jacquelinej’s Blog

    It’s over.   What are my emotions?  Did I enjoy the ending?  I would say yes.  Am I glad it’s over?  Yes.  I feel that because I knew the story was going to have a tragic ending, it was somewhat predictable.  Perhaps it was the amount of foreshadowing included in the novel that made the ending seem so scripted.  However, I do believe the ending of the novel had some important elements to it.  I believe the reason as to why Fedallah had been following Ahab was presented.  He figured that if Ahab proceeded to do something dangerous, that the whalers, as well as himself would die.  It’s interesting that Fedallah looked for signs of his own death because he knew that once he died,  Ahab would die.  I also found it interesting that shortly before the Moby-Dick chase, Ahab realizes his insanity.  However, his recognition never stops him.  He was determined to defeat Moby-Dick regardless of how many chances he had to give up.  A part in the reading I found to be a little creepy- Fedallah’s body tied to Moby Dick…I’m not sure what to think of this part. 

          My ending thought;  The epilouge tells us that Ishmael was the only remainder, which we already were told.  However, I feel that Melville really did a good job wrapping up the relationship between Queequeg and Ishamel.  Though previously the chapter about Queequeg’s coffin seemed rather irrelevent, it served it’s purpose.  It seems that throughout the entire novel, Queequeg served as a protector over Ishmael.  Subsequent to Queequeg’s death, a part of him was still able to save his companion. 

   Throughout the assigned reading, it’s clear that Ahab has completely lost his mind.  If it wasn’t evident that he was slighty abnormal, it’s now 100 percent clear.  The scene on the deck was interesting for two reasons; one it demonstrated Ahab’s insanity and two, it showed a relation between Pip and Ahab.  Although Pip was introduced as a young, innocent character, he’s transformed drastically.  He now somehow relates to Ahab.  Subsequent to his accident and near death experiance it seems, he’s lost his mind.  What I also found intersting about the reading was Fedallah’s continuing appearances.  He’s all around, all the time.  Since the scene with the blacksmith, it seems that he’s been watching Ahab’s every move.  Is he assisting Ahab, watching over him, or setting up a way ruin Ahab? 

   The chapter was breifly brought up in class today; chapter 110.  I feel that this chapter is completely foreshadowing what’s going going to take place soon in the novel.  Queequeg feels as if he’s going to die and prepares his death by ordering and laying in a coffin.  Then, miraculously he becomes rejuvinated and no longer feels ill.  However, as I always do, I referred back to the article we read in class.  Point blank, he’s going to die.  How and when is now the question.  Melville has fooled us to believe that he has fought his death and will be a strong whaler again, but when will the last downfall occur? 

             As seen earlier in the reading, the sea setting has once again become gloomy and stormy.  I feel that this represents that tragidy is on it’s way.  In chapter 116 it seems like the Pequod has had a successful day of whaling.  With plenty of whales killed, Melville begins to relate whales to men.  Ahab recognizes that the death of a man is similar to the death of a whale.  At this time, we see Ahab recognizing that whales are two living beings, that were placed on earth to live, and not be killed.  Is he beggining to be sympathetic?  Or was the chapter simply created to relate whales to men.  Either way, the relation between man and whale was finally touched upon.  In essence, we’re all created to live, and should not be killed for someone elses bennifit. 

   The majority of this reading was more of an insight of how Ishmael’s thinking.  Though the entire novel is based on Ishmael’s interpretation of whats going on ashore, it is clear that he’s begining to take the trip into deeper consideration.  I may be going overboard (haha) by saying this but it seems as if he’s begining to feel sorry for the whales.  He takes into deep consideration the structure of whales, and how great they are, and then talks about how he and the other whalers are setting out to kill them.  It’s almost as if the two topics completely contradict each other.  I feel that when he begins to talk about a whales methods of survival, he’s expressing ways in which he seeks to help whales.  He says they need their own territory; well, isn’t the ocean their home?  And aren’t Ahab and his whalers invading their territory?  The answer is yes.

         Another portion of the reading that I found to be very interesting was Ahab’s struggle with his whale bone leg.  This, I feel is a major symbol and is maybe serving as a foreshadow.  After the article we read in class, it is clear that everyone’s going to die; it’s just a matter of when, where and how.  Subsequent to Ahab’s accident and need for a new leg, it’s clear that the antagonist is begining to diminish.  His leg is the first to go…what’s next?  His evil ways?  His obsession with Moby Dick?  The Pequod?  Or will it be Ahab himself to fall ill or hurt and die?  Either way this part of the novel teaches a lesson.  It teaches that evil happens to evil people.  In other words, you get in what you put out.  His evil ways and methods are coming back to bite him, and it’s only a matter of time until the tragity occurs. 

      Early within the assigned reading, a new relation to American society was presented.  Ishmael explains, within chapter eighty-eight that when a school of whales are spotted, it is important only to worry about catching the female whales and the calfs.  I found this to be very interesting.  He states that the male whales are too hard to catch; to powerful.  This is interesting because I assumed a whaler would want the best, strongest, most useful whale, but instead they settle for second best.  How does this relate to American society? Well, history proves that there was a point in time when women were less important then men.   They had limited rights and were seen as much weaker people.  Although times have changed, the book assures us that men were seen as stronger people then women.  This chapter also made me think about the titanic.  During the disaster of the titanic, they took special care of the women and children and worried about the men last.  Is this a change in society?  Did people begin to think more of women and children than men?  Or did they simply fear that women and children were less capable to survive then men?  Either way, I feel that all people should be respected equally, regardless of sex or age. 

       Another part in the assigned reading that I found taught a lesson was the incident involving Pip.  We were warned that he’d interact with a devistating event and within this chapter, it’s seen.  At first, he’s rescued from his near death experiance, but then warned not to take the action again.  After he goes against what Stubb has warned him of, Stubb leaves him to save himself.  Here, Pip must mature, and become able to help himself.  He’s becoming familiar with manlyhood and the true risks of being a whaler. 

  Once again, I found myself vigoriously seeking for meaning underneath the what seems to be senseless blogs told by Ishmael.  Though the reading was rather short, and rather random, I realized that Ishmael is a very precise person.  He takes EVERYTHING into account and analyses everything.  What I found interesting about this portion of reading (or should I say least boring) was Ishmaels analysis of the whales tail.  I, and probably the rest of my class did not take this into account when describing a whale.  Ishmael has become obsessed with whales and is now analysing every part of them.  He says the tail represents power and strength.  How far can he look into the species?  How obsessed can he be?  I feel that he’s becoming bored, and needs to cover it up some how.  I really am having a hard time enjoying the book lately.  I feel that page after page, is more of Ishmael’s random blurbs.  When will the action take place?  When will I know no longer have a marine bio class on whale spouts and tails???

   While reading my classmates blogs, I found Valarie’s to be very interesting.  I found it surprising that she sees Ishmael as a narrow-minded person.  I think that if he was indeed a narrow-minded person, he would continue living the life he lead, previous to the voyage, and never explore a separate lifestyle.  I also feel that although he does get obsessed with specific aspects of whaling, that his thoughts run deeper than what we see.  I feel that throughout every event that he talks about, he’s learning.  He comes across to me, as the type  of person that takes in a lot, and shares very little about his emotional thoughts. 

        Without a doubt,  Ishmael looks up to Queequeg.  Queequeg’s heroic actions during this reading demonstrates his ability to be a successful, helpful man.  This made me think, is Queequeg more intelligent than Ishmael?  It’s interesing because in the begining of the novel, I predicted that Queequeg was going to learn from Ishmael; now it’s clear that Ishmael is indeed the one who’s learning. 

                After reading the activity we were assigned in class today, my interest in this book became diminished. Knowing that everyone’s going to die except for Ishmael bothers me and innitially I felt as if there was really no point in me reading anyone.  But throughout today’s assigned reading, I began to seek for clues that may give an insight as to how the other whalers are going to die.  I realized that Queequeg’s near accident with the dead whale could foreshawdow his death.  He’s a very strong character, and it is clear that it is going to take a lot for him today.  I also began to question how Ishmael is going to survive.  It is clear that he’s much less active and experianced then the rest of the characters, and I wonder how he’s going to escape the force that kills the rest of the whalers.  Within the reading, Queequeg and Ishmael partner up again and Ishmael is working as Queequeg’s assitant almost.  When will the time come, that Ishmael is not giving aid to Queequeg?  Also, I wonder what Ishmael will do is order to save his beloved Queequeg. 

   Aside from my lingering questions, I wanted to focus in on chapter sixty-nine.  I found “The Funeral” chapter to be rather humerous but also very interesting.    It’s almost as if the whalers feel guilty for once.  The fact that they call the process of leaving the whales corps as a memorial delivers a tone of guilt and morning.  At this time, the topic of today’s class activity comes up.  Did Melville create the novel to relate it to war?  Our respond was no.  We feel that a major theme in the novel was prey vs. preditor and within chapter sixty nine, our theme was presented.  Though the whalers hunt and kill whales, they do it for their personal needs and as their jobs.  Though the article made sense and had valid points, we disagree that the entire book is about war, and this portion of the reading shows that it’s more about human nature than anything else.