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Melville Reveals Ahab’S Vengeful, Obsessive Personality and His Conflict Background Moby-Dick Is the Story of a Man’S Obsession with with Moby-Dick

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Melville Reveals Ahab’S Vengeful, Obsessive Personality and His Conflict Background Moby-Dick Is the Story of a Man’S Obsession with with Moby-Dick lt11_tena07_u3_p2-355-359 5/17/05 7:29 AM Page 358**admin **209:PQ1126:grade11-U3-p2: EQA Learning Modalities Intrapersonal Learners To pro- mote active reading, invite students 1 to keep a reader’s response journal. Guide them to focus their observa- tions about Ahab’s desire for revenge and on Starbuck’s responses to Ahab. Encourage them to record their own opinions of Ahab’s quest and the reactions of the other sailors. 1 About the Selection Widely regarded as one of the finest American novels ever written, Moby- Dick expresses the view that, despite people’s desire to do so, they will never be able to control nature or understand it completely. In “The Quarter-Deck,” one of the novel’s key early chapters, Ahab becomes the novel’s dominant character, and Melville reveals Ahab’s vengeful, obsessive personality and his conflict Background Moby-Dick is the story of a man’s obsession with with Moby-Dick. At this turning the dangerous and mysterious white whale that years before had taken off point, readers and sailors alike learn one of his legs. The man, Captain Ahab, guides the Pequod, a whaling the true purpose of the Pequod’s voy- ship, and its crew in relentless pursuit of this whale, Moby-Dick. Among age. “The Chase––Third Day” is the the more important members of the crew are Starbuck, the first mate; Stubb, the second mate; Flask, the third mate; Queequeg, Tashtego, book’s last chapter. There the novel and Daggoo, the harpooners; and Ishmael, the young sailor who narrates reaches its climax in the final cata- the book. strophic contest with Moby-Dick. When the crew signed aboard the Pequod, the voyage was to be nothing more than a business venture. However, in the following excerpt, 2 Background Ahab makes clear to the crew that his purpose is to seek revenge against History Moby-Dick. In Melville’s day, the captain of a ship had unlimited authority––and all aboard ship knew this to be the case. from The Quarter-Deck Failing to follow orders brought One morning shortly after breakfast, Ahab, as was his wont, harsh and perhaps arbitrary punish- ascended the cabin gangway to the deck. There most sea captains 2 ment, and most crew members were usually walk at that hour, as country gentlemen, after the same meal, careful not to challenge the captain take a few turns in the garden. directly. Soon his steady, ivory stride was heard, as to and fro he paced his old rounds, upon planks so familiar to his tread, that they were all 3 over dented, like geological stones, with the peculiar mark of his walk. Did you fixedly gaze, too, upon that ribbed and dented brow; 358 ■ A Growing Nation (1800–1870) Accessibility at a Glance from Moby-Dick Context Nineteenth-century whaling voyage Language Challenging (similes and metaphors; whaling/seamen’s language and vocabulary; long compound and complex sentences Concept Level Challenging (Moby-Dick as a symbol of nature’s beauty, power, and immortality) Literary Merit Classic, influential American novel Lexile 970 Other Powerful struggle between humankind and nature Overall Rating More challenging 358 lt11_tena07_u3_p2-355-359 5/17/05 7:31 AM Page 359**admin **209:PQ1126:grade11-U3-p2: EQA 3 Literary Analysis there also, you would see still stranger footprints—the footprints of his Symbol one unsleeping, ever-pacing thought. • Have a student volunteer read But on the occasion in question, those dents looked deeper, even as Literary Analysis aloud the paragraph beginning his nervous step that morning left a deeper mark. And, so full of his Symbol What might “Soon his steady, ivory stride was thought was Ahab, that at every uniform turn that he made, now at the the “dents” on Ahab’s furrowed brow heard.” Make sure students under- mainmast and now at the binnacle,1 you could almost see that thought symbolize? turn in him as he turned, and pace in him as he paced; so completely stand the cause of the “dents” possessing him, indeed, that it all but seemed the inward mold of every mentioned by Melville’s narrator; outer movement. these are the dents in the wooden “D’ye mark him, Flask?” whispered Stubb; “the chick that’s in him planks of the ship’s deck caused by pecks the shell. ’Twill soon be out.” Ahab’s peg leg. The hours wore on—Ahab now shut up within his cabin; anon, • Point out that the repetition of the pacing the deck, with the same intense bigotry of purpose2 in his image of dents indicates the pres- aspect. ence of a symbol. Draw students’ It drew near the close of day. Suddenly he came to a halt by the attention to the language Melville bulwarks, and inserting his bone leg into the auger hole there, and with uses––the footprints of his one one hand grasping a shroud, he ordered Starbuck to send everybody aft. unsleeping, ever-pacing thought–– “Sir!” said the mate, astonished at an order seldom or never given to describe the wrinkles in Ahab’s on shipboard except in some extraordinary case. brow. “Send everybody aft,” repeated Ahab. “Mastheads, there! come down!” • In addition, point out the connec- When the entire ship’s company were assembled, and with curious tion Melville draws between Ahab’s and not wholly unapprehensive faces, were eyeing him, for he looked dented brow and the deeper marks not unlike the weather horizon when a storm is coming up, Ahab, after left by Ahab’s “nervous” steps. rapidly glancing over the bulwarks, and then darting his eyes among • Ask students the Literary Analysis the crew, started from his standpoint; and as though not a soul were question: What might the “dents” nigh him resumed his heavy turns upon the deck. With bent head and on Ahab’s furrowed brow symbolize? half-slouched hat he continued to pace, unmindful of the wondering Answer: The dents might symbol- whispering among the men; till Stubb cautiously whispered to Flask, ize psychological injuries Ahab has that Ahab must have summoned them there for the purpose of witness- suffered in his battle with the great ing a pedestrian feat. But this did not last long. Vehemently pausing, whale. he cried: “What do ye do when ye see a whale, men?” 4 Reading Check “Sing out for him!” was the impulsive rejoinder from a score of clubbed voices. Answer: Ahab has dented them “Good!” cried Ahab, with a wild approval in his tones; observing the walking back and forth with his hearty animation into which his unexpected question had so magneti- “bone leg.” cally thrown them. “And what do ye next, men?” “Lower away, and after him!” “And what tune is it ye pull to, men?” “A dead whale or a stove3 boat!” More and more strangely and fiercely glad and approving, grew the countenance of the old man at every shout; while the mariners began to 4 1. binnacle (bin« ß kßl) n. case enclosing a ship’s compass. 4 2. bigotry of purpose complete single-mindedness. Why are the Pequod’s 3. stove v. broken; smashed. planks dented? from Moby-Dick ■ 359 Support for Less Proficient Readers Support for English Learners Discuss with students why the men are curious Draw students’ attention to Melville’s use of and apprehensive. The reasons include that it is metaphor and simile to describe Ahab’s grow- unusual for the men to be gathered on this ing tension (a chick pecking the shell, a stormy particular deck (the “aft” deck at the stern, or horizon). Also draw their attention to possibly rear, of the ship). Also, the men are wary of confusing descriptive phrasing in the text (“not Ahab’s peculiar behavior as he continues to wholly unapprehensive”). Explain that these pace about as if not noticing them. writing techniques were common in the nine- Point out how Melville establishes early on an teenth century. Encourage students to read atmosphere of psychological tension, together slowly and carefully and to paraphrase the with the idea that Ahab is a man with powerful story whenever possible. feelings. 359 5 5 Humanities gaze curiously at each other, as if marveling how it was that they themselves became so excited at such Captain Ahab on the Deck of the seemingly purposeless questions. Pequod, 1930, by Rockwell Kent But, they were all eagerness again, as Ahab, Rockwell Kent made many pen-and- now half-revolving in his pivot hole, with one hand ink drawings, including those that reaching high up a shroud,4 and tightly, almost appear in this selection, for the 1930 convulsively grasping it, addressed them thus: Lakeside Press edition of Moby-Dick, “All ye mastheaders have before now heard me published by Random House, give orders about a white whale. Look ye! d’ye see Chicago. Kent was a painter, print- this Spanish ounce of gold?”—holding up a broad maker, author, illustrator, explorer, bright coin to the sun—“it is a sixteen-dollar piece, and political activist. Use the follow- men. D’ye see it? Mr. Starbuck, hand me yon ing question for discussion: topmaul.” Rockwell Kent Rockwell • What evidence of symbolism can While the mate was getting the hammer, Ahab, you find in this image? without speaking, was slowly rubbing the gold piece Pequod, Possible answer: Ahab’s looming against the skirts of his jacket, as if to heighten its shadow might symbolize the luster, and without using any words was meanwhile destructive effects of his obsession lowly humming to himself, producing a sound so with Moby-Dick.
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