June 11, 2019 - Chapters Nineteen and Twenty


Never let it be said that, for all his arcane references and strange spelling choices, Melville cannot be a bit too on the nose at times. We see this tendency in Chapter 19, entitled “The Prophet,” in which Ishmael and Queequeg are asked whether they have yet met Ahab and are seemingly warned about disaster awaiting them if they should sail on the Pequod. The obvious nature of the foreshadowing here is in the prophet of the chapter’s title being named Elijah – the name of the Israelite prophet who Judaism teaches will herald the coming of the messiah. Lest we dismiss the content of the chapter, the naming of both the chapter and its title character are reasons why we are forced not to.

Chapter 20 sets the stage for setting sail. Twenty chapters in, we are finally off to sea.

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