June 12, 2019 - Chapters Twenty-one and Twenty-two

In these chapters, we exchange one set of characters – Bildad and Peleg – for another – Stubb, Flask, and Starbuck. Soon, presumably, we shall meet Ahab as well. Starbuck is identified as the chief mate; presumably Stubb and Flask are two other mates. For the first time in setting out to read this novel again, it occurs to me that having some knowledge of sailing might be helpful. On the other hand, I suppose it’s also something like reading A Clockwork Orange and how Anthony Burgess resisted having a Nadsat glossary added at the end. He felt sure that a reader would eventually pick up on enough of the language in which the novel is narrated to understand it fully. Melville likely had the same idea about sailing and whaling, although he certainly dedicates a significant amount of time explaining the latter.

A final point is that the Pequod sets sail on Christmas, which certainly cannot be an accidental point or a minor detail. The question that it raises is who our Christ figure will be.