vivehodie’s Blog

In these chapters of Moby-Dick, Ishmael’s narration continues to debunk a wide variety of religious and racial prejudices of sorts. As confused and perplexed and racist as the people of Nantucket are towards Queequeg, Queequeg himself actually holds similar views towards them. He sees his exposure to Christianity as contaminating, resulting in him not being able to ascend the throne of his country, rather than being “enlightening”. He shatters the prejudices of the captain and the passangers of the ferry by saving the boat and the person who falls in the water, no longer a “devil”. Ishmael’s ability with a harpoon overshadows his religion and results in Pelag and Bildad giving him a spot on the Pequod. Pelag himself realizes (though being a deeply devout and religous Quaker) “Pious harpooners never make good voyagers-it takes the shark out of ‘em; no harpooneer is worth a straw who aint pretty sharkish”. Perhaps if the people of Nantucket put their own conditoned religous and racial prejudices aside, they would realize all the wonderful skills and traits Queequeg and all other “cannibals” posses.