July 25, 2019 - Chapter Eighty-one (pp. 355-359)


When the Pequod finally meets the whale that the Jungfrau has been chasing, it is truly a monstrous encounter. The whale is old and blind, and it has an infected hide to boot. It is swiftly killed, and in the process of beginning to slaughter it, an old stone harpoon is found in it. However, the crew loses hold of it and it sinks. The scene as a whole is impressive for the naturalism of it. Like later writings of naturalism in the American tradition – notably Stephen Crane – scenes showing the true gruesomeness of killing have been rare thus far in the novel. This scene finally presents hunting to a certain extent as what it really is.

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