In chapter 109, I really liked the scene in which Ahab establishes his dominance over the Pequod. “There is one God that is Lord over the earth, and one Captain that is lord over the Pequod. — On deck!” The description of Starbuck’s expression was also really detailed and captured the emotions he was having in the moment, when Ahab pointed the musket at him. The book says he had flashing eyes and fiery cheeks (p.379).

            Wow I’ve noticed I only write my reflections about the early chapters of the section but that’s because I write it as I read ok anyways…It’s kind of weird but cool how Melville describes Pip in chapter 110. Pip is saying that his old self died and with that old self left behind his cowardness (p.383). It’s just like being baptized. We leave behind our old selves and we are born again in the Lord’s name and kingdom. I also liked how he implemented Pip’s tambourine (at least I think so) in this section.

I Am. So. DISAPPPOINTED. I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA KILL THE WHALE AAAAAAAAA. It ended so sad and everything too. So many symbols being thrown around and such. I have been tricked and I am now mad at the book because I was looking forward to the killing of the whale, which was the whole point of this book. The whole book was to build up to the moment they met Moby Dick, and in the end, they don’t even get him…I want a part two with like Ishmael’s children that avenge his first whaling crew or something. I am shocked.

In chapter 81, I was able to find some little lessons from the events that unfolded. They’re really cliché but they’re there so might as well point it out. One was that you have to be careful with who you trust. Captain Derick seemed nice and all at first, asking for oil, which he did receive by the way (p.284). But when something that both parties wanted appeared, the whales, Derick instantly made the Pequod his enemies. The other lesson is that sometimes, even though you may not want to, it’s better to let go instead of holding on. Starbuck was hesitant on dropping the whale, but if he hadn’t, the boat would’ve tipped over (p.291).

            I am still amazed at how much information Ishmael seems to know about everything, specifically whales. In chapter 85 and 86, he just goes into great detail about his theories about how the whale’s respiratory system works and what comes out of the spout and about how whales use their tails in different ways. He really did his homework before going into his first whaling voyage. All this information is also really helpful to the reader for us to learn more about whales. I’m also guessing that some of these things he learned on the way since this is a story being told by him after the adventure.

            I’m not sure if the men were being racist or just focusing at the task at hand, but I felt really bad for Pip when they left him behind or when they were all cursing at him. Melville maybe intended for this since he kind of belittles Pip (p.333). They also tell him that he’s worth less than a whale in Alabama if he were to be sold into slavery. The poor boy; luckily the Pequod saved him from getting lost in the middle of the ocean.

The writing style in this book is quite weird at times. At one section, it became a play and then it just continued as a normal narrative as if nothing happened. I don’t quite understand the point of it but I’m fine with that. Another is when I found a dictionary type of definition in the middle of the story. It was the definition of “gam” (p.199). I searched it up and actually found a similar definition on google and the timeline of the usage of the word. It showed that it was used a lot during the 1800s, so I found that pretty cool.

            In chapter 54, we get a huge story about the Town-Ho and the people on it. It’s another great example about how Melville puts in these “random” stories or information for us to have a better understanding of the story. If you’ve ever watched Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, it’s kind of like that. When a new character showed up, the movie cut to a back story in order for us to know the character a little more. It was also a very exciting story to read, and Melville uses a lot of details to keep the reader engaged.             One thing I did find quite odd is the first whale they were able to hunt down and kill. I thought there would be maybe a bit more about it since it’s a pretty big deal for Ishmael since he’s never actually done this before. He does explain all the aspects of it pretty well and how it all works, like with the lines and the harpoons and positioning (p. 236-238), but I don’t know. I feel like it’s missing something. Maybe extend the chase a bit longer or Ishmael’s reactions and thoughts to the first whale killing he’s been a part of.

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.

In the page of the book (starting at chapter 1) we can already see Melville’s very interesting descriptions. For example: “driving off the spleen”, “growing grim around the mouth (alliteration too)”, etc. (p.14) His word choices and vocabulary in general are really fun to read and describe everything so perfectly, so it’s easy to picture the story in your mind while you read it. Another great example is in the phrase: “Tell me, does the magnetic virtue of the needles of the compasses of all those ships attract them thither?” (p.15)

            Queequeg is also such a funny and good character to use in the beginning of the story. He’s the perfect companion to Ishmael, which talks a lot, so he just sits there and listens. It’s like he’s the brawn and Ishmael, the brains, a classic stereotype. Queequeg is also kind of like a comic relief. The setting in the beginning is all dark and gloomy, and he sounded scary at the start, but then transitions into a respectable gentleman, which is ironic (p.35). This savage cannibal suddenly turns into a polite friend to Ishmael. 

            I like how Melville depicts Christianism through Ishmael. In the chapter where Queequeg fasts for Ramadan (p.76), Ishmael completely respects what his friend is doing and won’t judge him just because he isn’t like him. Maybe like Voltaire, he is criticizing Christians because a lot of them try to force their views and opinions down people’s throats. Here, Ishmael says that Christians should be charitable towards other’s views, and not think that we are superior to them. He handled that perfectly and had a humble and kind attitude.