Moby-Dick: Comprehensive Scholarly Study Notes

The Crew of the Pequod

  • Captain Ahab: The commanding officer of the Pequod.
  • Starbuck: The First Mate.
  • Stubb: The Second Mate.
  • Flask: Third Mate.
  • Queequeg: Harpooner assigned to Starbuck.
  • Tashtego: Harpooner assigned to Stubb.
  • Daggoo: Harpooner assigned to Flask.
  • Fedallah: Harpooner assigned to Ahab.
  • Pip: The Cabin Boy.
  • Fleece: The Cook.
  • Dough-Boy: The Steward.
  • Perth: The Blacksmith.

Chapter 1: Loomings

  • Ishmael: The protagonist and first-person narrator of the story.
  • Socio-economic Status: He is described as "dirt poor."
  • Motivation: Ishmael craves adventure and feels a spiritual necessity to be on the open water.
  • Emotional State: He compares the feeling in his soul to a "cold, rainy November day."
  • Naval Perspective: He chooses to sail as a common sailor rather than a passenger.
  • New York Context: Ishmael references a typical day in Manhattan, New York, noting that men generally dislike the shore and long for the open ocean.
  • Narrative Voice: He is a first-person narrator who exhibits signs of being unreliable. He mentions having "hypos," which are described as periods of depression, anxiety, or ennui, and shows traits potentially associated with ADHD.

Chapters 2 - 3: The Journey to New Bedford and the Spouter-Inn

  • Chapter 2 Activities: Ishmael leaves Manhattan, heading toward Cape Horn and the Pacific. He stops in New Bedford, Massachusetts, intending to continue to Nantucket, but misses the boat.
  • New Bedford Significance: It was the original whaling capital of New England, though Nantucket has since been left behind in that regard.
  • The Leviathan: Ishmael mentions this Biblical monster, identifying it as the whale.
  • Social Constraints: Being poor, Ishmael must find a cheap place to stay. The transcript quotes: "My dear Ishmael, be sure to inquire the price, and don’t be too particular" (Melville 8).
  • "The Trap": Ishmael mistakes a Black church for an inn. He compares it to the Biblical city of Tophet, a place essentially described as hell where inhabitants burned children alive.
  • The Spouter-Inn: Owned by Peter Coffin. Ishmael describes the inn by comparing it to his own body: eyes as windows and the structure as a house. At the end of the chapter, his narration shifts to using collective pronouns like "we" and "us."
  • Chapter 3 Narration: Melville shifts to second-person point of view ("you" and "yourself").
  • The Oil Painting: A large, faded painting of the Black Sea at night. It depicts a whaling scene where a whale crashes into a ship, killing itself on broken masts—a moment of foreshadowing for the struggle against Moby Dick.
  • Inn Decor: The walls are lined with broken whaling tools (harpoons and spears). The bar is shaped like the right side of a whale, with a jawbone acting as an archway.
  • Jonah: An old man sits by the bones; the transcript suggests if you pay him, he sends sailors to their death. This is likely a reference to the Jonah and the Whale Bible story.
  • Sharing a Bed: Since there are no free beds, Ishmael agrees to share a bed with a harpooner. He initially suspects the harpooner of being dangerous and mysterious.

Chapters 4 - 6: Meeting Queequeg and the Culture of New Bedford

  • Chapter 4 Observations: Ishmael wakes up and observes Queequeg’s tattoos, which remind him of his own childhood and his inability to distinguish between dreams and reality.
  • Ishmael’s Past: He mentions having a hard and strict stepmother.
  • Redemption of Queequeg: Ishmael realizes he judged Queequeg too harshly. Queequeg is described as chivalrous and considerate. Despite his "savage" nature, he owns nice boots and a hat and even shaves with his harpoon.
  • Chapter 5 Breakfast: All the diners are whalers. Queequeg is quiet, using his harpoon to grab meat and smoking his tomahawk pipe alone.
  • Chapter 6 Economy: New Bedford’s population is largely comprised of whalers, and the economy is driven by whale oil. There are luxurious mansions filled with expensive goods and beautiful women, all funded by the high price of whale commodities.

Chapters 7 - 9: The Whaleman's Chapel and Father Mapple

  • The Church: A place for fishermen, wives, and widows. There is no chaplain initially, and people sit quietly apart from one another. Tablets on the walls memorialize lost sailors.
  • Ishmael’s Reflection: He thinks, "Yes, Ishmael, the same fate may be thine" (32), indicating he may face the same death as the lost men.
  • Father Mapple: A favorite among whalemen, he was a sailor and harpooner in his youth. He arrives soaking wet and climbs the pulpit like a man climbing a ladder into a boat.
  • The Pulpit: Shaped like a ship’s bow. Ishmael sees this climb as a symbol of physical isolation and spiritual withdrawal from worldly ties.
  • The Sermon (Chapter 9): Father Mapple recites a hymn and tells the story of Jonah. He teaches that if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves. Jonah’s survival and repentance are highlighted as lessons for sinful men and for Mapple himself as a pilot of God.

Chapters 10 - 13: The Bond Between Ishmael and Queequeg

  • Friendship: Ishmael finds Queequeg at the inn with his idol. He notes, "You cannot hide the soul. Through all his unearthly tattooings" (43). He compares Queequeg’s head to George Washington’s.
  • The Covenant: Queequeg tells Ishmael they are now "married" in his country's terms, meaning he would die for Ishmael. They share money and smoke the tomahawk pipe. Ishmael decides that to be friends with Queequeg, he must engage in pagan practices, hoping Queequeg might eventually become "a little Christian."
  • Queequeg’s History (Chapter 12): He is from the island of Rokovoko. He says of the island: "It is not drawn in any map; true places never are" (48). Being of royal blood, he left to learn about Christianity but found it miserable and wicked, choosing to remain a pagan.
  • The Incident on the Ship: On the way to Nantucket, a man mocks Queequeg. Queequeg later saves this same man from drowning when a stabilizing rope snaps and the man falls overboard. Ishmael vows to stay by Queequeg's side until death: "From that hour I clove to Queequeg like a barnacle; yea, till poor Queequeg took his last long dive" (53).
  • Perspective on Humanity: Queequeg states, "It’s a mutual, joint-stock world, in a meridians. We cannibals must help these Christians" (53).

Chapters 14 - 16: The Pequod and its Owners

  • Nantucket: Ishmael describes the island's geography and the legend that an eagle once carried a baby there, leading to the island’s discovery. Whalers there supposedly "own" the sea.
  • The Try Pots Inn: Owned by Hosea Hussey. The inn is famous for its chowder (clam or cod). Mrs. Hussey forbids harpoons in rooms because of a previous suicide.
  • Choosing the Ship: Guided by Queequeg’s idol, Yojo, Ishmael chooses the Pequod. It is an old-school ship decorated with the teeth marks and parts of sperm whales.
  • Owners: Captain Peleg (simple, Quaker, retired sailor) and Captain Bildad (more serious Quaker). Though Quakers are pacifists, they love killing whales.
  • Captain Ahab: A younger, moody, and savage man who lost his leg to a whale. He is described as "god-like" and "unusual."
  • The Lay: Ishmael is assigned the 300th300^{th} lay (share of profits), after originally being offered the 777th777^{th} lay.

Chapters 17 - 22: Signing On and Departure

  • Ramadan: Queequeg undergoes a day of fasting and meditation, remaining unresponsive all day.
  • The Hiring: Peleg initially rejects Queequeg for being a pagan, but changes his mind after Queequeg hits a spot of tar in the water with his harpoon. Queequeg is given the 19th19^{th} lay.
  • Elijah’s Warning: An old man named Elijah warns Ishmael and Queequeg that Ahab is "bad news" and that signing onto the Pequod is like a death sentence.
  • Setting Sail: The Pequod leaves Nantucket on a cold Christmas Day. Peleg and Bildad steer for a while before returning to shore on a buoy.

Chapters 23 - 27: Descriptions of the Crew

  • Bulkington: A restless pioneer Ishmael met at the Spouter’s Inn. He is fated to die at sea. Ishmael believes dying at sea transforms one into a god.
  • Defense of Whaling (Chapter 24): Ishmael argues whaling is a powerful economic force that helped liberate countries like Peru, Chile, and Bolivia. He claims whales are "royal fish."
  • Starbuck: The chief mate (‘native of Nantucket, Quaker’). He is careful, handsome, and respects the danger of whales.
  • Stubb: Second mate from Cape Cod; easygoing and always smokes a pipe.
  • Flask: Third mate, nicknamed "King-Post"; he is quick to fight and views whales as having insulted him.
  • Squires/Harpooners:   - Queequeg (with Starbuck).   - Tashtego (with Stubb): An Indian from Martha’s Vineyard.   - Daggoo (with Flask): A giant, African man.
  • Pip: A young Black boy from Alabama who plays the tambourine.

Chapter 32: Cetology (The Study of Whales)

Ishmael attempts to classify whales by "book sizes":

  • Folio Whales (Large):   - Sperm Whale: Largest and most formidable; the only source of spermaceti.   - Right Whale: Yields whalebone and oil; very common.   - Fin-Back: Shy and solitary; has a vertical fin on its back.   - Hump-Backed: High-spirited; has baleen.   - Razor Back: Retiring nature; not well known.   - Sulfur Bottom: Found in remote southern seas.
  • Octavo Whales (Medium):   - Grampus: 15−2015-20\text{ feet} long; loud breathing.   - Black Fish: 16−1816-18\text{ feet} long; gluttonous with a wicked grin.   - Narwhale: 1616\text{ feet} long with a 5−155-15\text{ foot} tusk used to rake the ocean floor.   - Killer Whale (Orca): Savage; hunts larger whales.   - Thrasher: Known for its tail, which it uses to whip victims.
  • Duodecimo Whales (Small):   - Huzza Porpoise: Small (4−54-5\text{ feet}); yields high-quality oil for jewelers.   - Algering Porpoise: Pirate-like and savage; found in the Pacific.   - Mealy-Mouthed Porpoise: Largest porpoise; has no back fin.

Chapters 36 - 41: Ahab's Obsession and Moby Dick

  • The Quarter-Deck: Ahab reveals his true purpose: to kill Moby Dick, the white whale that took his leg. He nails a gold doubloon to the mast as a reward for the first person to spot him.
  • Ritual: Ahab makes the harpooners drink from their harpoon sockets, binding them to his mission.
  • Starbuck’s Resistance: Starbuck calls Ahab a blasphemer and argues that they are there for oil, not vengeance. Ahab overpowers him with sheer will.
  • Moby Dick’s Legend: Mythological traits include a snow-white wrinkled forehead, a high pyramidical white hump, and a deformed lower jaw. Some believe the whale is immortal or omnipresent.
  • Ahab’s Injury: Ahab attacked Moby Dick with a 6-inch6\text{-inch} blade after his boat was destroyed, leading to the loss of his leg.

Chapters 47 - 50: The First Lowering and Fedallah

  • Weaving: Ishmael and Queequeg weave a mat; Ishmael compares the threads to Necessity, the shuttle to Free Will, and the sword to Chance.
  • The Secret Crew: As they lower for the first whale, five "dusky phantoms" appear. The leader is Fedallah, a dark man in a Chinese jacket and turban. These were the men Ishmael saw boarding the ship in secret.
  • The Hunt: The first chase occurs in a dense mist. Starbuck’s boat is flipped, and the men are briefly stranded before being rescued.

Chapters 54 - 60: The Town-Ho and The Whale Line

  • The Town-Ho’s Story: A sailor named Steelkilt led a mutiny against an abusive officer named Radney. During a chase for Moby Dick, the whale killed Radney, effectively serving as an agent of justice.
  • The Whale Line (Chapter 60): The rope is made of the best hemp, 23\frac{2}{3} of an inch thick and 200 fathoms200\text{ fathoms} (1200 feet1200\text{ feet}) long. If the rope has a kink or tangle when spooling, it can easily take off a limb or kill a sailor.

Chapters 61 - 70: Processing the Whale

  • Stubb’s Whale: Stubb kills a whale while smoking his pipe. He then demands a whale steak.
  • The Sharks: Sharks swarm the carcass. Fleece, the cook, is ordered to preach a sermon to them. Queequeg is nearly bitten while clearing them away.
  • Cutting-In: The blubber is peeled off like skin from an orange. The blubber is 8−15 inches8-15\text{ inches} thick and can yield up to 100 barrels100\text{ barrels} of oil.
  • Ahab and the Head: Ahab talks to the detached head of the whale, asking it to reveal the horrors it has seen in the deep.

Chapters 71 - 81: Gams and Encounters

  • The Jeroboam: A plague-ridden ship. A sailor claiming to be the Archangel Gabriel warns Ahab that Moby Dick is the "Shaker God incarnated" and that Ahab will face a blasphemer’s end.
  • The Monkey-Rope: Ishmael is tied to Queequeg by a rope while Queequeg works on the whale's carcass, "wedding" them together through shared danger.
  • The Virgin (Jungfrau): A German ship that is out of oil. They engage in a race with the Pequod to catch an old, blind whale. The Pequod wins, but the carcass is so heavy it nearly sinks the ship and must be cut free.

Chapters 93 - 96: Pip and Practical Whaling

  • Pip’s Tragedy: Pip jumps from a whaleboat twice in fear. After the second time, Stubb leaves him in the ocean for a period to teach him a lesson. The isolation drives Pip insane.
  • Squeezing Sperm: Ishmael describes the process of squeezing the cooling spermaceti to keep it liquid, which he finds to be a moment of beautiful human connection.
  • The Try-Works: The furnaces used to boil blubber. Ishmael describes the scene as hellish and red, noting that staring into the fire can cause one to lose all perception of reality.

Chapters 106 - 113: Ahab’s Preparations

  • The New Leg: Ahab’s ivory leg cracks. He has the carpenter forge a new one from the jaw-bone of a sperm whale.
  • Leaking Oil: Starbuck reports leaks in the hold. Ahab initially refuses to stop, threatening Starbuck with a musket, but eventually relents to avoid a mutiny.
  • Queequeg’s Coffin: Queequeg falls ill and has a coffin built. He tests it, then recovers, deciding to use it as a sea chest.
  • The Harpoon: Ahab has Perth the blacksmith forge a special harpoon from racehorse shoe nails. He asks the harpooners to provide their blood to coat the barbs as a dark ritual.

Chapters 131 - 135: The Final Chase

  • Final Warning: The Delight reports that it lost five men to Moby Dick. They see Queequeg’s coffin (now a lifebuoy) on the Pequod and view it as an omen of doom.
  • Ahab’s Humanity: In a quiet moment, Ahab cries and speaks to Starbuck about his wife and son, briefly questioning his obsession before concluding that he is impelled by fate.
  • Day 1: Ahab spots Moby Dick. The whale destroys Ahab’s boat.
  • Day 2: The whale destroys more boats. Fedallah is killed, caught in the harpoon line and dragged underwater. This fulfills part of a prophecy that Fedallah would die before Ahab.
  • Day 3: Moby Dick surfaces and charges the Pequod itself. The whale smashes the ship, which begins to sink. Ahab throws his harpoon at the whale, but the line loops around his neck, dragging him from the boat to his death.
  • The Vortex: The Pequod sinks, and a sky-hawk is accidentally nailed to the mast, dragging "a part of heaven" down with it.

Epilogue

  • The Survivor: Ishmael is the only survivor. He was thrown from Ahab’s boat before the final destruction. He floats on Queequeg’s coffin for a day and a night until he is rescued by the Rachel, which was still searching for its own lost children.