Journal #2 – Luca Nakata

The transition from the first section to the second is quite cool. In chapter 27, which is in the first section, we get introduced to the main characters on the boat. I am guessing that they will stick around for the rest of the book, since we’ve just now started to get into the whaling part. The part I found cool was the little stories Melville gives to each of the leaders and their harpooners, like little origin stories (p.103-105). He didn’t even have to go into that much detail, but he did so that we could have a better understanding of the members of the boat and to create little connections to them.

            One thing that I was really amazed with was Ahab’s random reflection and self-care (p.111). He took his pipe everywhere he went to have a smoke for years now, but he suddenly decides to quit smoking. The captain simply chucks it away and moves on with his life. It no longer brought him the satisfaction or pleasure like it used to before. It was just a habit now, and a bad one. Sometimes, we shouldn’t do things just because we feel like we must, or because everyone else does it. Ahab stood up to himself and made a very good choice and teaches us a valuable lesson.             Melville also really likes to use intricate and long words or phrases to describe the simple things that happen throughout the book. One example is when Dough-Boy (what a name HAHAHA) calls for dinner and when Flask is called, he does a sort of funny dance all the way until he is in the captain’s line of sight and pretends like nothing happened. This book, although it may not seem like it most of the time, has some funny events that happen. You may miss it sometimes due to the way the author explains it but it’s there if you read well.