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.