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h Characters ................................................................................................... 2
l Symbols ..................................................................................................... 36
values—strength; courage; and the triumph of human ingenuity year aboard the navy vessel United States.
over the forces of nature, adventure, and profit. The supreme
confidence of Ahab in the novel Moby-Dick reflects the way Melville's own adventures as well as the stories he heard other
that Americans at the time viewed the natural world: something sailors tell on his many travels provided characters and real-life
to be conquered. The whaling industry's success was detail for his writing, including his novel Moby-Dick, an
connected to another success story in America and other ambitious and complex novel loaded with symbolism. While
industrialized nations, the Industrial Revolution, which changed Melville's earlier writing had been fairly well received, Moby-
human societies drastically and permanently. Dick's reception was lukewarm, and in subsequent years
Melville's popularity declined.
h Characters
Starbuck, the first English woman to be married on Nantucket
and a wealthy citizen of the island, converted to Quakerism.
Quakers, like most Christians, believed that God had given
them dominion over the creatures of land and sea, so they had
no moral issue with whaling as a way of life. Thus, Quakerism Ishmael
and whaling grew side by side in Nantucket.
Ishmael is a young man who, in response to feelings of
restlessness and depression, decides to go to sea. He makes
a Author Biography his way from his home in Manhattan to Nantucket,
Massachusetts, making a friend in Queequeg along the way.
Born in New York City on August 1, 1819, Herman Melville grew The two ship out together on Pequod. Ishmael tells the story of
up at a time when the American whaling industry was Ahab's mad quest to kill Moby Dick from his own
flourishing. Whale oil was in demand as a fuel and lubricant; perspective—both as a young and relatively experienced
whalebone was used in dressmaking; and ambergris was used crewman on the Pequod and, looking back, as the sole survivor
in perfumes. Evidence of the whaling industry was everywhere, of the Pequod's encounter with Moby Dick.
Queequeg
Queequeg, despite his fearsome tattoos and his tendency to
perform everyday activities with his harpoon, becomes a friend
to Ishmael. He performs his duties on the ship without
complaint, even when they are dangerous, and he is
enthusiastic about harpooning. As a pagan and a cannibal, his
friendship with Ishmael helps develop ideas about spirituality
and culture.
Starbuck
As a Quaker and the only man aboard the Pequod with serious
moral reservations about Ahab's quest, Starbuck's growing
discomfort with Ahab's obsession with revenge causes him to
nearly kill his captain. He holds back based on moral
reservations and thoughts of his wife and child. Ultimately, his
hesitation to commit murder leads to tragedy.
Stubb
Although Stubb is humorous, his comic approach is grounded
in something more serious: he is a fatalist. He believes there is
little humans can do to change the course of events, so a
person might as well laugh about it all. This also explains his
relaxed approach, whether in pursuit of a whale or smoking his
pipe.
Flask
Flask is not a very complicated man. He lives to kills whales,
and he pursues that purpose with a zeal that can be unsettling.
He cannot see anything majestic about the giant creatures.
Character Map
Ishmael
Sailor on Pequod; narrator
of story
Friends
Flask
Queequeg
Mission-oriented crew Crewman
Pagan harpooner on Pequod
member on Pequod
Third Mate
Captain Ahab
Monomaniacal captain
of Pequod
Second
Enemies
Mate
Moby Dick
Stubb First Mate White whale Captain Ahab
Jolly crew member on Pequod
wants to kill
Starbuck
Quaker crew member
on Pequod
Main Character
Minor Character
Dough Boy is the steward aboard the The novel begins as Ishmael, the narrator, decides to sign on to
Dough Boy
Pequod. a whaling ship. He travels from Manhattan to New Bedford,
where he makes an unlikely friend—Queequeg, a cannibal from
Elijah is a mysterious man who a South Sea island who works as a harpooner. They decide to
confronts Ishmael and Queequeg in
Elijah ship out together. The odd pair travel to Nantucket, where they
Nantucket, warning them about Captain
Ahab. are able to secure positions on the Pequod, owned by Captain
Peleg and Captain Bildad. A mysterious stranger named Elijah
warns them about the captain of the Pequod—a man named
Ahab, whom they have yet to meet.
Eventually, they meet a ship that only recently had a run-in with
Moby Dick, and shortly thereafter Ahab sights the White
Whale. The boats are lowered and the chase ensues. For three
days the crew of the Pequod tries to kill Moby Dick, who
smashes the whaleboats and proves to be very difficult to kill.
On the final day of fighting, Moby Dick sinks the ship and kills
Ahab. Ishmael survives by floating on Queequeg's coffin. He is
rescued, and he alone lives to tell the story.
Plot Diagram
Climax
7
Falling Action
6
Rising Action
5 8
4
9
3
Resolution
2
1
Introduction
Rising Action
Climax
Timeline of Events
Sunday morning
Monday evening
Christmas Day
January
February
Second day
Third day
Chapters 1–2
Chapters 3–5
Summary
Summary
As the novel begins, the narrator, Ishmael, introduces himself.
Ishmael enters the Spouter Inn. He is disappointed that there
He doesn't have much money and is feeling depressed, so he
are no empty beds available, so he will have to share one with a
decides to "sail about a little and see the watery part of the
harpooner who, the landlord tells him, is dark skinned and likes
world." The sea holds an attraction for him, as it does for many.
his steaks rare. After trying to sleep on a wooden bench,
Yet he will not travel as a passenger. Instead, he will work as a
Ishmael decides to give sharing a bed a try and goes to the
"simple sailor."
room. In the middle of the night, the harpooner finally comes in.
In Chapter 2, Ishmael packs his clothes in an old carpet-bag His face and torso are covered in tattoos; he looks foreign and
and sets out from Manhattan to New Bedford, where he hopes fierce. Ishmael is afraid, realizing the man is a South Seas
to catch a boat to Nantucket, a well-known center of the cannibal. When the harpooner gets into bed, he is surprised to
whaling industry. However, he misses the boat he expected find Ishmael already there and begins to wave a weapon
and must wait in New Bedford for a few nights. Not having around. Ishmael calls Peter Coffin (landlord of the Spouter Inn)
much money, he must seek out an economical inn to stay in who introduces the harpooner as Queequeg. Coffin explains
while he waits. He finds a run-down place called The Spouter the situation and everyone goes back to bed.
Inn, run by Peter Coffin.
In Chapter 4, Ishmael wakes up to find Queequeg's tattooed
arm thrown over him in a warm, loving gesture. He is
room and, not realizing Ishmael is there, begins his bedtime that "if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves; and it is in
rituals and tries to get into bed. Even the resulting this disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying
confrontation is not enough to completely release the tension: God consists." Mapple uses his knowledge of ships and sailing
in the morning, the men are both under the counterpane (quilt to elaborate on the story of Jonah's attempt to run away from
or bedspread), and Ishmael recalls a frightening episode from the task God had set before him. Mapple commends Jonah's
his early childhood. Queequeg's presence, however, seems to repentance—which took place in the belly of the giant fish—to
soothe Ishmael. the congregation as a model for their own repentance. After
his impassioned sermon, he covers his face with his hands, and
Ishmael watches Queequeg complete a series of mundane the congregation quietly leaves.
morning activities like getting dressed, shaving, and eating
breakfast. The savage of the night before is now a comical
man with a dented hat and a tendency to use his harpoon for Analysis
everything. He shaves with it ("vigorous scraping, or rather
harpooning of his cheeks") and serves himself breakfast with it. Ishmael, who is himself about to go to sea on a whaling boat,
By the time breakfast is over, Ishmael's feeling toward takes notice of the many marble tablets that are displayed in
Queequeg is one of amusement rather than fear, which is an the chapel. He considers that their message to him is one of
important step in the development of their close friendship. warning: "there is death in this business of whaling." While he
doesn't seem too worried about this at the present time, this
episode (again) foreshadows later plot events in which the
Chapters 6–9 captain and crew of the ship he's on are all killed by a sperm
whale, save one.
In Chapter 12, Ishmael relates Queequeg's story: Queequeg's will take them to Nantucket. Along the way, Queequeg tells
native island is called Kokovoko. He wanted to see the world, Ishmael stories that illustrate the way people make funny
so he canoed to a place where he knew a ship would pass, and mistakes when they are strangers in a new culture. They arrive
when it did he climbed aboard. The captain of the ship tried to at the boat, and it sails off toward Nantucket. Some of the
throw him off, but this proved difficult and the captain relented, "bumpkins" on board the small boat make fun of Queequeg,
allowing Queequeg to stay aboard and learn how to be a who throws one of them into the air. In the uproar that follows,
harpooner. Ishmael listens to this story, then asks him what his the man is swept overboard by the boom of the sailboat, and
plans are now. Queequeg says he plans to go back to sea as a Queequeg jumps in to save him from drowning.
The two then stay up talking all night like kids at a slumber around. Ishmael is going to great lengths to show just how
great a guy Queequeg is. Queequeg impresses the two men with his amazingly accurate
harpoon throw, and they hire him on the spot. Bildad advises
Mrs. Hussey appears in this chapter as a typical whaleman's him to leave his pagan ways for Christianity, but Peleg notes
wife, a no-nonsense woman who runs the affairs of home and that "pious harpooners never make good voyagers."
business with efficiency while her husband is away at sea. Her
inn is called the Try Pots, named after the large pots used to In Chapter 19, Ishmael and Queequeg have just left the Pequod
boil the whale oil out of the flesh, as described later in the and are walking down the street when they encounter a man.
novel. The man asks them if they have signed on to ship out with the
Pequod, and they answer yes. The man also asks them some
Foreshadowing again plays an important role in setting the odd questions, including whether they have seen "Old
tone of these chapters, despite their rather lighthearted Thunder" yet. When asked about this, the man tells them he
content. To Ishmael, the Try Pots sign looks like a gallows: "A means Captain Ahab, captain of the Pequod. He goes on to
Coffin my Innkeeper upon landing in my first whaling port; make cryptic comments about Ahab. This stranger's name
tombstones staring at me in the whalemen's chapel, and here a turns out to be Elijah. Elijah's comments and his name unsettle
gallows!" Careful readers will also take note that Ishmael gives Ishmael a little, but after they have walked on further, he
away part of the novel's ending in Chapter 13 as he compares decides to dismiss them.
Queequeg's dive to save a man with his "last long dive."
Analysis
Chapters 16–19
In this section, readers meet Captain Bildad and Captain Peleg,
two retired whalemen who now own their own ship, the
Summary Pequod. They are both Quakers. The two work well
together—they stage a comical "negotiation" between
Ishmael goes to see the boats that are available to decide themselves about how much pay they will offer Ishmael, which
which one he and Queequeg will try to sail on. There are three manages to convince Ishmael to accept the 300th lay, less pay
ships, and he investigates each one, finally deciding that the than he had expected.
ship Pequod—a "rare old craft"—is the best one. It is owned by
The name Pequod is significant. Ishmael explains that it is the
Captain Peleg who tells him the captain on the voyage will be
name of a tribe of Native Americans who once lived in
Captain Ahab, a man with only one leg, the result of an
Massachusetts. He notes that the tribe is "now extinct." Yet
encounter with a whale. As Ishmael is signing up for the
this seems to raise no red flags for him (as it might for the
voyage, he meets the other owner, Captain Bildad. They
reader) as he chooses the ship anyway.
negotiate Ishmael's wages, and Peleg describes Captain
Ahab—who Ishmael has not met—as "a grand, ungodly, god-like The contrast between Father Mapple's Christianity and
man." Ishmael's makes another appearance. When Bildad asks
Queequeg if he is a member of a church, Ishmael tells him
Back at the inn and locked in their room, Queequeg is
(quite eloquently) that Queequeg is a member of "the great
observing a religious fast in Chapter 17. However, Ishmael
and everlasting First Congregation of this whole worshipping
begins to worry that something is wrong because Queequeg is
world," as is "every mother's son and soul of us." Peleg
so quiet and will not answer his knock. When Ishmael bursts
responds that Ishmael would make a good preacher, as his
through the locked door, Queequeg is squatting, immobile, with
"sermon" was so good "Father Mapple himself couldn't beat it."
his little idol. Ishmael can get no response from him, but the
next morning Queequeg gets up, stretches, and seems fine. Most important, however, is that this section introduces the
They breakfast on chowder and set off for the Pequod to get character Captain Ahab. First, Peleg describes Ahab in
Queequeg signed up. contradictory terms—both "god-like" and "ungodly." If that's not
odd and unsettling enough, on the way back to the inn from the
Peleg and Bildad are suspicious of Queequeg at first in
ship, Ishmael and Queequeg run into a strange character with
Chapter 18, but Ishmael convinces them to give him a chance.
the name of a biblical prophet. (In I Kings, the Bible says that
God sent a prophet named Elijah to prophecy King Ahab's
Analysis
destruction.) This prophet-like stranger makes several
This section reveals a comical difference between Captain
mysterious comments that seem, to Ishmael, "ambiguous, half-
Peleg and Captain Bildad, which was glimpsed before in the
hinting, half-revealing." Although Ahab himself will not appear in
interactions among the two captains and Queequeg. When
person for many chapters, already a great deal of myth and
Queequeg signed on to the ship, Bildad piously tried to
larger-than-life story has grown up around him. Ishmael is
encourage him to convert to Christianity. Here again, the
uneasy, and perhaps readers are as well.
reader can see that Bildad is the more religious of the two
business partners. Throughout the ordeal of setting out, Bildad
is "imperturbable" and sings religious songs, while Peleg shouts
Chapters 20–23 and kicks the sailors to get them to work faster. Clearly, Peleg
is the less religious, or perhaps the more practical, of the two
Quakers.
Summary
The suspense created by the missing Captain Ahab intensifies
A flurry of activity occurs to get the Pequod ready to sail. as the Pequod gets underway. All manner of excuses are made
Ropes and canvas are brought on board as well as bedding, for Ahab's absence—he's ill; he's recovering; he's expected
food supplies and equipment for eating, and spare parts of very soon; he's not really needed anyway. Captain Bildad and
every kind needed for a three-year voyage. During these Captain Peleg disembark, but still Ahab is nowhere to be seen.
preparations, Captain Ahab is nowhere to be seen. Bildad and Starbuck takes charge instead. As if that weren't enough, the
Peleg say that he is not well but is expected any time. Ishmael mysterious Elijah makes another appearance, this time to draw
finds this suspicious but knows he has already committed to the attention of Ishmael and Queequeg to the strange men
the voyage. who seem to board the ship and then vanish into thin air.
It is early morning when Ishmael and Queequeg arrive at the As the ship begins its voyage, Ishmael's meditation on life at
Pequod the day they are to depart in Chapter 21. As they hurry sea, prompted by the character Bulkington, may seem out of
toward the ship, Elijah again confronts them with questions. He place in a section of the text that contains so much action. But
asks them if they've seen some men going toward the ship. it is important to remember that Ahab's monomaniacal
When Ishmael replies yes, Elijah says, "See if you can find 'em obsession hinges on trying to master something God has
now." Then he leaves. When Ishmael and Queequeg board the deemed too powerful for humans to vanquish, or even
Pequod, Ishmael wonders where the men he saw have gone. comprehend. While the White Whale symbolizes this in a more
As the final preparations for the voyage are made, Ahab personal way, the sea—"indefinite as God"—does as well.
remains "invisibly enshrined" in his cabin.
As Chapter 22 begins, it is about noon and the Pequod is ready Chapters 24–25
to get underway. Captain Bildad and Captain Peleg, along with
Mr. Starbuck, the first mate, are overseeing things because
Captain Ahab is still holed up in his cabin. Ishmael continues to
find Ahab's absence disconcerting. Once the Pequod is well
Summary
underway, the two old captains depart onto another boat that
The Pequod is well underway, and Ishmael takes a few
will take them back to shore.
moments to explain the virtues of the whaling industry. He
In Chapter 23, Ishmael notices that the pilot of the ship is a notes that people think those in the whaling industry are
man named Bulkington, who has just returned from a four-year disreputable because they work in dirty conditions and are
voyage. Ishmael devotes this short chapter to Bulkington who uncouth; but as soldiers, whose job is at least as bloody and
lives his life on the seas, saying "in landlessness alone resides dirty as whaling, they come home to a hero's welcome. He also
highest truth, shoreless, indefinite as God." explains that whaling is a very profitable business, and that
whale ships have aided in exploration of Earth to its most
remote parts. In increasing enthusiasm for whales and whaling, doesn't have much respect for the grandeur of the creatures.
he argues vehemently against several other beliefs about why
whales and whaling are unimportant or undignified. Chapter 25 Each of the mates—Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask—has a
provides an additional thought about this topic. In his role of harpooner who accompanies him on the whaleboat when they
advocate for whaling and whalemen, Ishmael points out that it are deployed in the hunt. They are Queequeg, Tashtego, and
is oil from whales that is used in the coronations of Britain's Daggoo, respectively.
kings.
Analysis
Analysis
Ishmael describes Starbuck at length, focusing on his great
This section introduces Ishmael as the advocate of whales and courage and steadfastness. This helps prepare readers for
whaling, a side of Ishmael that will emerge again and again events later in the novel when Starbuck's morality and courage
throughout the novel. He believes that whales and whalemen must face off against the absolute madness of Captain Ahab.
Analysis
Analysis
Ishmael's anxiety about the enigmatic Captain Ahab is almost
overwhelming when suddenly and at long last, Ahab appears. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio describes the
However, rather than satisfying curiosity and becoming more fairy Queen Mab as the "fairies' midwife," saying she visits men
human than myth, Ahab seems to embody the myth. He has and women in their sleep and that her presence gives birth to
holes put into the Pequod's deck, and he places his whalebone dreams. Mercutio's point is that Romeo's foreboding dreams
leg in them, standing resolutely and staring fearlessly out to are likely nothing more than the pranks of Queen Mab, not to
sea for long intervals. He has a long scar with mysterious be taken too seriously. As the title of this chapter, this
origins: a lightning strike "in an elemental strife at sea." He is reference may suggest that Stubb's dream, even though it is
grim and brooding. His incessant pacing on the deck of the about Captain Ahab, may just be a silly dream, not a prophetic
ship keeps the crew up at night because of the rhythmic one. However, it should be noted that Romeo's foreboding
thumping of his peg leg. It is no wonder that Stubb asks, "Is he dream does seem related to the tragic end of the play. In that
mad?" Others must think so, too. case, what is passed off as a silly dream might actually foretell
a tragic end.
The pipe that Ahab gives up smoking here (he throws it
overboard) is significant because it shows him beginning to
shed, one by one, the small pleasures and ordinary tasks
associated with being human. He does not want to be
Chapters 32–34
comforted, even by the small, calming pleasure of his pipe. He
is giving up any human pleasure that might interfere with his
single-minded commitment to his mission. The throwing Summary
overboard of the pipe is a symbolic act that marks his
wholehearted devotion to his task (which, as of yet, he has not Ishmael takes a break from the story to talk about cetology,
told the men about). the study of whales, explaining difficulties in classifying the
creatures and in studying them up close. He rejects the idea
This section also teases the reader with a brief mention of that a whale is not a fish, and defines a whale as "a spouting
Ahab's habit of going alone into the hold of the ship, creating fish with a horizontal tail." Then he explains in great detail his
suspense about what might be in it. own system for classifying whales. Next, in Chapter 33 he
explains the authority structure on a whaling ship. Unlike other
ships, whaling ships have an officer known as the specksnyder,
who is the chief harpooner. As Captain Ahab is the ultimate
Analysis Analysis
At times in the novel, Ishmael's narrative follows some This chapter includes a little humor in that Ishmael
scientific or technical tangent rather than the action of the plot. acknowledges it is hard to pay attention to your job when
It is important to look for the threads that tie these chapters to you're constantly getting caught up in philosophical thoughts.
the main events of the story. Sometimes they provide an Because Ishmael's own story is a fabric of tangential thoughts,
introduction to or additional information about plot events, or philosophies, and musings interwoven with plot, he seems to
they develop ideas and themes that appear again and again in be talking about himself here.
the novel. For example, in this section Ishmael uses a
discussion of cetology to introduce the idea that those who
work with whales up close are well equipped to have opinions Chapter 36
on them scientifically, and are thus a class of men set apart
from others. This idea that whalemen are special leads into a
discussion of how the hierarchy on whaling ships is different Summary
from that on other ships. Both Chapters 32 and 33 focus on
the exceptional quality of whalemen and how they differ from One morning after breakfast, Captain Ahab paces, lost in
those who observe or experience whales from afar. thought. The rest of the day, he shuts himself in his cabin at
intervals, pacing whenever he is on deck. Near the end of the
The discussion of the hierarchical nature of authority on
day, he calls for the entire ship's company to be assembled. He
board—and in particular, the captain's unquestioned
takes a Spanish gold piece and tells the men that whoever
authority—leads into a fascinating illustration of this: the noon
raises the White Whale will have it. Then the gold is nailed to
meal at which the relationship between Ahab and his officers is
the mast. The harpooners recognize this "White Whale" as
clearly displayed. The cook ritualistically announces the meal,
"Moby Dick," and Ahab is glad to hear that they already know
and Ahab ritualistically informs his first mate, who informs the
of him. Starbuck asks if it wasn't Moby Dick who took off
second mate, who informs the third mate. At dinner, gloomy
Ahab's leg, and Ahab confirms this to be true. Starbuck doesn't
Ahab presides over a silent table of obedient and humble
like the idea of hunting for vengeance—he wants to hunt
mates. It is only after these higher-ranked officers have
whales, not a particular whale. Ahab has the men drink grog
finished eating that the lower-ranked officers, the harpooners,
(rum mixed with water) in a ritualistic way, and has them swear,
are allowed to sit and eat.
"Death to Moby Dick!"
Chapter 35 Analysis
This chapter is a turning point in the novel, as Captain Ahab's
true mission is finally revealed to the crew. Although he has
seemed moody and intense, the crew has not known the
source of his grim mood until this moment. Ahab describes the
hunt for Moby Dick as a vendetta against the whale, but he together. Sailors from many different nations are represented
also presents the mission as if he has been personally insulted in the crew, and they dance, talk, and argue. As the dancing
by God. He goes on to describe himself as a "prisoner" who winds down, the wind picks up, and soon they are coming into
must "reach outside the wall" of his limited perceptions. For a storm. As the storm gets worse, the crew have to begin tying
Ahab, Moby Dick is the "wall" that is blocking his understanding down the sails in order to weather it.
of God's grander plan. Ahab's description of himself as
"prisoner" of his limited understanding calls to mind Plato's
Allegory of the Cave, in which the prisoners inside the cave Analysis
must strive to break free of their chains in order to experience
the light of Truth. Chapters 37–40 give glimpses into the events following
Captain Ahab's big announcement. They depart from Ishmael's
Now that all is revealed, the men react in different ways. first-person narrative and are structured like sections of a play,
Starbuck is shocked and disturbed by the idea that the crew including stage directions. First readers get a peek into what
would prioritize the killing of one particular whale for Ahab, Starbuck, and Stubb are thinking, in their own words:
vengeance over the general mission to kill whales for profit. He Chapters 37–39 are each spoken in first person, first by Ahab,
also considers Ahab's personal vendetta against one then by Starbuck, then by Stubb. Chapter 40 focuses on the
whale—an animal, after all—to be mad. The harpooners and crew and their revels.
other crew members seem taken up in the passion of such a
hunt, and the idea of winning the gold coin is an extra incentive Ahab's words paint a picture of a man with an absurdly grand
that creates a frenzy of excitement among the men. sense of his own importance. He fancies that he is a king
wearing an iron crown, and that he has greater power, will, and
Ahab's ritual, in which he has the men drink grog out of the perception than ordinary men. Yet his importance and his
sockets of the harpoons while swearing to hunt and kill Moby mission—to "dismember my dismemberer"—are also
Dick, calls to mind the drinking of wine from a chalice during exhausting and consuming: "time was, when as the sunrise
the Christian sacrament of Eucharist (communion). It makes nobly spurred me, so the sunset soothed. No more. This lovely
the oath-taking seem more like taking religious vows than a light, it lights not me; all loveliness is anguish to me, since I can
simple act of obedience to the captain. ne'er enjoy." Despite Ahab's clear madness (not just your
average madness, as Starbuck may think, but "madness
maddened"), this look into the inner workings of his mania
Chapters 37–40 encourages readers to see his humanity.
then escaped, only to be hit again at a later time by the same nightmares, the text says that "crazy Ahab, the ... steadfast
hand and killed. Second, he says that sometimes individual hunter of the white whale" was not the one who jumped up out
whales become something like celebrities—being recognized of the hammock, but it was the "eternal, living principle or soul
by sailors and even given names. Sometimes these famous in him" that did this. Yet because Ahab has given "all his
whales are hunted specifically and killed. In addition, most thoughts and fancies to his one supreme purpose," it is this
people who live on land have very little idea of the dangers purpose that becomes "a kind of self-assumed, independent
whalemen encounter at sea, and they have a hard time being of its own." In effect, Ahab's soul has become his
envisioning just how large whales are. He insists that sperm purpose, or his purpose has become his soul. The omniscient
whales can, and have, sunk large ships, giving several narrator caps this fantastical description by concluding
examples to support this claim. ominously—"thy thoughts have created a creature in thee."
In Chapter 46, Ishmael describes the challenges Ahab faces in In Ishmael's "affidavit"—his sworn testimony—he cites various
keeping the men devoted to his mission. Starbuck is the most facts to provide evidence that his story, no matter how
likely to be trouble for Ahab, because the first mate has such a outrageous sounding, is real, or at least realistic. One of these
moral sensitivity. Ahab may have been a little impulsive in facts is the tragic story of the Essex, a real whaling ship
letting the crew know his "prime but private purpose" for the captained by George Pollard Jr. that was sunk by a whale in
voyage so soon. For these reasons and to keep up 1820. While a few crew members survived the incident, adrift
appearances, Ahab still encourages his men to hunt sperm on the small whaleboats, they engaged in cannibalism as a
whales, not just Moby Dick. means of survival. This incident was recorded in Narrative of
the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the
Whale-Ship Essex, written by Owen Chase, first mate of the
Analysis Essex. Scholars believe that this incident provided inspiration
for Melville's novel.
The story returns briefly to one of the remaining mysteries:
Who or what is in the "after-hold" of the ship? During the
"middle-watch"—the hours from midnight to 4 a.m.—the sailors Chapters 47–49
on duty are filling the "scuttle-butt" with freshwater. A "butt" is
a large container that holds liquid—in this case, drinking water.
As they pass pails of water "in the deepest silence" from the
freshwater butts to the scuttle-butt, Archy, a crewman who is
Summary
standing near the after hatches, hears the sounds of someone
It is a lazy afternoon, and Queequeg and Ishmael are making a
sleeping. No one else hears this, however. For the moment, the
sword-mat at a leisurely pace. Ishmael begins to imagine they
mystery remains.
are weaving on the "Loom of Time." A strange sound startles
The opening line of Chapter 44 signals that it is not written him from this daydream, which turns out to be Tashtego's cry,
from Ishmael's perspective: "Had you followed Captain Ahab saying, "There she blows!" Suddenly everyone springs into
down into his cabin after the squall that took place on the night action because whales have been sighted. As they rush about
succeeding that wild ratification of his purpose with his crew, getting the boats ready, they suddenly see that Captain Ahab
you would have seen him go to a locker." Of course, Ishmael is surrounded by five mysterious figures.
did not follow after Ahab to report his actions. Ahab is "in
In Chapter 47, these mysterious "phantoms" begin to ready
solitude" in his cabin. So this chapter is among those that
one of the spare boats for use. Ahab calls one Fedallah, who
depart from the first-person narrative. Instead, it is written in
seems to be the leader. Fedallah and his men get into the
third-person omniscient.
fourth boat as the other three boats are also deployed, with
The end of Chapter 44 contains an interesting twist on the Ishmael as an oarsman on Starbuck's boat. Stubb and
idea that a person's body and soul are intertwined yet Starbuck (and Archy) realize that the newcomers must be
separate, an idea that Ishmael first introduced in Chapter 7. stowaways Ahab brought along in secret. Clearly they are
When Ahab bursts from his room as a result of terrifying there to help Ahab on his quest. The four boats maneuver to
try to get near the whales, and in the midst of this vigorous
chase, Starbuck's boat is capsized. Hours later, the men are Chapters 50–51
rescued.
Summary Summary
The Pequod is southeast of the Cape of Good Hope, entering In Chapters 55 and 56, Ishmael notes that most
the Indian Ocean, when it encounters the whaling ship Goney representations of whales with which land-dwelling folks are
on its way home. This ship is greeted by "Have you seen the familiar bear little resemblance to real whales when seen up
White Whale?" Because he receives no answer, Captain Ahab close. He gives a catalog of various ways whales are presented
fails in Chapter 53 to extend any of the courtesies one captain as monsters, and he attributes this to the fact that most people
often will grant another. This is unusual, and Ishmael explains only see beached whales, not the noble creatures they are
that the normal course of events when one whaling ship meets when at sea. Then he gives some sources for greater
another is to have a "gam," where the ships' captains, crews, depictions of whales. Finally, in Chapter 57 he discusses the
and mates mingle and share news together. sketches and engravings made in various materials, often by
sailors who had seen whales firsthand, noting that these are
Chapter 54 is told by Ishmael to friends at the Golden Inn in often much more accurate than other depictions.
Lima, Peru, after the novel's events take place, but it concerns
the events directly after the previous chapter. After meeting
the Goney, the Pequod encounters the Town-Ho, another Analysis
whaling ship. The Pequod and the Town-Ho have a gam, and
Ishmael learns about a conflict between Steelkilt, a respected In these chapters, Ishmael touches on ideas that come up
crew member of the Town-Ho, and Radney, a mate. Steelkilt repeatedly in the novel: the nobility of the whale as a creature,
had planned to murder Radney because of the conflict, but and the fact that whales and whalemen are generally
Moby Dick arrived and pulled Radney under the water, misunderstood. He promises to eventually "paint to you as well
preventing the murder. as one can without canvas, something like the true form of the
whale as he actually appears to the eye of the whaleman." But
first he will explain all of the ways most people get it all wrong
Analysis when it comes to whales. Because they only see beached
whales, they never see one in its natural environment, where, of
"Goney" is another name for an albatross, a bird that is course, it is much more majestic. This sight is reserved for
supposed to signal good fortune for sailors. It is not good whalemen, who operate in close quarters with whales. It stands
fortune in Captain Ahab's opinion unless he can get news of to reason, then, that people should trust whalemen's depictions
the White Whale, so he quickly continues on his way, coming of whales. And this is why readers should trust Ishmael on the
soon to another whaling ship, the Town-Ho. topic rather than believing other sources.
violence and wildness. lowered, the whale disappears, and the men in their boats wait
silently for him to reappear. When the whale reappears,
In Chapter 59, Daggoo thinks he sees Moby Dick, so he shouts. Stubb's boat goes after him, and Tashtego hurls his harpoon,
Captain Ahab gives the orders to lower the whale boats. But finally killing the animal. Ishmael then expresses his opinion in
the white creature Daggoo had seen turns out to be a squid, Chapter 62 that harpooners should not have to do anything
and Ahab and all of the boats return to the ship. Ishmael other than throw the harpoon—not shout and row with the rest.
reveals that sailors believe the squid is a food source for sperm He further explains in Chapter 63 that the crotch mentioned in
whales. the previous chapter is a notched stick used to hold the
harpoons (of which there are two—called the first and second
irons) ready for the harpooner. The two are connected with a
Analysis line and must be thrown in quick succession.
Summary Summary
Three boats tow the dead whale back to the ship. Ishmael Ishmael notes that the cutting in—or removal of the blubber
notes that Captain Ahab seems a little restless, as if not quite from the whale—took place on the Sabbath, then describes the
satisfied, because the whale is not Moby Dick. Stubb, however, procedure in great detail. He explains in Chapter 68 that the
is full of the thrill of victory. He and some of the other sailors skin of a whale and its blubber are really part of the same thing,
eat the whale's flesh for dinner, as do some sharks. Stubb and that it is removed in long pieces called blanket pieces.
complains that his whale steak is overdone, and that the Then he notes that this blubber/skin layer does act like a
sharks outside are being too loud. Fleece, the cook, tells the blanket to keep the whale warm in cold water. Then he
sharks to be quiet. Then Stubb and Fleece have a religious describes in Chapter 69 the way that the crew, once they have
discussion. In the next chapter, Ishmael explains the history of stripped the whale of its profitable parts, lets the carcass go.
how and why whale flesh came to be consumed as food. Then
in Chapter 66, Queequeg and another seaman kill many of the In Chapter 70, Ishmael notes that before the carcass was let
sharks by striking them with whaling-spades, smaller spade- go the head was removed, which is a difficult task. Stubb is
shaped tools for cutting whale flesh. such an expert that he does it in 10 minutes. Captain Ahab
speaks reverently to the severed head but is interrupted by
shouting—another ship has just been sighted.
Analysis The ship is the Jeroboam, captained by Captain Mayhew, who
says there is a sickness aboard his ship in Chapter 71. A
Stubb's treatment of old Fleece does not reflect well on his
strange man aboard Jeroboam named Gabriel, who thinks
character, as he wakes the man from sleep to fix him a whale
himself a prophet, has claimed the sickness is his doing. When
steak, then sends him to quiet the sharks—an impossible task
Ahab asks about the White Whale, it turns out the Jeroboam
for the old man, of course—then makes fun of him, teasing him
had a run-in with Moby Dick. The mate on the Jeroboam,
about preaching a sermon to the sharks.
Macey, had harpooned the whale but not killed it, despite
However, Fleece's sermon is actually fairly good. He tells the Gabriel's warnings not to attack. Then Macey had been swept
sharks that their hunger is natural, but they should govern it: "if overboard and killed. Many of the sailors find this portentous.
you gobern de shark in you, why den you be angel." He also
In Chapter 72, Ishmael describes how, while the whale carcass
tells them not to take the blubber out of each other's mouths,
is being stripped of blubber, he and Queequeg are connected
but that the sharks with big mouths should actually tear off
by a "monkey-rope" tied to each of their belts. This gives a little
larger chunks and share them with the smaller sharks who
security to Queequeg, who is on the whale cutting while
can't compete as well: "de brigness ob de mout is not to
Ishmael is on deck. The technique makes Ishmael feel that they
swallar wid, but to bit off de blubber for de small fry ob sharks,
are like twin brothers with intertwined fates. Ishmael explains
dat can't get into de scrouge to help demselves." This sermon,
how Queequeg was given a drink of grog as a reward for being
on the importance of mastering the "shark" nature and sharing
the harpooner of the whale.
with others weaker than oneself, provides a comical yet
serious contrast to Father Mapple's famous sermon. In the end,
Fleece, who was born in the slave state of Virginia, concludes it
is foolish to expect charity of either people or sharks. This is
Analysis
yet another example of the novel's concern with religious
Captain Ahab's words to the severed head—which looks like
hypocrisy.
the Sphinx of Giza—are an entreaty: "speak, mighty head, and
tell us the secret thing that is in thee. Of all divers, thou hast
dived the deepest." However, he realizes that the secrets
known by the head will never be known: "O head! thou hast In Chapter 79, Ishmael attempts to analyze the sperm whale's
seen enough to split the planets ... and not one syllable is head in terms of physiognomy and phrenology, but he admits
thine!" This private moment is another glimpse into Ahab's that he is not really qualified to do so. In the next chapter, he
inner thoughts—mad and melancholy, yet beautiful. discusses what the whale's skull, brain, and spine say about
the creature. He concludes it has a very grand spine, which, of
If the whale's head is unable to speak, the same cannot be said course, surrounds the brain stem, and that its hump makes it
for Gabriel, another prophetic character with a biblical name. "indomitable."
Gabriel can't seem to stop talking, despite Captain Mayhew's
repeated attempts to get him to stop. This strange character
yells to Ahab: "Beware of the horrible tail!" when asked about Analysis
the White Whale. He believes Moby Dick to be God incarnate.
These chapters focus on the topic of whale heads. As he
The description of the monkey-rope is a revisiting of the idea
describes the sperm whale's head from a variety of different
that ropes and threads are related to fate and destiny. Ishmael
perspectives, Ishmael's tone—his attitude toward the
considers this rope "strongly and metaphysically." As he does
subject—is one of admiration. He says the sperm whale's head
this, he feels that his "individuality" merged with Queequeg's,
has "mathematical symmetry" as well as "character" and
and that his free will had been taken away by the fact that
"pervading dignity." Even the inside of the sperm whale's head
"another's mistake or misfortune might plunge" him into
is coated with a "silken pearl-colored membrane" in which is
"unmerited disaster and death."
stored the spermaceti oil—a "precious substance" prized by all.
In fact, when Tashtego almost dies inside the sperm whale's
head, Ishmael suggests that had he indeed died, it would have
Chapters 73–80 been "a very precious perishing; smothered in the very whitest
and daintiest of fragrant spermaceti; coffined, hearsed, and
tombed in the secret inner chamber" of the whale. When
Summary expanding his description to the mind housed within the sperm
whale's head and spinal column, his admiration for the
As Chapter 73 begins, a sperm whale's head hangs at the side creature's intelligence is expressed by remarks such as that
of the ship. Unexpectedly, an order is given to kill a right the whale's "great genius is declared in his doing nothing
whale—not the type of whale they are supposed be hunting. It particular to prove it."
turns out this was Fedallah's suggestion. He has told Captain
Ahab that hanging a right whale across from the sperm whale Between Ishmael's comments on whale heads, a few other
would magically cause the ship to be unable to capsize. Stubb important developments are described. Captain Ahab
and Flask think Fedallah might be the devil and Ahab has sold continues to follow Fedallah's advice rather than the stated
his soul to him. Ishmael then describes the sperm whale's head mission of the Pequod's owners: to hunt whales for profit.
in Chapter 74, followed by the right whale's head in the Ahab's behavior is so far from what he "should" be doing,
following chapter. In Chapter 76, he explains how the head according to Captain Bildad and Captain Peleg, that Stubb and
shape and position of the sperm whale as it is swimming can Flask feel that the idea of Ahab making a deal with the devil
cause the whale to act like a battering ram, and in the next (who they think is likely Fedallah) is pretty reasonable. The end
chapter he describes the interior of the sperm whale's head, of Chapter 73 presents a chilling image of Ahab's and
which contains spermaceti oil—a valuable and unique Fedallah's shadows mingling together, suggesting that Ahab is
substance. somehow possessed by Fedallah.
Summary Chapter 84
The Pequod meets up with the Jungfrau, a German whaling
ship captained by Derick De Deer. Captain De Deer comes
aboard the Pequod to ask for some oil because his ship has
Summary
run out, not having caught a whale. He tells Captain Ahab he
Ishmael explains that the bottom of the whale boat is usually
has not seen the White Whale. As he goes back to his own
oiled so it moves faster in the water. Queequeg oils his boat,
ship, they suddenly come upon a pod of whales, and both ships
and soon they see some whales. Tashtego manages to
lower their boats. The three harpooners from the Pequod
harpoon one, which continues swimming away quickly. It
succeed in harpooning and killing one whale, which turns out to
becomes necessary to strike at the whale in a maneuver called
be extremely old. When they cut into the whale they find an old,
pitchpoling—throwing a long lance at him from a rocking and
corroded harpoon embedded in his flesh. Suddenly the whale
jerking boat as he is moving fast. Stubb manages to pitchpole
begins to sink and pull the Pequod over with it, so the crew
the whale and finally kills it.
must cut it loose. The Jungfrau begins to chase a fin-back
whale, which looks like a sperm whale but is "uncapturable."
Ishmael says near the beginning of Chapter 81, "At one time
the greatest whaling people in the world, the Dutch and Chapters 85–90
Germans are now among the least." The encounter with the
Jungfrau seems to support this assessment: they have not
been able to kill any whales, so they are out of whale oil (which Summary
they need for lamps and other uses). They fail to capture the
sperm whale in the contest with the Pequod's crew, and they Ishmael explains that a whale needs to spout water because it
foolishly chase after a fin-back whale, mistaking it for a sperm has lungs and can't breathe through its mouth when it is
whale. underwater. He is somewhat mystified by what exactly the
spout is—water or water vapor—but speculates as to its nature.
Ishmael continues on the topic suggested by the meeting with He concludes that it is made of mist.
the Jungfrau: the history of whaling. He reasons that whaling
has a honorable history going back to antiquity, and provides In Chapter 86, he "celebrates" the whale's tail, describing its
as examples several heroes of old who were, he believes, size, texture, and musculature. He calls it strong, beautiful, and
whalemen. It is an understatement to say that his logic is a bit charming, so much so that he has an "inability to express it."
of a stretch; he says that St. George's dragon was, in fact, a
whale, citing Ezekiel's phrase "dragon of the sea" as evidence. Ishmael takes a moment to describe the Pequod's position and
Before he leaves the topic of whaling history, Ishmael cycles some of the geography of the area in Chapter 87. The ship is
back to the story of Jonah—another reminder of Father moving out of the Indian Ocean. Pirates chase the ship but are
Mapple's sermon. easily outrun. Sperm whales are sighted and hunted, and one is
killed. He explains in Chapter 88 that whales travel in schools,
most often made up of one male and many females and young.
As the males get old, they leave the school to live alone. "entire boats with all their oars and crews into the air" like a
juggler. This comment foreshadows the events of Chapter 134
In Chapter 89, he backtracks to something he mentioned in in which Moby Dick attacks the boats of Stubb and Flask with
Chapter 87 about waifs and waif-poles. Fast-fish are whales his tail and shatters them.
that are connected to the boat or ship, and they belong to
whoever has them fastened this way. They are also considered A few other images in this section bear consideration. In
"fast" if they have a "waif"—a little flag stuck in the whale's flesh Chapter 87, references to the color white demonstrate
showing ownership. Loose-fish are whales that can be claimed Ishmael's continued dislike of this color. The pirate ships
by anyone. He uses a story about a court case to show that chasing them look like "detached white vapors, rising and
these rules are sometimes hard to interpret. In Chapter 90, he falling something like the spouts of the whales." (Notice spout
notes that in Britain, any whale captured along the coast imagery again!) And as the whaleboat is dragged along by the
belongs to Britain—its head presented to the king and the tail harpooned whale, it "tore a white gash in the sea." White
to the queen. signifies danger.
Ishmael also notes that the whale has been known to hurl
Summary Summary
Pip, a young member of the crew, must fill in as oarsman on The whale is cut up and emptied of its spermaceti. Some of the
Stubb's boat. In the midst of a hunt, Pip jumps out of his boat spermaceti has crystallized, and Ishmael and some of the other
and gets caught up in the rope, which then has to be cut, sailors have to squeeze the chunks to turn it back into a liquid.
saving Pip but letting the whale go. Stubb angrily tells him He finds the task very pleasant, and describes the amazing
never to do that again, but being young and afraid he jumps smell and feel of the oil. Occasionally, he squeezes the hands
again. Stubb refuses to rescue Pip, leaving him in the water as of others working at the same task and feels quite affectionate
he chases after another whale. Pip is finally rescued, but he is toward them. He also describes some of the other tasks of
never quite right after that. Whereas others see Pip as an sperm whale processing, including those that take place in the
"idiot," Ishmael believes that he seems mad because he has terrifying and dangerous blubber-room.
seen "God's foot upon the treadle of the loom."
Ishmael then describes in Chapter 95 how the outer layer of
the sperm whale's penis is stretched and worn like a cassock
Analysis by the mincer, a crewman who cuts up pieces of blubber so it
can be rendered of oil in a process that occurs in the try-
Stubb is once again seen treating the darker-skinned crew works, described in Chapter 96. That night as he is steering
members badly. Just as he seems unnecessarily harsh to the Pequod, Ishmael thinks dreamily upon the image of the fire
Fleece in Chapter 64, he is cruel toward Pip here. Yet in both of the try-works, and the ship almost capsizes. He realizes he
cases, Ishmael seems to portray the disrespected person in a should have been paying closer attention. The oil is stored in
complimentary, even admiring, light: Fleece's preaching was casks in the hold of the ship (Chapter 98). Then the ship is
nearer Ishmael's sense of true religion than was Father cleaned, and because whale oil is so good for cleaning, the
Mapple's, and little Pip is a nicer person than Stubb: "Pip, ship is pristine. One of the men in the three mastheads may
though over tender-hearted, was at bottom very bright, with then sight another whale, and if it is killed, the cycle will begin
that pleasant, genial, jolly brightness peculiar to his tribe; a again.
tribe, which ever enjoy all holidays and festivities with finer,
He interrupts this description of whale oil processing and uses
freer relish than any other race ... But Pip loved life, and all life's
to note in Chapter 97 that because whale oil is used in lamps,
peaceable securities."
the crew has as much lamp light as they desire. At night, the
At the end of the chapter, Ishmael again engages the idea of ship looks like an "illuminated shrine."
destiny using weaving imagery, saying that it is God who is the
weaver. Pip's near-death experience as he is terrified and
floating alone in the water before he is rescued seems to Analysis
imbue Pip with a kind of knowledge of God that only Captain
Ahab later understands. Indeed, Ahab has had his own near- While these chapters focus on the topic of whale oil and
death experience when he lost his leg to Moby Dick, and this spermaceti, the Pequod as an interconnected community is
episode presages their personal connection later in the novel. explored throughout as part of the theme of unity and division.
Ishmael can't seem to pass up an opportunity to foreshadow In the flurry of activity that comes after a whale is
the end of the narrative, as he compares Pip's experience with obtained—the various cutting, processing, and storage
the final outcome of his story: "in the sequel of the narrative, it tasks—each man has his job to do. Some have special roles
will then be seen what like abandonment befell myself." like the mincer, and some work together on more mundane
tasks such as squeezing oil. In this way, the Pequod is again
shown to be a microcosm of the world. Ishmael feels quite
but Starbuck keeps his cool and leaves the cabin. Ahab,
reconsidering, thinks he probably should fix the oil leak so no Chapters 111–114
one thinks he's putting his own quest before the stated
mission. He orders repairs.
Summary
Analysis The Pequod enters the Pacific Ocean, and Ishmael describes
the sea's "serene" beauty as "a thousand leagues of blue." He
The action in this chapter begins to escalate the tension notes that Captain Ahab is unmoved by the sight and seems
between Captain Ahab and Starbuck. When Starbuck says, only to grow in his thirst for vengeance. In Chapter 112 the
"What we come twenty thousand miles to get is worth saving, blacksmith, Perth, is described. He is a patient old man whose
sir" Ahab agrees, but he's thinking of Moby Dick, while skills are in constant demand. Before becoming a sailor Perth
Starbuck is thinking of the leaking oil. When Starbuck says, had been a drunk, and his drinking had led to the loss of his
"What will the owners say?" Ahab replies, "What cares Ahab? wife, family, and home. With his life in ruins, he went to sea. In
Owners, owners? ... the only real owner of anything is its Chapter 113, Perth is busily hammering away when Ahab asks
commander." Then expanding on this theme of authority and him to make him a harpoon to kill Moby Dick. Ahab has some
obedience, Ahab says, "There is one God that is Lord over the special materials to help make the harpoon: nail stubs from
earth, and one Captain that is lord over the Pequod," firmly horseshoes and his own razors. (He says he will not shave until
placing himself in the same category as God. Moby Dick is dead.) After the harpoon is made, Ahab calls the
three harpooners to give blood to use to cool the hot metal, a
departure from the usual water. After the harpoon is finished,
Chapter 110 Pip is heard laughing. In Chapter 114, Ishmael again describes
the sea as beautiful but notes that it is a "velvet paw" that
"conceals a remorseless fang." Ahab, looking at the golden
Summary surface of the sea, likens men's souls to orphans, and asks,
"Where lies the final harbor, whence we unmoor no more?"
Starbuck looks at the sea and says reverently, "I look deep
Queequeg becomes very ill and asks for a canoe-shaped coffin
down and do believe." Stubb, looking down at the water,
to be made for him. He then asks to be laid in the coffin along
maintains that "he has always been jolly!"
with his harpoon and some other odds and ends. After a while,
satisfied that he fits into his coffin, Queequeg lies in his
hammock where he regains the will to live and so recovers. He
begins to use his coffin to store things in, and he carves a copy
Analysis
of his tattoos into the lid.
Although Perth the blacksmith was discussed in Chapter 108,
he is not introduced in person until this section gives his
Analysis Analysis
This section clearly shows Captain Ahab's descent into If the previous episodes showed the crew the darker, more
complete irrationality, and some of the mates begin to really irrational side of Captain Ahab, these chapters restore the
worry about the outcome of this voyage. In a fit of temper, crew's faith in him. After the men witness Ahab's ability to
Ahab angrily destroys an important navigational tool because it create a compass out of what seems to be odds and ends,
cannot tell the future. Almost as if to condemn Ahab's folly, a they are amazed, and Ahab doesn't hide his satisfaction: "Look
storm providentially comes up and damages the ship badly. ye, for yourselves, if Ahab be not the lord of the level
Starbuck, appalled at the damage as well as at Ahab's obvious loadstone!" Ishmael, however, knowing the outcome of Ahab's
lack of good judgment, seems to realize that Ahab might need quest, inserts an observation: "In his fiery eyes of scorn and
to be removed from power if they are to survive. However, he triumph, you then saw Ahab in all his fatal pride." At this,
does not act; he only considers it. He almost justifies murdering echoes of the biblical "pride goeth before a fall" ring in the
Ahab, saying, "Is heaven a murderer when its lightning strikes a reader's ears.
would-be murderer in his bed?" But thinking of his wife and
child, he cannot follow through. Flask, too, shows However prideful Ahab is, Ishmael shows him to be a
uncharacteristic anxiety about the danger Ahab is putting them sympathetic character through his relationship with Pip. The
in. The tension escalates as these normally imperturbable two have a heartwarming interaction at the end of Chapter 125
sailors begin to realize the path they are on. and seem like two peas in a pod. The Manxman notes, "There
go two daft ones now ... One daft with strength, the other daft
The storm, as well as the fact that Ahab is already scarred with weakness." When Ahab takes Pip's hand and leads him
from a lightning strike, supports the characterization of Ahab toward his cabin, Ahab considers that it is actually Man and not
as being opposed to God—a devil or under the influence of the God that is the more charitable species. Pip immediately
devil. God's judgment, in the form of lightning from Heaven, has grasps Ahab's hand and seems to feel genuine affection for
fallen on Ahab before, and God continues to judge his actions. the monomaniacal captain.
Summary Summary
Captain Ahab realizes from the position of the sun that though The ship nears the equator where they expect to find Moby
all the compasses on board are pointing east, the ship is Dick. Just before dawn, the crew hears a "wild and unearthly"
traveling west and has been all night. He concludes that the cry, and some are afraid. It turns out the sound is just the cry of
storm has caused the compasses to malfunction. So Ahab seals. Just a short while later, a sailor climbs the masthead to
magnetizes a needle and suspends it by a thread to use as a watch for signs of the White Whale and falls into the ocean.
makeshift compass. The crew is impressed. When a life buoy is thrown, it is actually so old that it sinks and
the man drowns. To replace the life buoy, Queequeg suggests
Ahab continues to show his knowledge of low-tech navigation his own coffin, and the mates agree. The coffin is adjusted a
in Chapter 125 when he tells the crew to use the "log and line" little by the carpenter to make it float. As he does so in
method of measuring the ship's speed. As they do this, Pip Chapter 127, Captain Ahab teases him about it, then ponders
approaches and speaks strangely to them. Ahab, looking in the irony of the situation. Afterward, he decides to talk these
Pip's eyes, says, "Ahab's cabin shall be Pip's home henceforth, "philosophies" over with Pip.
while Ahab lives. Thou touchest my inmost centre, boy; thou art
tied to me by cords woven of my heart-strings."
Summary Summary
The Pequod encounters another whaling ship, the Delight,
The Pequod encounters another whaling ship, the Rachel,
which has a shattered whaleboat on board. Captain Ahab asks,
captained by Captain Gardiner. When asked, "Hast seen the
"Hast seen the White Whale?" The captain gestures to the
White Whale?" Gardiner replies yes, they saw the whale
broken whaleboat, meaning yes. Ahab asks if he killed the
yesterday. They'd sent a boat after him and had believed the
whale, and the captain suggests it is impossible. Ahab shows
White Whale had pulled the boat far from the ship. The boat
him his special harpoon, saying, "in this hand I hold his death!"
has not yet been located, and Gardiner's young son is on it. He
entreats Captain Ahab to help them search for the missing As the crew of the Delight prepares to have a funeral for a
boat. Ahab refuses. Later, back in his cabin in Chapter 129, crewmate lost in the fight with Moby Dick, Ahab steers the
Ahab talks to Pip, who asks if he can go with Ahab as he walks Pequod quickly away. Queequeg's coffin dangles ominously
on deck. Ahab tells Pip he must stay in the cabin. Pip is from the side of the ship, prompting one of the Delight's
persistent, and Ahab finally threatens him and leaves him crewmen to yell, "In vain, oh, ye strangers, ye fly our sad burial;
locked in the cabin. Fedallah, however, does go everywhere ye but turn us your taffrail to show us your coffin!"
with Ahab in Chapter 130, and the two stand watch each night,
knowing that Moby Dick could appear at any moment. In an
effort to see better, Ahab has a basket attached to a rope and Analysis
pulley, and Starbuck pulls him up so he can scan the water.
While Ahab is in the strange contraption, a bird steals his hat All of Captain Ahab's faults—his arrogance, his obsession with
and drops it in the sea. vengeance, his abandonment of human rituals and
pleasures—are on full display in Chapter 131 as the
confrontation with Moby Dick approaches. He refuses to even
Analysis pause for a moment to honor a fallen fellow sailor.
In Moby-Dick, names are carefully chosen and have meaning. In contrast, Chapter 132 shows the human side of Ahab and
In the Old Testament, Rachel is one of Jacob's two wives, and makes it seem as if he is not past the point of no return.
the mother of two sons. Appropriately, the whaleboat Rachel Addressing Starbuck, he says, "forty years of privation, and
peril, and storm-time! forty years on the pitiless sea! ... Aye and
yes, Starbuck, out of those forty years I have not spent three
Analysis
ashore ... whole oceans away, from that young girl-wife I
Finally, the climax of the story comes as Captain Ahab and
wedded ... Aye, I widowed that poor girl when I married her,
Moby Dick have their confrontation. Ahab is worked up into a
Starbuck ... aye, aye! what a forty years' fool—fool—old fool,
frenzy of revenge, but Moby Dick counters this with his own
has old Ahab been! Why this strife of the chase? ... how the
frenzy—circling, diving, surfacing, battering into the ship,
richer or better is Ahab now?" Starbuck (as well as the reader)
crushing the boats. Nothing goes according to Ahab's plan. All
holds out hope that Ahab will give up the chase. Yet it is not to
his careful preparations come to nothing; in fact, the months of
be. Ahab seems resigned to his chosen course, as he says,
planning are all undone in just a few short days.
"against all natural lovings and longings, I so keep pushing."
All of the foreboding prophecies have now come to a head.
Elijah's enigmatic statement that God should pity the sailors on
Chapters 133–Epilogue the Pequod, Gabriel's warning that those who harm Moby Dick
will suffer, Pip's statement that the gold coin will stay nailed to
the mast until the resurrection—are all fulfilled. And Fedallah's
Summary three-part prophecy is eerily fulfilled: The first hearse is Moby
Dick, who carries the dead body of Fedallah. The second
Captain Ahab is the one who first sights the White Whale. hearse is the Pequod, made of American wood. Fedallah does
Ahab's boat, Stubb's boat, and Flask's boat are lowered, and go before Ahab, and he does "return" to show Ahab the "way."
the hunt begins. Moby Dick goes underwater, then comes up The hemp of the line that catches Ahab and pulls him into the
right beneath Ahab's boat. As Ahab readies his special sea, not the hemp of a gallows rope, is what kills him. Nature, in
harpoon, Moby Dick opens his mouth and closes it on Ahab's the form of the whale, has won the battle.
boat, tipping Ahab into the sea. Ahab is rescued and the pieces
Ishmael, who survives as Job's servant did in the Bible through
of his boat are brought on board the ship, which continues to
terrible violence, believes he was destined by fate to be the
follow Moby Dick. The next day, the whale is again sighted and
sole survivor of the voyage and to share its story.
the boats are lowered. He shatters the whaleboats of Stubb
and Flask with his powerful tail and breaks Ahab's whalebone
leg off. The special harpoon is lost, as is Fedallah. On the third
day, the boats are lowered to battle Moby Dick, and the dead g Quotes
body of Fedallah is seen lashed to the side of the great White
Whale by the tangled ropes. Moby Dick targets the Pequod,
battering it with his great head. Ahab throws a harpoon, but it "Call me Ishmael."
gets caught in the line and is pulled overboard. The damaged
Pequod sinks, and "The great shroud of the sea rolled on as it — Ishmael, Chapter 1
rolled five thousand years ago."
The Epilogue begins with a quote from one of Job's servants in The famous opening line of the novel reveals that the narrator
the biblical book by that name: "And I only am escaped alone to wishes to be called by the name of an exiled son of Abraham in
tell thee." In it, Ishmael describes how Queequeg's coffin life the Hebrew Bible. The sentence implies that this is not the
buoy floats to the surface and Ishmael grabs hold of it. Later, character's real name and that he identifies with a biblical
as the only survivor, he is rescued by the Rachel: "In her wanderer.
retracing search after her missing children, [she] only found
another orphan."
"Methinks my body is but the lees
of my better being. In fact take my
body who will, take it I say, it is not
me. And therefore three cheers for "And this is what ye have shipped
Nantucket; and come a stove boat for, men! to chase that white
and stove body when they will, for whale on both sides of land, and
stave my soul, Jove himself over all sides of earth, till he
cannot." spouts black blood and rolls fin
out. What say ye, men, will ye
— Ishmael, Chapter 7
splice hands on it, now? I think ye
Ishmael introduces his belief that his soul is separate from and do look brave."
better than his body.
— Captain Ahab, Chapter 36
"Names down on the papers? Well, Ahab reveals his true mission to the crew of the Pequod,
well, what's signed, is signed; and winning them over to his cause with his exciting and flattering
words.
what's to be, will be; and then
again, perhaps it won't be. Any
"I am game for his crooked jaw,
how, it's all fixed and arranged
and for the jaws of Death too,
already."
Captain Ahab, if it fairly comes in
— Elijah, Chapter 19 the way of the business we follow;
but I came here to hunt whales,
A mysterious man named Elijah warns Queequeg and Ishmael
about Ahab and the Pequod. When they say they've already not my commander's vengeance.
signed on to the ship, he comments on the influence of fate
and destiny on the future. However, he seems to contradict
How many barrels will thy
himself. vengeance yield thee even if thou
gettest it, Captain Ahab? it will not
"For what are the comprehensible fetch thee much in our Nantucket
terrors of man compared with the market."
interlinked terrors and wonders of
— Starbuck, Chapter 36
God!"
Starbuck reminds Ahab of the official mission of the Pequod
— Ishmael, Chapter 24 and does not agree with the captain's quest for vengeance.
— Captain Ahab, Chapter 37 Ahab clings to Fedallah's prophecy as evidence that he will not
be killed; but in the end, Fedallah's prophecy comes true and
he is killed.
Ahab is completely aware of his madness, which suggests that
he is not completely insane, and he is unashamed. He is
absolutely devoted to his quest for revenge.
l Symbols
"Out of the trunk, the branches
grow; out of them, the twigs. So, in The White Whale
productive subjects, grow the
chapters."
Ahab's nemesis, Moby Dick (or the White Whale), symbolizes
forces beyond human control, including nature, God, and fate.
— Ishmael, Chapter 63 As Ahab's antagonist, it represents impossible goals and works
against the free exercise of human will. In Father Mapple's
Ishmael helps readers understand the structure of the novel by sermon, the whale—or great fish—is an agent of God's wrath
comparing it to a tree with a trunk, branches, and twigs. and a call to repentance, and so this, too, is a symbolic
interpretation of the White Whale. In Ahab's madness, however,
the White Whale symbolizes evil personified.
the struggles those on board must face all mirror the of Virginia, "preaches" to the sharks and recognizes that man
differences, dangers, and struggles of human life and society. will reject God's commandment to love one another.
As a small society separated by distance from the rest of Unrepentant Ahab pays the ultimate price for his "fatal pride"
humanity, it also represents both isolation and community. at the hands of the same instrument God uses with Jonah.
Queequeg's coffin, made while Queequeg is deathly ill, Prophesies, fate, and superstition overshadow the events of
symbolizes at the same time both life and death. Its symbolism the novel from the beginning. Ishmael notices warnings of
of death is obvious, yet within the story it provides life in two death before he even boards the Pequod—in the innkeeper's
cases. Its construction seems to bring comfort to Queequeg, name and in the memorial stones at the Whaleman's Chapel.
after which he completely recovers, and Ishmael is saved from Then a prophetic man named Elijah speaks confusing yet
drowning by its ability to float. ominous words to Ishmael about the upcoming voyage. On
board the ship, Ahab's and Ishmael's thoughts turn to the
working of fate quite often. Ahab believes his fate is wrapped
up in the hunt for Moby Dick, and Ishmael ponders the three
m Themes intertwined elements of a man's destiny—free will, chance, and
necessity. Pip, Fedallah, and Gabriel all make prophetic
statements that eventually come true. And even at the end,
after Ahab has apparently followed his own will rather than the
Authority and Obedience will of fate or God, he says he is an agent of fate who must
obey orders. Conflicts and tensions among necessity, free will,
and chance as they apply to events of the story are not
The Pequod is owned by Captain Bildad and Captain Peleg. But resolved by the novel, leaving plenty of room for debate.
it is Captain Ahab who is the ultimate authority on board the
ship when it is at sea. Ahab expects total obedience, and
among the crew there are higher-ranking and lower-ranking
positions. Hierarchy is important aboard the ship, as is Unity and Division
obedience, and so this theme is inherent in the setting of the
novel. The relationship between master and slave is also
historically relevant at the time of the novel's publication, 10 From Ishmael and Queequeg's unexpected friendship to the
years before the beginning of the Civil War. Yet the novel asks ethnic and religious diversity among the crew of the Pequod,
bigger, spiritual questions about authority and obedience: the novel explores the many ways people are separated by
race, nationality, rank, intelligence, and various other
Does a man have the authority to take vengeance on nature
categories. These divisions are not downplayed. Ishmael
for an injury?
makes fun of the French and German whalemen, while
Do humans have the authority to dominate forces God has
elevating American ones. Stubb treats the darker-skinned crew
decreed to be beyond human comprehension?
with disrespect. White men hold all the highest ranks on board.
What will happen to a man who arrogantly sets himself
This is set in time against the backdrop of slavery in the United
above the noblest and most powerful of God's creatures?
States, which was being hotly debated at the time of the
Father Mapple preaches that Jonah tried to disobey God and novel's publication.
ended up repenting from the belly of a giant fish—God's
Yet the Pequod is a community, and all men must work
instrument. Old Fleece, who was born in the slave-owning state
together to stay alive. An extra layer of unity is provided when
e Suggested Reading
Becker, John. "The Inscrutable Sublime and the Whiteness of
Moby-Dick." Ed. Harold Bloom and Blake Hobby. New York:
Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2010. Print. Bloom's Literary Themes