moby update

[phosfate]

So they kill the sperm whale, and fasten its carcass to the Pequod for easy handling. Relatively easy. It's a frickin' whale, after all. This comes to the attention of the local shark population, and Ishmael tells us about sharks, behavior of, in his own little version of Shark Week.

Successful harpooner Mr Stubbs insists that the Cook fix him a whale steak in the middle of the night. He insists that Cook preach to the sharks about their ghastly behavior. Cook, a suprisingly good sport, addresses the sharks with an off-the-cuff sermon, addressing them as "Fellow critters." Mr Stubbs bitches about Cook's cooking and rhetorical style, and Cook suggests he fuck off.

Ishmael kindly describes how a whale is 'processed' in vivid detail, and which bits make good eatin'. Thanks, Ish! He also tells us about the finer points whale anatomy and how whaleskin makes good bookmarks for all your books about whales. Ahab orders the sperm whale's head hung from the side of the ship. Then he orders the head of their next subject, a right whale, hung from the other side of the ship. This is apparently some sort of charm against a ship's being stove in and sunk by an angry whale. Think it'll work? It could work. Stop laughing!

Yet another looney prophet turns up, this time courtesy of a passing ship what has the plague. Or something. His name is Gabriel. Moby, according to him, is the God of the Quakers, and the Pequod is (you guessed it!) DOOMED! DOOMED! DOOMED! I don't think Mr Melville is too fond of Quakers, which is a shame as apart from this loonbag they've always seemed like good Joes to me. Plus, oatmeal.

Actually he might've been a Shaker, in which case the above still holds, except substitute 'furniture' for 'oatmeal.'

Ah, for the days when America could generate a religious sect that didn't pack heat.

Anyway, Gabe goes back to his ship and the Pequod heads for its next exciting adventure.

Comments

[strawberrythief.livejournal.com]

Ahab's a Quaker, too.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

By God, you're right!

Issues, Mr Melville???

[strawberrythief.livejournal.com]

Well, so's Starbuck, the most admirable character in the book. And the two owners of the ship, Bildad and Peleg. And half the crew as well, because, as Melville explains early on, most of the Nantucketers are Quakers.

I don't think Melville had issues with Quakerism, really; someplace early in the book he rambles for a while about how the fineness of that religion persuasion, in concert with the action of the sea, tends to breed in Nantucket a type of man that is "a mighty pageant creature, formed for tragedy." I think that Gabriel is supposed to represent the voice of Ahab's religious conscience, attempting to awaken him to the heresy of hi Manichean world-view and the enormousness of his impiety. Or, uh, something.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Oh, just shut up with your stupid reading comprehension.

[strawberrythief.livejournal.com]

I know everyone thinks it sucks, but Moby Dick is one of my favorite books, ever since I first read it when I was thirteen. It's like Hamlet and the Bible... you can find the whole world in Moby Dick. I was so glad when you started reading it. I like your updates. :-)

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Nono, l'il Maura, don't be all with the tiny type! I'm just funnin' you. Come here, sit down on Annie's lap... There you go. *pets*

o/~ Call me Ishmael
Salty young dog of the sea
Call me Ishmael
That's what my name is
And sailing my game is
So call me Ishmael
And I will answer to thee!
Not Zeke Zachariah José Jedikiah
But Ishmael, that's me! o/~

Now sing with me...

o/~ Call him Ishmael
Salty young dog of the sea
Call him Ishmael
That's what his name is
And sailing his game is
So call him Ishmael
And he will answer to thee!
Not Zeke Zachariah José Jedikiah
But Ishmael, that's he!
Yo-ho! o/~

Now, tell me more about the Quakers.

[strawberrythief.livejournal.com]

Score!!!!

*climbs happily in lap*

Didja get to the part about the sperm-squeezing yet?

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

_{No, but Stubb demanded whale balls for breakfast.}

[strawberrythief.livejournal.com]

You know, Harold Bloom says there's homoerotic subtext in this book.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

_{I guess it's true what they say about broken clocks, then.}

Come back to the cabin, Ahab, honey...

[nitasee.livejournal.com]

Now you tell me. Makes me wish I finished readin' it when it was assigned. Almost.

Of course, we all knew that about The Secret Sharer.