religion is a coping mechanism employed by all characters, despite its many manifestations. Queequeg worships his idol Yojo, of whom Ishmael is surprisingly accepting. Yojo is the vehicle through which both Queequeg and fate speak; afterall, Yojo was the one who demanded Ishmael to choose a ship. Ishmael, however is not tolerant of Queequeg’s Ramadan and he tries to persuade Queequeg not to fast for health and sanity reasons. I think Ishmael’s reasons for disliking Ramadan run deeper than this. Ramadan requires complete faith in a God, an idol, or fate, something which is not under human control. Ishmael is highly uncomfortable with complete trust and instinct, as he is a person who lives his life rationally (so it seems). His own accepted religion, Presbyterianism, was a culturally accepted religion and institution, and seems to rarely affect his major decisions or life events, as Yojo does for Queequeg or Quakerism does for Bildad.
Another recurring theme that interested me was the under appreciated heroism of whaling. Ishmael, from the beginning has associated whaling with glamour, however the culture that characterizes whaling contrasts greatly with the esteem Ishmael has for it. The inns where Ishmael, Queequeg, and other whalers stay are not very accommodating and the chances of gaining a fortune from whaling, especially when of a low rank, are very slim. Even Captain Peleg, after hearing that Ishmael desires to whale to see the world, debunks the glory of whaling by telling Ishmael to look over the bow and explain what he sees. Ishmael observes: “the prospect was unlimited, but exceedingly monotonous and forbidding; not the slighted variety that I could see” (72).
Once on the boat, Ishmael’s views on whaling are reaffirmed. He compares the glory of whaling to the glory of war and claims that the former requires the same, if not more courage. Melville writes on this comparison: “for what are the comprehensible terrors of man compared with the interlinked terrors and wonders of God!” (98). To Ishmael, war is easily understood, as it is on land, the comfortable and natural terrain of man. The ocean, however, removes man from his comfort zone, and adds numerous extraneous variables. The sea is unpredictable, as its surface displays one thing, and its depths conceal many others. Perhaps this is why it is analogous to God’s messages both in life and in the Bible. The superficial story or experience is what humans can know, while the divine aspects lie beneath the surface, which humans can momentarily catch glimpses of.
Whaling is also an occupation with few spectators, due to its isolated nature, and thus cannot be glorified as easily. To Ishmael and other whalers perhaps, this is one of its appeals. It is a secretive occupation which only few can experience. A whalers life is more about his experiences than a celebrated title or wealth. Just like the ocean, what is contained within (experience) is not as significant as one’s outward appearance.

Response Journal Week 2-Gabi

The first thing that struck me when I was reading Moby Dick for this week was duality that Melville presents (whether wittingly or not) between the the romantic, spiritual, image of the whaling, and the image of whaling as being in the frontier of civilization. I only refer to this conflict because I remembered something we had discussed in my American Environment class. So far the subject of our study has really been the “wilderness” and the conception of wilderness and how different people and cultures viewed the wild. When America was beginning to establish itself as a nation, Americans were trying to find something that could legitimize their nation in the face of Europe’s extensive accomplishments. Growing out of a romantic movement, Americans realized began to refer the “American wilderness” as what made America so great. The wilderness was simultaneously a place of spiritual magnitude as well as a great civilizing force because of all it’s bountiful resources and potential for development. Melville presents the ocean in a somewhat similar way. The act of whaling is spiritual in that it involves long periods in the wilderness of the ocean, very far from civilization (much like the American wilderness). At the same time conquering the whale (much like American’s spoke of conquering the wilderness) is exemplary of the force of man and civilization. The whale because of it’s blubber (and the ocean because it is home to the leviathan) becomes a civilizing force. In chapter 24, “The Advocate”, Melville makes a case for the whaler and his profession. He compares going whale-hunting to going to battle, but he argues that whaling is as courageous if not more so, “For what are the comprehensible terrors of man compared with the interlinked terrors and wonders of God!” (98) Then, if you still aren’t convinced of the virtues of whaling then Melville goes on to write about the whalers as pioneers, “If American and European men of war now peacefully ride in once savage harbors, which originally showed them the way, and first interpreted between them and the savages.” (99) He even goes so far to write, “...I prospectively ascribe all the honor and glory to whaling; for a whale ship was my Yale College and my Harvard.” (101).
I also thought it would be worth to mention, no matter how briefly, Ishmael’s of the tragic grace of man in Chapter 26. Here Melville writes of the dignity of man. But what struck me was the Melville takes this very human dignity to be almost divine in nature, “Thou shalt see it [dignity] shining in the arm that wields the pick or drives a spike; that democratic dignity which, on all hands, radiates without end from God; Himself!” (103) This an ode to the common man or to the worker.

Response Journal Week 2 - Kalil

Gabriel, in his response, mentions the quote about Bildad, “…a man’s religion is one thing, and the practical world quite another” (74). This seems to be the essence of the whaler’s view of religion as is seen throughout the novel. It explains Ishmael’s decision to take part in Queequeg’s pagan rituals, which would be blasphemy to most Christians. It is also relevant when Bildad is leaving the ship, and he advises against whaling on the sabbath, unless the opportunity presents itself. For them, religion is acceptable, unless it impedes them in some way. Ishmael expresses a similar view when Queequeg is fasting, claiming, “I have no objection to any person’s religion, be it what it may, so long as that person does not kill or insult any other person… But when a man’s religion becomes really frantic; when it is a positive torment to him… then I think it high time to take that individual aside and argue the point with him.” Though the problem is specific to Queequegs religion, Ishmael offers a general indictment of religions that are harmful or impractical. In their opinions, religion ought to exist as a tool, rather than to control them. Interestingly, this is relevant to our reading of Machiavelli’s The Prince, and Berlin’s comments on it, which claim that religion is only useful as a means to an end.
Ishmael seems to think of himself as a “broad shouldered male”, but this seems to be almost delusional (76). When he is talking to Peleg, the captain clearly has doubts about his toughness. Part of this is due to his overly educated speech, but it might hold some truth. Later, when they are lifting the anchor, his masculinity again appears questionable (94).
Language plays an extremely important role in the novel, and especially for Ishmael. His manner of speaking is extremely formal, or “schoolmasterly”, according to the notes. Every other character has some group who speaks similarly (even Queequeg, for the first innkeeper speaks pidgin English, and it is widely understood), but Ishmael is the only sailor who doesn’t “talk shark” (72). The Quakers (specifically Bildad) have an excuse; they were raised on the bible. However, this again calls into question Ishmael’s history, for he does not have a college education (101).
Previously, I criticized Melville/Ishmael for their overly scientific examination of Queequeg. The racism I flagged earlier has all but disappeared, and appears justified. His ways were in fact “savage” by any modern standards, and he was literally a cannibal (83). On top of eating people, he advocates using them as furniture, because “it was very convenient” (92). Based on this, I regret treating Queequeg as though he suffered in the same way African Americans did. If anything, he had just as little respect for other humans, for he lived with slaves of his own. In spite of Queequeg’s barbarism, Ishmael is extremely tolerant, and event capable of empathy. When he tries to convert Queequeg, Ishmael recognizes that Queequeg looks at him similarly, believing “it a great pity that such a sensible young man should be so hopelessly lost to evangelical pagan piety” (83).
In chapter 16, Ishmael touches on the idea of a tragic hero, and possibly proclaims himself one. For him, the tragic hero is “a man of greatly superior natural force, with a globular brain and a ponderous heart,” but also with a powerful sense of morbidness (73-74). To me, he seems to be defending his own fatalism, and his belief that he will ultimately perish during his journey (66-67).

Response Journal Week 2-Amani

Many of themes we found in the first section of reading continue in the second. Ishmael is building up a suspenseful plot that seems to lead up to a climax involving the mysterious sea. Ishmael’s friendship with Queequeg is stronger and their relationship no longer seems new or as fascinating to Ishmael. Ishmael learns more about Queequeg and attempts to understand their cultural differences. They depend on one another. Something about Ishmael’s environment allows him to accept Queequeg as his equal, despite Queequeg’s distinct characteristics. The whalers and individuals involved in whaling are surprisingly open and tolerant. Although Captain Peleg and Bildad are hesitant in allowing Queequeg to travel on the Pequod, it only took a little convincing from Ishmael for them to welcome Queequeg. Peleg is amazed by Queequeg’s talent and offers him a higher lay then Ishmael. Captain Bildad, a religious and conservative old man, who on multiple occasions is seen by Ishmael reading the Bible is friendly towards Queequeg and encourages Queequeg to convert to Christianity.
Religion or philosophy and culture of Ishmael and the people he encounters is definitely important to notice in the book. Ishmael listens to stories about Queequeg’s customs in his father’s kingdom. On page 61, Ishmael is retelling Queequeg’s story about a man who misunderstood his people’s culture (Queequeg was attempting to illustrate that confusion between cultures is universal). Ishmael comments, “for those people [Queequeg’s family] have their grace as well as we.” Ishmael shows a tremendous amount of respect for Queequeg and his culture. Ishmael learns from Queequeg. This situation is completely different from the “white man’s burden” idea. Queequeg, “the savage,” is teaching the white man.
Something I wondered while reading was who Ishmael or Melville was writing to? Who was his audience? Ishmael speaks directly to the reader many times. He asks the reader on page 97: “Know ye, now, Bulkington?” In the notes it says “ye” refers to the reader. One reason for why I ask this is because in some passages of the book, Ishmael is convincing the reader to understand his point. For example, in Chapter 24 The Advocate Ishmael is defending whaling. He starts off by saying “I am of anxiety to convince ye, ye landsmen, of injustice hereby done to us hunters of whaling.” I guess Ishmael is advocating to landsmen in this case. But why is he so anxious to talk about preconceptions of whaling? His anxiety to tell the readers gives the idea that whaling was not a respected profession at the time.
As the book continues, Ishmael and Queequeg meet more characters. I think it’s important to understand the significance of each of the characters introduced in the book. One character struck me. Elijah. He mysteriously appears and it seems like we won’t see him again (well maybe not until the end). Melville uses Elijah as a tool of foreshadowing. Elijah attempts to warn Ishmael about Captain Ahab. Though Ishmael says he thought Elijah was crazy and didn’t take him seriously, Ishmael does have concerns for Captain Ahab. The scene with Elijah also seemed to be one of the many humorous scenes Melville has depicted.

Response Journal Week 2- Caleb

One theme that Melville first introduced in the first chapter (Loomings) that he continues to stress is duality, or the idea of two polar extremes existing within one thing. The first instance of that is when Ishmael is talking about water, and its ability to both attract and destroy those who it attracts. Additionally many of the characters are introduced in polar pairs. Bildad and Peleg appear first as a sort of good cop/ bad cop routine, with Bildad as the stern, religious, taskmaster, and Peleg as the more carefree, (74), blustering man. Even Queequeg and Ishmael are a sort of polar pair. Although they are both, in their own ways, loners, Ishmael is a depressed New England misanthrope and Queequeg is an imperturbable Polynesian pagan. Another symbol of this duality is Queequegs dual-purpose tomahawk pipe which “both brained his foes and soothed his soul” (92). This description of the tomahawk pipe can also be easily applied to Ishmael’s relationship to the sea.

The issue of Queequeg’s pipe brings up the symbol of pipes in general which Melville uses all the time. First, we have said tomahawk pipe, which represents this soothing/ hurting duality also symbolized by the sea. Next, Melville talks about Stubb’s pipe, which “helped to bring about that almost impious good humor of his” (105). Melville writes that, since the pure air is tinged with the breath of the dead, “against all mortal tribulations, Stubb’s tobacco smoke might have operated as a sort of disinfecting agent.” (105) In this case, the pipe symbolizes a sort of barrier between the realism of mortality, and Stubb’s happy-go-lucky attitude, and explains how he can maintain this attitude in the face of such grim prospects. The third pipe that Melville highlights as significant is Ahab’s pipe. In a whole chapter called “The Pipe,” Melville describes Ahab’s realization that he no longer wants to smoke, culminating in his throwing his pipe overboard (112-113). For Ahab, the pipes “mild white vapors” reflect his own mortality, and serve as a means of distress, not pleasure. Ahab, is obviously struggling with his mortality—he sleeps very little because he believes “the longer linked with life, the less man has to do with aught that looks like death” (110).

Another aspect of the reading I found interesting was the note that described Melville’s goal of writing a Greek tragedy even in American—such an upwardly mobile capitalist country with no royalty. After this note, I started noticing all the comparisons between Ahab and a king, a favorite subject of Shakespeare. On page 78, Peleg refers to Ahab as a “crowned king,” and Melville on 113 refers to Ahab as “a king of the sea”. Additionally, Stubb’s surreal, Lynchean dream makes him conclude that he should always obey Ahab, creating sort of a monarchistic hierarchy within the ship.

I’ll end with two quotes I found which shed light on some topics of discussion that have been raised both in class and in several response journals. The first, on page 79, illustrates Melville’s distaste for organized religion:

“Heaven have mercy on us all—Presbyterians and Pagans alike—for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending” (82) (68)

Secondly, illustrating Ishmael’s permeating sense of fatalism:

“Such is the endlessness, yea, the intolerableness of all earthly effort.” (62)

Response Journal Week 2- Gabriel

When Ishmael first describes Queequeg, and the fear he has of him, I thought he was racist and narrow-minded however my views on Ishmael have quickly changed. He and Queequeg are now very good friends, and he talks about how people stare at them when they walk around together in public. The fact that Ishmael is not embarrassed to show his friendship with Queequeg in public shows how progressive he is, and how the race dynamic in Moby Dick is very different from other books I’ve read dealing with the same period. However what surprised me more than Ishamel’s views on race were Queequeg’s actions towards white people. Moby Dick was first published in 1851, and blacks were still slaves and second-class citizens at this time. Their primary purpose in America was to serve their white owners. Queequeg surprised me so much because he did not even come close to viewing himself as a second-class citizen. He in fact beats up a white person who makes fun of him on page 63. Queequeg’s freedom probably stems from the fact that he is Kokovoko royalty. He is not used to being degraded and ordered around the same way many African-Americans of the same time period were.

I was again surprised at the way Melville talks about religion. On page 74 he says of Captain Bildad, “He had long since come to the sage and sensible conclusion that a man’s religion is one thing, and the practical world quite another”. I interpreted this as him saying that one cannot uphold all the standards that religion promotes, and at the same time succeed in living a practical life. This surprised me because a devout Christian would say that one must be religious throughout one’s life to lead a religious life but Melville seems to think otherwise. I also really like the passage on page 79 where Ishmael basically says that Presbyterian Christians need to come of their high horses, and stop thinking they’re better than everyone else. I think it’s amazing how Ishmael is so religiously tolerant, and he in fact knocks his own religion more than he knocks other religions.

I also just wanted to point out a really interesting passage on page 102 where Starbuck says that in order to be on his boat one must fear whales because a fearless man is the most dangerous of comrades. I really like this quote because it embodies the respect that whalers have for whales, despite the fact that the try to kill them. The quote is also very interesting because Starbuck is very wise, and he makes an interesting point in saying that if one cannot fear, one is not good at estimating the encountered peril. I take this to mean that preparation and being aware of one’s surroundings are important in general. An ignorant person, who has a lack of fear and preparation is setting himself up for failure.

Response Journal Week 1 - Kalil

The most immediately remarkable part of the beginning of Moby Dick is Melville’s humor. The writing was shockingly funny, especially for such an antiquated piece of literature (the mark of a classic?). He accomplishes this both through scenes which are simply comical (such as when Ishmael is confused about selling heads, pg. 31), but also through his style of writing. The majority of the writing, and Ishmael’s dialogue appears extremely educated and almost formal at times, yet he also includes popular idioms and colloquialisms.
Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, the juxtaposition of these two styles highlights the differences between Ishmael and the people he interacts with. This brings up the question of Ishmael’s past, and education. The first few chapters tell us almost nothing about his background, save that he was poor, and enjoyed going out to sea. While this is clearly me stereotyping, I never expected a sailor to be the most cultured character in the novel. This speaks to another recurring theme: prejudice.
From the first chapter, Melville makes a point of eschewing prejudice (22, 31). This is to some extent comparable with the draw of the unknown (the sea), as it requires a certain open mindedness and lack of presuppositions. Once Queequeg is introduced, Melville’s focus on prejudice becomes important, as racial and cultural tensions appear. Here, everything falls apart. Ishmael has some redeeming moments, such as on page 36, when he acknowledges that Queequeg is likely equally terrified. However, even this is the same justification that people often give when talking about animals. Queequeg embodies the perfect noble savage; “he wouldn’t harm a hair of your head” and incessantly polite, yet he is uncivilized and foreign (36, 38). The fascination with the unknown does extend to Ishmael’s treatment of Queequeg, but in a wholly different manner. Ishmael plays the role of the voyeur, watching and studying everything that he does, as a scientist would an animal.
To be fair, this is only Ishmael’s initial treatment of Queequeg, and I cannot truly fault him for being terrified (a strange tattooed man crawling into bed with you holding a tomahawk is always a little bit scary). However, this does go against his attempt to be open minded. Regardless, keeping the time period in mind, I am to some extent impressed with the way that Ishmael learns to accept Queequeg’s form of worship. Even so, the relationship is still that of a scientist examining a specimen, though it becomes more friendly.

Response Journal Week 1- Gabi

"This savage was the only person who seemed to notice my entrance; because he was the only one who could not read, and, therefore, was not reading those frigid inscriptions on the wall." (44)
Queequeg is the most unique character introduced thus far: his dark features, his tattoos, the heads he carries around all lead one to think of him as one apart from his fellow seamen and Ishmael. While I might be over-analyzing this passage I feel the need to respond to it because it stood out to me with such distinction. Queequeg is not affected by the tragic tablets because he cannot read them— he is unblemished by what concerns most people because he is in a world of his own. While he has only just been introduced, his serenity and self-possession would seem to allow him to live his life with purity and honesty. He is even an influence on Ishmael whose heart is soothed by his presence. In reading, I tried not to let myself be corrupted by pre-conceived notions. In school we have time and time again mentioned the “noble savage” and what a irresponsible image it is. It reduces a people to a gross idealization, simultaneously discrediting them. I had to block these thoughts from my mind as I let myself be taken by Melville’s writing (I hope to read Moby Dick as if I had never heard of it before and without any judgment. It’s almost as if I want to, while in the process of reading it, absorb what Melville writes as if it were absolute truth. Only after I finish reading will I attempt to analyze and maybe question.) I allowed myself to be awed by Queequeg and his tattoos. When I sat down to think about what I had read however I began to attack Melville. I probably shouldn’t be too hard on him. He was after all, like all of us, a product of his times. As politically incorrect as Queequeg’s character is, it highlights a major theme (one that I believe will reoccur throughout the story). Father Mapple touches on it in his epic sermon:
" Woe to him who seeks to please rather than to appall! Woe to him whose good name is more to him that goodness... Yea, woe to him who, as the great Pilot Paul has it, while preaching to others is himself a castaway!" (53)
One reason Queequeg is so idealized is because he represents authenticity. In the face of a society that is dominated by phoniness, this authenticity is very important. The sea might symbolize an escape from what is fake. Men are drawn to the sea (as in the beginning of the book) because it is genuine and unforgiving (at least in Melville’s romantic interpretation of it).
One thing that puzzled me a little bit was Jonah’s story. He is known for attempting to escape God because he doesn’t want to prophecy and do the will of God. He escapes to the ocean, paying for his passage. While a key difference between Ishmael and Jonah would be that the former is supposedly a real sea man with no need to pay his for his passage, both men are running to the sea, one escaping God and the other his society, seeking the freedom and authenticity of the ocean.
Last but not least, as we mentioned in our last meeting comedy is a very important component of Ishmael’s narrative. This was blatantly obvious from the first page, however I was pleasantly surprised when he outright mentioned the importance of humor and “a good laugh.” (39) In a feeble attempt to weave things together I would argue that Melville appreciates the value of humor because it tends towards unpretentiousness, a form of authenticity.

Response Journal Week 1-Amani

Several themes come up in the first ten chapters of Melville’s Moby-Dick. The narrator, Ishmael reveals a lot about his character. What seems to be a reoccurring theme is the significance of the sea. Ishmael and many of the other characters discuss almost everything in its relation to whaling. Even the chaplain of the chapel that Ishmael attends, Father Mapple was a sailor and harpooner before becoming a minister. The initial hymn that Father Mapple sings involves a whale.

New Bedford is a city of whalers and harpooners, many of whom have experienced encounters with a diversity of cultures and peoples. Ishmael, as one who is well-traveled seems to be more worldly and aware than others of his time. Though Ishmael still holds the stereotypes of the environment he came from, his growing friendship with Queequeg reveals that he is open to learning about what he initially considered a savage. Ishmael’s thoughts about Queequeg allow the reader to see his ability to admire someone he’s been indoctrinated to disdain. Ishmael is confused by his attraction to and curiosity of Queequeg. Within the few first chapters, Ishmael goes from being completely disgusted by an unknown cannibal of dark complexion to willingly participating in the religious ceremony of who he calls his “bosom friend.” Ishmael is a remarkable character that grabs the readers attention by his love of learning. He is an observer that lives in the moment. He is not bound by constraining principles including religious ones. Ishmael makes reference to a variety of beliefs including both Abrahamic and philosophical. Ishmael’s consciousness of his surroundings give insight to the type of person Melville was. Melville is similar to Ishmael in that they both spent a lot of time traveling by sea and encountered people that were very different from them. Both were exposed to different worlds. Melville’s exposure to a tribe of cannibals is reflected in Ishmael’s encounter with Queequeg. There are many parallels between Melville’s life and the journey Melville puts Ishmael on.

Another noticeable point about Moby-Dick is Melville’s writing style. Melville, through Ishmael, carries a humorous tone throughout the text. Ishmael describes funny situations as comical. He jokes about the strange things that he sees in New Bedford. Melville shows the differences in speech among the characters of the text. Ishmael, Queequeg, and the landlord all speak differently and are able to communicate and live together. This touches upon the idea of the characters of Moby-Dick’s tolerance towards those who are unfamiliar to them. It seems like Ishmael will be learning a lot on his journey as a character who is constantly seeking to discover the unknown.

Response Journal Week 1- Caleb

In the opening several chapters of “Moby-Dick,” Melville surprised me with his dry humor, surprisingly (for his time period) tolerant views, and sexual suggestiveness. Ishmael’s encounter with Queequeg encompasses all three of these themes. Queequeg starts as a primarily comedic character. After an uncomfortable night as bedmates, Ishmael wakes up in a loving embrace with Queequeg, who proceeds to both shave and skewer breakfast meat with his harpoon. However, after the sermon, Ishmael begins to see Queequeg as an (roughly) equal “bosom friend,” even taking part in Queequeg’s cannibalistic rituals. One question I had for the class is whether Melville’s characterization of Queequeg is racist or tolerant. While it seems pretty racially radical that, in the 1800s, a black and white man could not only board at the same hotel, but also sleep in the same bed, Queequeg fits the stereotype of the noble savage pretty well. Queequeg can almost be equated to the sea for Ishmael—he is the unknown, the wild, and the savage. They both represent a total isolation from Western society, in both a freeing and potentially dangerous way.

Melville’s representation of religion is also interesting. The church Ishmael attends is set up to represent a ship, mast and all, and the preacher barks nautical terms at the congregation before delivering a sermon on Jonah and the whale. In way, Melville seems to be accepting the ocean as a representation of God. Water and God, Melville points out, have many parallels, especially for sailors. Both are eternal, both are omnipresent, and, as Melville points out in the first chapter, they both are both magnetizing and dangerous. Although Ishmael seems, at first to be a “good Christian”, he takes part in Queequeg’s heretic pagan ceremony as a sign of their friendship. This might represent a ceding of the typical monotheistic deity for sailors to be unified under their one true god: the ocean.

Response Journal Week 1- Gabriel

The first thing that struck me about the first few chapters we read was Melville’s sense of humor. I found myself laughing out loud when I was reading on the bus, especially during the scene where Ishmael is thinking about the potential consequences of sleeping in a bed with Queequeg, and the scene where Ishmael almost dies of fear after seeing Queequeg perform his pagan rituals. I think that the hilarity of this book stems from the hypothetical situations Ishmael creates, and from the ridiculous assumptions he makes about things. I also found Queequeg to be amusing, but I don’t think that a person from the 1800’s would find Queequeg to be amusing in the same way that I did. I found his character to be very stereotypical, because of the way he acted and talked, so at first it seemed like Melville was racist in adding a character like Queequeg. Ishmael accepts him though and they become good friends very quickly, so my views on Melville’s perceptions on race changed quickly. I was shocked that on page 57, Ishmael who claims to be a good Christian performs a pagan ritual with Queequeg and then rationalizes it. He claims that doing this he is merely being a good human and a good friend. I therefore wasn’t surprised to read the footnote, which said that Melville’s career was for the most part ruined, because of his defiance of the religious press.

Another thing that shocked me was how Queequeg had his arm around Ishmael while they were sleeping in the same bed. I at first didn’t think much of it because I thought it could have been an innocent mistake but I later realized that this scene alluded to the fact that they could have sex the night before. On page 57 Ishmael also compares himself and Quequeeg to a cosy-loving pair. I was surprised at how homoerotic Moby Dick was in the first 30 pages. I just wasn’t expecting a book that was written over 100 year’s ago to allude to homosexual relationships between two of its main characters.

I noticed that Melville uses some very interesting writing techniques. For instance he tends to give people and objects biblical names. He therefore calls the innkeeper Jonah, and the wind Euroclydon. Melville also tends to incorporate large portions of his own life into the story, which can be deduced from reading the notes.

Response Journal Week 1- Mayumi

One theme carefully woven into the story of Moby Dick is the image of the ocean’s vastness, in its confusion and obscurity. This aspect of the unknown is a driving force in drawing people, especially Ishmael, to the sea. Ishmael describes life on land as simply going through the motions of living, whereas people’s magnetism to the ocean is a natural process full of life and adventure. The undecipherable ocean imagery appears first in the whaler’s inn where a painting hangs. Melville spends half a page elaborating on a defaced and confusing painting, which, after much scrutiny, he decides depicts a whale impaling itself on a ships mast, in the midst of a vast ocean. Now there is a focus to all the confusion: a goal.
Queequeg, introduced not long after this chapter, is also closely connected to the ocean imagery. Not only is he a whale harpooner and from the South Seas, but he also has a mysterious tattoo on his left arm and a face covered in different colored splotches and altitudes. Ishmael describes the tattoo as a multi-shaded labyrinth, which has changed color due to its constant exposure to the sun. Its meaning and its shape are undecipherable and blend in well with the quilt. Ishmael also compares Queequeg’s multi-colored face to the Andes, a mountain range which shows a wide range in altitudes, climates, and colors.
If these symbols of vast and obscured masses (Queequeg’s tattoo, face, and the painting) are applied to the metaphor of the ocean as knowledge, they could represent the uncertainty of education and the uncertainty of the way information is perceived. Also, when it comes to knowledge, there is not one path that leads to enlightenment; rather, a mess of raw facts that one has to untangle. There isn’t one way to look at Queequeg’s face or tattoos, or one way to look at the painting, just as there isn’t one way to navigate the ocean. The course that one does take is specific to a person or group. As readers of Moby Dick, we are navigating text in different ways, and this is shown through (what I predict to be) our widely varied response journals.