July 10, 2019 - Chapters Fifty-six and Fifty-seven

The next two chapters offer, according to Ishmael, examples of more accurate depictions of whales from the past. However, the line I found most interesting in these two chapters was this: “Long exile from Christendom and civilization inevitably restores a man to that condition in which God placed him, i.e. what is called savagery. Your true whale-hunter is as much a savage as an Iroquois. I myself am a savage; owning no allegiance but to the King of the Cannibals; and ready at any moment to rebel against him.”

Although it has been hinted here and there when non-white characters, such as Queequeg and Tashtego are mentioned, the “noble savage” myth appears again. Lest we believe that there is any inherent difference between the non-white “savage” and the white man, Ishmael here assures us that it is nothing more than environment. It’s nurture, not nature.

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