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Call me Ishmael. Some years ago — never mind how long precisely — having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off — then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.
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p. 174, ch. 36-38
- What is it about Ahab's announcement and exhortation that compells the crew and convinces Starbuck? I missed the part of Ahab's speech that would have convinced me.
- Starbuck has an immediate sense of doom right from the start of Ahab's call to arms. Is the crew just simply afraid of the whale or is there something else? Why fear Ahab to such a degree?
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p. 186, ch. 39
- Here is the first instance of a narator other than Ishmael. No. Not true, it is Ahab previous in Chapter 37 wondering whether he has convinced Starbuck and the others to join his cause.
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p. 224, ch. 45
- "For God's sake, be economical with your lamps and candles! not a gallon you burn, but at least one drop of man's blood was spilled for it."
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p. 411, ch. 86
- "Nor does this—its amazing strength, at all tend to cripple the graceful flexion of its motions; where infantileness of ease undulates through a Titanism of power. On the contrary, those motions derive their their most appealing beauty from it. Real strength never impairs beauty or harmony, but it often bestows it; and in everything imposingly beautiful, strength has much to do with the magic."
- Same page has a reference to the feminine nature of Christ depicted in Italian art.