NCHS AP English Language

Ch. 16 analysis - Nathan Sheptock

"this plan of Queequeg's, or rather Yojo's, touching the selection of our craft; I did not like that plan at all"- This text refers to Queequeg's insisting that the selection of the ship which they are to sail on should be left entirely to Ishmael. This could reflect the complete and utter reliance Queequeg has on Ishmael now that they are, as he states, "married" and he would now gladly entrust his life to Ishmael. He firmly believes Ishmael wouldn't knowingly choose a ship that he himself wouldn't feel safe on, and that he now views Queequeg's life as important as his own.
The Pequod- This was the name of a Native American tribe, the Pequots, who met their end at the hands of English settlers, and could symbolize the similar fate of the Pequod, which could very well "meet its end" at the hands of the sea.
Peleg- This is a reference to a biblical character who lived during the time of a world "divided" among the sons of Noah. This could refer to a divisions between many aspects of the novel, such as between the seamen and Ishmael, the ship itself and the vast ocean in which it sails, or its representation of mankind in contrast with the representation of nature or God by Moby Dick, among numerous other discrepancies.

posted by NCHS AP English Language III @ 10:30 PM