Response Journal Week 10 - Gabriel

In this segment of reading (Pg. 361-395) there were a lot of dramatic interactions between the characters that are probably leading up to the final, climactic event. When Starbuck tells Ahab to lower the anchor in order to stop the oil from leaking, Ahab pulls out a gun and points it at Starbuck, telling him to leave his cabin. Ahab has been insane throughout the whole novel, however, his insanity is starting to reach new heights, which probably has to do with his getting closer to Moby Dick. What makes Ahab all the more insane is the fact that he ends up listening to Starbuck even though he held a musket to his head. Ahab’s actions are becoming very irrational, yet he is becoming more and more prideful. We see how conceded and self-centered Ahab is in the dubloon chapter when he only sees himself in the dubloon. Then in The Needle, Ahab claims to be the lord of the level loadstone and Melville writes, “you then saw Ahab in all his fatal pride,” (390). Ishmael did intend for Ahab to be modeled after a tragic Greek hero, and sure enough, Ahab is starting to show the tragic flaw of the Greek hero, which is hubris. He thinks that he’s greater than the Gods and that he can stand up to Moby Dick, who has been alluded to as an instrument of God, and this will probably be his downfall.
There were three conversations that I found very interesting in this segment of reading. The first is between Ahab and the Blacksmith on page 370, in which Ahab says something that really struck me. He says, “How can’st though endure without being mad?’ He sees the world differently than a normal human does, and he finds it weird how someone can endure the hardships of the world without going insane. Insanity is a coping mechanism for Ahab and he looks at it as a blessing because he later goes on to ask why the Gods hate the blacksmith for not letting him become mad. The second conversation I’m talking about, which was between Ahab and Fedellah on page 377 was very weird and prophetic. They talk about how Ahab must see two hearses before he dies and how only hemp can kill him. This conversation made me wonder whether Fedallah is a supernatural instrument of God, or just a crazy person. If these prophecies come true I will be pretty sure that Fedallah is some sort of supernatural being. The third conversation I’m talking about is the one between Pip and Ahab, during which they become good friends. They have one of the craziest conversations I’ve ever read. On the post it note I have on page 392 I wrote, Pip + Ahab = Crazy Friends.
I also thought that the chapter about Queequeg in his coffin is hilarious. However, I wasn’t sure if he was just faking being sick or if he actually got better because he chose to get better.