Moby Dick read-along discussion

Hello Grace,

sorry for my late reply, I had a hell of a weekend and could just start reading the novel this week... And I really wanted to read the first 40 chapters (one third of the novel) before starting to discuss it because I felt like I needed to know the story in a larger context to properly talk about it.

Before reading my random thoughts you should know that I have basically no idea what I'm talking about :D I have never studied Melville or Moby in school and havn't heard that much about the story either, so everything will be more of a personal interpretation, hope you don't mind. :)
My edition has a very little introduction (2 pages) that talks briefly about the themes of the novel ( belief systems; what can happen when desire for vengeance is allowed to take control; Moby Dick as a representation of a Christian God) and Melville's intention (Melville being a sailor himself and then being displeased at witnessing Christian missionaires in Hawaii forcing their faith upon the natives, who had their own beliefs). So I kept that in mind whilst reading and it has actually helped me with my personal interpretaiton.

So yeah, let's do this!
(I assume it's a given but feel free to add your thoughts and tell me if you think some of my interpretations may be a little off... :D)

General thoughts (not related to the plot)

- A little fun fact: Melville was friends with Nathanial Hawthorne (author of "The Scarlet Letter") and actually dedicated Moby Dick to him - I thought that was just really fun to know; this made me actually envious :D one of the greatest classics being dedicated to you personally, that must have been an awesome feeling :D

- I really like that the chapters are so short (2-5 pages) because it's easier to power through a hard chapter and it actually makes me feel very accomplished whilst reading

- the language is beautiful, it has a certain richness to it that I don't encounter in contemporary fiction anymore. I'm really happy that I clicked with Melville's writing style; it gets a little draining sometimes when he starts to describe every litte detail of a setting but otherwise I'm really happy and I'm marking beautiful/ important quotes like crazy whilst reading

Chapters 1 - 20

I'm not sure if this will apply to the novel as a whole but the first 40 chapters made me think that you could actually use Aristotle's Dramatic Structure to divide this novel.

The first 20 chapters feel like the Exposition to me because you basically just get to know Ishmael and his desire to sail with a whale boat. And everything happens ashore.
The next 20 chapters (21 - 40) feel like the Rising Action because he picks his boat and the adventure becomes more definite. You get to learn the crew and Ahab's mad desire to hunt Moby even though Moby does only appear implicitly so far. Not sure what you think about this but I would structure it that way.

- First of all when I've read the first sentence "Call me Ishmael." I got really excited; as I said before I don't know much about Moby Dick but I know that sentence (probably everyone knows that sentence). So we were off to a good start.

- Actually I got off to a very good start with Ishmael as a character in general. So far he is by far my favorite character in the novel and I relate to him. I love his narrative voice and that he is sassy/ funny at times which lightens the mood and the dense bits of this novel.
I fell in love with him on the first page where he states that:
"whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can."
When I've read this quote, I knew I was in for a fun time.
OR where he talks about him being poor: "and a purse is but a rag unless you have something in it." SOO GOOD!
OR "The transition is a keen one, I assure you, from a schoolmaster to a sailor, and requires a strong decoction of Seneca and the Stoics to enable you to grin and bear it."
-> this also made me question his age, I mean HOW OLD IS HE (because I picture him as a 19 year old but I mean when he was a schoolmaster he must be 30+ or something)

- Ishamel's and Queequeg's friendship is really very interesting, especially in the beginning. I actually thought it was so funny how the owner of the inn played a trick on Ishamel and made him worry so much about his sleeping partner and then when Queequeg tried to "kill" him.
-> What I didn't get about Queequeg as a character was if he really is a cannibal or not and if why Melville incorporated that in the story? Because I feel like Melville wanted to give a very realistic view on being a sailor, harpooners etc. and cannibalism wasn't really a thing in the 19th century (OR WAS IT? I have no idea).
-> I was also really unsure about his usage of the words "savage" and "negro" because I'm from Germany and if I would translate these into German the words would be very very insulting and negatively connotated. I wanted to ask you if this is the case in the English as well (also taking into account when this novel was written)? Is a "savage" just a person that isn't civilized (without judging that way of life)? Is a "negro" just a black person or is it insulting?

Another point that's really interesting about their friendship is the underlying homoerotica (at least that's how I've read it when Ishmael talked about feeling very comfortable sleeping close to Queequeg etc.). Not sure if this was Melville's intention since he is a Christian but there certainly is a bit of an ambiguity there. I might just look at that part: "then, in our hearts' honeymoon, lay I and Queequeg - a cosy, loving pair."

A quote that sums up there friendship pretty well: "Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Chrisitan." (In general I appreciate how critical Melville deals with Christianity but more about that later).
OR "I began to be sensible of strange feelings. I felt a melting in me. No more splintered my heart and maddened hand were turned agains the wolfish world. The soothing savage had redeemed it."
-> This also made me think about the other scene in which Ishmael tries to understand Queequeg's beliefs and starts praying to Queequeg's idol as well.

And another funny quote, describing Queequeg perfectly: "Queequeg was George Washington cannibalistically developed."

- The scenes in which Ishmael and Queequeg visit the chapel in New Bedfort didn't do much for me because I honestly didn't understand the allegory of Jonah (the tale that Father Mapple tells). The basic result of the tale was: "Sin not; but if you do take heed to repent of it like Jonah." AND "To preach the Truth to the face of Falsehood." Not really sure what to do with that. The latter might be a hint to the fact that some Christians think that their religion is THE TRUTH and everyone with other beliefs is wrong but I'm really not sure.
You might have a clever idea or a better understanding?

- What happens in chapter 12 - in which Queequeg's past was told in a chapter - was really funny to me because Melville seems to do that quite a lot - By that I mean that he is not introducing his characters to us by showing them in different situations, no, he just writes a little chapter about their background etc. I think that's funny because nowadays that is regarded childish immature writing but in the context of the novel it acutally helped me understand the characters better and I didn't mind it at all because otherwise it might get confusing and so you at least know where to turn when you forget who the character exactly is (this was especially useful when he introduced us to the crew of the Pequod - Starbuck, Stubb & Co.)

- I got really excited when Ishmael finally decided which ship they should take for their 3 year voyage (it was also really heart-warming how Queequeg let him chose the ship even tho Queequeg is much more experienced). I was just wondering if the name of the ship "PEQUOD" has a specific meaning. Any ideas? Otherwise, I'll look it up. There are probably a lot of theories out there, I just can't come up with my own.

- the situation with the two Captains who prepare the ship for its voyage (Bildad and Peleg) was also great because it got me an insight into how that whole sailing business works and that you basically don't get paid and just get a percentage of the earnings that the hunted whale makes (oil, flesh etc.)

- there is also another great quote about religion and how to not take it to seriously: "and very probably he [Captain Peleg] had long since come to the sage and sensible conclusion that a man's religion is one thing, and his practical world quite another."
Another more problematic comment he made about religion is when Ishmael invades Queequeg's ramadan: "I have no objection to any person's religion, be it what it may, so long as that person does not kill or insult any other person, because that other person don't believe it also. But when a man's religion becomes really frantic; when it is a positive torment to him; and, in fine, makes this earth of ours an uncomfortable inn to lodge in; then I think it high time to take that individual aside and argue the point with him."
-> I totally agree with the first part (aka as long as it does not kill etc.) but the second part (aka when it becomes really frantic) is very difficult because I agree in theory but practically WHO SHOULD BE THE JUDGE? What is frantic, where do we draw the line? For example I though it was Queequeg's good right to fast and not talk and thought Ishmael's invasion to be patronizing.

- overall I liked the set up (not so much the resolution) of Captain Ahab's character... I liked how mysterious (almost God-like) he was described (I mean they called him "Old Thunder", that just screams ZEUS), more myth than man. At one point I was actually thinking that Elijah (or Elias not sure about that name) was Ahab in disguise... Turns out I was wrong but oh boy it was fun to have that slow build up.

So this concludes my rambling for the first 20 chapters. Hope you could benefit at least a little bit from it.

Hey Grace! :D

It's such a bummer that this book was a failure when Melville was alive. I actually read a little bit about him and maaan he led a sad life after the publication of Moby Dick. He became an alcoholic and had like a bad physical condition throughout his life. :( But I feel like it happens so often authors only get recognized posthumously... YOU'RE A WRITER? That's sooo cool. Have you actually been published (I know it's like super hard to get a deal) but I totally would read one of your works!!!

I thought upon the homoeroticism and I thought that maybe the situation is the same as it is in Lord of the Rings (which I'm also currently reading. :D). With Tolkien it's a little more obvious but by making his male characters softer and acting lovingly he kinda tried to make up for the lack of female represantation in his story and maybe that's the case with Melville as well... because they are almost no women in the story and they just appear for a few pages and are never mentioned again...

Unfortunately I've never read any Hardy but as far as Melville's criticism of Christianity goes, I don't think his criticising the religion per se (because he seems to be a moderate Christian), just certain people who get to frantic and fanatic in their belief and actions. Even though it is impossible to draw a line without passing judgement.

Thanks for giving that great insight into Jonah's book in the Old Testament. That makes a lot more sense now :D and actually fit the story well, I also agree with your interpretation that Ahab is then trying to defeat God rather than be saved by him.