Friday! January 8
“Perfect” sentences from yesterday…
Review one last time before you hand them in and
make sure you are talking about PURPOSE and not
just rehashing what was said
• Melville’s purpose in Chapters 12/13 is to reverse the original
impression of Queequeg as an uncivilized savage to a selfless man of
royal blood, and also explains that simply because one does things
differently from the norm, that does not make him uncivilized or
uneducated.
• Melville wants to capture the concept of misunderstanding and
incorrect judgment as he provides Queequeg’s background and uses
his impression of being a savage, but actually being royalty, and
Christians begin so holy, but actually being wicked, to present this
idea.
• Melville included the past of Queequeg in the novel not only to
establish a background, but also to promote the major and
contradictory theme of savage royalty and civilized wickedness, and
how Queequeg came to be misunderstood.
Queequeg—Best
Answers
• Melville’s purpose in dedicating a whole chapter to the
island of Nantucket is to put a spotlight on the theme of
isolation, and as much as Nantucket is isolated on water,
the Pequod shall also be.
• Nantucket is so alone and isolated that he people are
hungry for more than what the have there and that is why
they are whalers, so they can see more than what is front
of them.
• Nantucket, home of whaling, reminds the reader of man’s
connection to the sea—the Nantucketer “alone resides
and riots on the sea.”
Nantucket—Best
Answers
• The fact that Ishmael never actually meets Ahab is what
enhances the chapter in respect to meaning; the allusion
to this legend of Ahab only augments the mystery
surrounding the captain.
• Ahab is described as a moody captain who will never be
your friend, but will get you back home alive, and
Melville attempts to humanize him by giving him a
family that he wants to go back to because he is seen as a
man above God who can defy Him.
Ahab—Best Answers
• Presentation from Nick & Kevin
• Quiz on 18-22; no book until last 5 minutes
18-22
“ . . .the same ancient Catholic Church to which you and I,
and Captain Peleg there, and Queequeg here, and all of
us, and every mother’s son and soul of us belong; the
great and everlasting First Congregation of this whole
worshipping world; we all belong to that; only some of us
cherish some queer crotchets noways touching the grand
belief; in that we all join hands” (81).
Chapters 18 – 22
Queequeg’s “signature”
Also part of his tattoos
John Wallis credited with the creation of the symbol in 1655
Ancient cultures had the idea of infinity
as a philosophy instead
of a mathematical code
The
Prophet
Elijah
--Biblical: warned Ahab
“but shabbily apparelled in faded jacket . . A confluent
small-pox had in all directions flowed over his face, and
left it like the complicated ribbed bed of a torrent, when
the rushing waters have been dried up” (84).
“Anything down there about your souls?” (84)
--reference to the contract I & Q signed
“When Captain Ahab is all right, then this left arm of mine
will be all right, not before” (85).
“What’s signed, is signed; and what’s to be, will be; and
then again, perhaps it won’t be, after all” (85).
We gave three heavyhearted cheers, and
blindly plunged like
fate into the lone
Atlantic (94).