NCHS AP English Language

Chpt 10 Response - Hannah Robinson

Ishmael's psychologically changes from being a hardened person to being soothed by the savage. The "melting" within comes about from the change of Ishmael's "splintered heart and maddened hang". Queequeg has shown him no hypocrisies and no "blan deciets". Ishmael's heart has been changed to become best friends with a man he put up such a wall against in the beginning. Ishmael has realized why does he need to put up such a wall when Christians have showed at many times little to no kindness.
The "marriage" between Ishmael and Queequeg is what is described as a "bosom friendship". I believe that this term is used because Queequeg and Ishmael's friendship will eventually and has maybe already become the union of two person's into one that marriage provides. Ishmael has accepted a friendship that will last from that point in the story on till one or the other "breathes their last breath".
Many Christians are hard hearted and critical of pagans, defining pagans as savages who will end up going to hell. After Ishmael, however, realizes the true honest heart and kindness of Queequeg,a pagan, Ishmael becomes a changed man. Christians usually are the ones who go about trying to convert the pagan's and those of other religions to Christianity, attempting to save them from the destiny of hell. Ironically however in Chapter 10 Ishmael is ultimately saved, redeemed, and changed by Queequeg, a pagan.
Hannah Robinson

posted by NCHS AP English Language III @ 6:07 PM