This section of Moby Dick starts off with Elijah warning Ishmael and Queequeg about going on board with Captain Ahab.
(Check out the story of Ahab and Elijah here- http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p122.htm)
Once again Melville uses biblical symbolism. Obviously, Elijah, the man who Ishmael and Queequeg brush away, is warning them of Ahab, for a reason. (Just like God’s prophet, Elijah did of King Ahab) This is another point of how Ishmael is entering this three year voyage blindly. Agreeing with my predictions, as the ship is getting ready to take out to sea, Captain Bildad and Captain Peleg jumped ship on a smaller boat and wished everyone luck. All this time, Captain Ahab is mysteriously in his cabin below deck, not to be seen.
Chapter 24, “The Advocate” (wittily named) was the most memorable to me in this reading section. Let me just first start out by saying, the way Melville started this rant (or chapter) was like this:
“…This business of whaling has somehow come to be regarded among landsmen as a rather unpoetical and disreputable pursuit; therefore, I am all anxiety to convince ye, ye landsmen, of the injustice hereby done to us hunters of whales.” (p.97)
This is quite humorous to me, because Melville, being the “advocate” he is, was obviously FULL of anxiety when he wrote this rant (or chapter) about whaling and how it was more important than anything. I almost felt like he was yelling at me! And then he continues to write a separate chapter, after his rant, to say that “We whalemen supply your kings and queens with coronation stuff!” (p.101) speaking of whale oil being used in royal coronation ceremonies. A complete separate ”postscript” just to add that in, to make the point that whaling is amazing, even clearer.
In chapter 28 we finally meet Captain Ahab, and Ishmael states “shivers ran all over me” (p.108) in his presence. I’m curious to know what the secrets of Ahab really are all about.
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