I do not recall that Ahab in any way ever acknowledged Ishmael. Can anyone recall any interaction between them? Yet we all know many instances where Ishmael tells us intimate details of Ahab’s behavior that no one could have witnessed (in his cabin for example). Indeed Ishmael tells us, "A wild, mystical, sympathetical feeling was in me; Ahab's quenchless feud seemed mine."
Hardeman,
Why would a sea captain acknowledge a harpooner? If the rare event
happened, the sea captain would hardly know the harpooner's name. Pip seems
to be the only one that Ahab acknowledges, outside his mates.
Correction--he does mention the Manxman but not by name.
Yes, Ishmael must have been that fly on the wall in Ahab's cabin. That
was an early form of bugging.
On Sun, Aug 19, 2012 at 5:41 PM, Hardeman <lhp...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I do not recall that Ahab in any way ever acknowledged Ishmael. Can anyone
> recall any interaction between them? Yet we all know many instances where
> Ishmael tells us intimate details of Ahab’s behavior that no one could have
> witnessed (in his cabin for example). Indeed Ishmael tells us, "A wild,
> mystical, sympathetical feeling was in me; Ahab's quenchless feud seemed
> mine."
> Thanks for your consideration of this question
> Hardeman
> --
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In the scene below, from Chapter 135, it could be argued that the other speaker in the exchange is Ishmael (all other members of Ahab's boat being the 'tiger-yellow barbarians') :
> And still as Ahab glided over the waves the unpitying sharks > accompanied him; and so pertinaciously stuck to the boat; and so > continually bit at the plying oars, that the blades became jagged and > crunched, and left small splinters in the sea, at almost every dip.
> "Heed them not! those teeth but give new rowlocks to your oars. Pull > on! 'tis the better rest, the shark's jaw than the yielding water."
> "But at every bite, Sir, the thin blades grow smaller and smaller!"
> "They will last long enough! pull on!�But who can tell"�he > muttered�"whether these sharks swim to feast on the whale or on > Ahab?�But pull on! Aye, all alive, now�we near him. The helm! take the > helm; let me pass,"�and so saying, two of the oarsmen helped him > forward to the bows of the still flying boat.
> Hardeman,
> Why would a sea captain acknowledge a harpooner? If the rare > event happened, the sea captain would hardly know the harpooner's > name. Pip seems to be the only one that Ahab acknowledges, outside his > mates. Correction--he does mention the Manxman but not by name.
> Yes, Ishmael must have been that fly on the wall in Ahab's cabin. > That was an early form of bugging.
> John Gretchko
> On Sun, Aug 19, 2012 at 5:41 PM, Hardeman <lhp...@gmail.com > <mailto:lhp...@gmail.com>> wrote:
> I do not recall that Ahab in any way ever acknowledged Ishmael.
> Can anyone recall any interaction between them? Yet we all know
> many instances where Ishmael tells us intimate details of Ahab�s
> behavior that no one could have witnessed (in his cabin for
> example). Indeed Ishmael tells us, "A wild, mystical,
> sympathetical feeling was in me; Ahab's quenchless feud seemed mine."
> Thanks for your consideration of this question
> Hardeman
> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
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John and Phil, Thanks for your rejoinder.
Phil your insight seems right on. What a subdued Ishmael in the whale boat after all his posturing and philosophizing. This suggests to me quite a gap between Ishmael the sailor and the narrator.
John are you putting me on as I do not understand your reply. I know you know Ishmael was not a harpooner.
But then you limit Ahab’s dialogs to the mates and Pip. In the past you have often referred to chapter 36 The Quarter-Deck where Ahab directly confronts the harpooners by name when he has them drink the scarement from their harpoon iron sockets. So why now do propose “If the rare event happened, the sea captain would hardly know the harpooner's name.”
"Moby Dick?" shouted Ahab. "Do ye know the white whale then, Tash?" MD Chapter 36
There are other examples where Ahab knows his crew men and interacts with them but until Phil’s observation I never saw him interacting with Ishmael the sailor. This distinction. given Ishmael’s insights into Ahab, is one of the significant and unique aspects of the book.
Forgive me if I missed the humor and the jokes on me.
Hardeman
On Wednesday, August 22, 2012 4:18:48 PM UTC+2, Phil Walsh wrote:
> In the scene below, from Chapter 135, it could be argued that the other > speaker in the exchange is Ishmael (all other members of Ahab's boat being > the 'tiger-yellow barbarians') :
> And still as Ahab glided over the waves the unpitying sharks accompanied > him; and so pertinaciously stuck to the boat; and so continually bit at > the plying oars, that the blades became jagged and crunched, and left small > splinters in the sea, at almost every dip.
> "Heed them not! those teeth but give new rowlocks to your oars. Pull on! > 'tis the better rest, the shark's jaw than the yielding water."
> "But at every bite, Sir, the thin blades grow smaller and smaller!"
> "They will last long enough! pull on!�But who can tell"�he > muttered�"whether these sharks swim to feast on the whale or on > Ahab?�But pull on! Aye, all alive, now�we near him. The helm! take the > helm; let me pass,"�and so saying, two of the oarsmen helped him forward > to the bows of the still flying boat.
> On 08/22/2012 08:47 AM, fin john wrote:
> Hardeman,
> ���� Why would a sea captain acknowledge a harpooner? If the rare > event happened, the sea captain would hardly know the harpooner's name. Pip > seems to be the only one that Ahab acknowledges, outside his mates. > Correction--he does mention the Manxman but not by name.
> ��� Yes, Ishmael must have been that fly on the wall in Ahab's > cabin. That was an early form of bugging.
> �
> John Gretchko
> On Sun, Aug 19, 2012 at 5:41 PM, Hardeman <lhp...@gmail.com <javascript:>
> > wrote:
>> I do not recall that Ahab in any way ever acknowledged Ishmael. Can >> anyone recall any interaction between them? Yet we all know many instances >> where Ishmael tells us intimate details of Ahab�s behavior that no one >> could have witnessed (in his cabin for example). Indeed Ishmael tells us, >> "A wild, mystical, sympathetical feeling was in me; Ahab's quenchless feud >> seemed mine."
>> Thanks for your consideration of this question
>> Hardeman
>> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Ishmailites" group.
>> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msg/ishmailites/-/Urb2JGnNtLkJ.
>> To post to this group, send email to ishma...@googlegroups.com<javascript:>
>> .
>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> ishmailites...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>.
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Sorry about the late reply. I have not been myself lately. Whoever I
could be I haven't figured out. I have had the blasted sniffles all month.
I go from air conditioning to fans to open windows to sweat from humidity.
Yes, I just did not give this thought. Sure chapter 36 came into mind, but
I was too lazy to go look at it. Thank you for getting me back on track, or
is that chapter 37 or 38?
Did a sea captain ever lower a boat and join in the hunt for whales?
Did a captain ever trust his ship to a deckhand?
On Wed, Aug 22, 2012 at 5:41 PM, Hardeman <lhp...@gmail.com> wrote:
> John and Phil,
> Thanks for your rejoinder.
> Phil your insight seems right on. What a subdued Ishmael in the whale
> boat after all his posturing and philosophizing. This suggests to me quite
> a gap between Ishmael the sailor and the narrator.
> John are you putting me on as I do not understand your reply. I know you
> know Ishmael was not a harpooner.
> But then you limit Ahab’s dialogs to the mates and Pip. In the past you
> have often referred to chapter 36 The Quarter-Deck where Ahab directly
> confronts the harpooners by name when he has them drink the scarement from
> their harpoon iron sockets. So why now do propose “If the rare event
> happened, the sea captain would hardly know the harpooner's name.”
> "Moby Dick?" shouted Ahab. "Do ye know the white whale then, Tash?" MD
> Chapter 36
> There are other examples where Ahab knows his crew men and interacts with
> them but until Phil’s observation I never saw him interacting with Ishmael
> the sailor. This distinction. given Ishmael’s insights into Ahab, is one
> of the significant and unique aspects of the book.
> Forgive me if I missed the humor and the jokes on me.
> Hardeman
> On Wednesday, August 22, 2012 4:18:48 PM UTC+2, Phil Walsh wrote:
>> In the scene below, from Chapter 135, it could be argued that the other
>> speaker in the exchange is Ishmael (all other members of Ahab's boat being
>> the 'tiger-yellow barbarians') :
>> And still as Ahab glided over the waves the unpitying sharks accompanied
>> him; and so pertinaciously stuck to the boat; and so continually bit at
>> the plying oars, that the blades became jagged and crunched, and left small
>> splinters in the sea, at almost every dip.
>> "Heed them not! those teeth but give new rowlocks to your oars. Pull on!
>> 'tis the better rest, the shark's jaw than the yielding water."
>> "But at every bite, Sir, the thin blades grow smaller and smaller!"
>> "They will last long enough! pull on!�But who can tell"�he
>> muttered�"whether these sharks swim to feast on the whale or on
>> Ahab?�But pull on! Aye, all alive, now�we near him. The helm! take the
>> helm; let me pass,"�and so saying, two of the oarsmen helped him forward
>> to the bows of the still flying boat.
>> On 08/22/2012 08:47 AM, fin john wrote:
>> Hardeman,
>> ���� Why would a sea captain acknowledge a harpooner? If the rare
>> event happened, the sea captain would hardly know the harpooner's name. Pip
>> seems to be the only one that Ahab acknowledges, outside his mates.
>> Correction--he does mention the Manxman but not by name.
>> ��� Yes, Ishmael must have been that fly on the wall in Ahab's
>> cabin. That was an early form of bugging.
>> �
>> John Gretchko
>> On Sun, Aug 19, 2012 at 5:41 PM, Hardeman <lhp...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I do not recall that Ahab in any way ever acknowledged Ishmael. Can
>>> anyone recall any interaction between them? Yet we all know many instances
>>> where Ishmael tells us intimate details of Ahab�s behavior that no one
>>> could have witnessed (in his cabin for example). Indeed Ishmael tells us,
>>> "A wild, mystical, sympathetical feeling was in me; Ahab's quenchless feud
>>> seemed mine."
>>> Thanks for your consideration of this question
>>> Hardeman
>>> --
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> Groups "Ishmailites" group.
>>> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/** >>> msg/ishmailites/-/Urb2JGnNtLkJ<https://groups.google.com/d/msg/ishmailites/-/Urb2JGnNtLkJ>
>>> **.
>>> To post to this group, send email to ishma...@googlegroups.com.
>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to ishmailites...@**
>>> googlegroups.com.
>> --
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>> "Ishmailites" group.
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