Sunday, November 12, 2006

Queequeg's coffin by Bobby Katoli

When Queequeg and Ishmael first meet they had to share a room together in Peter Coffin's Inn. When Ishmael wakes up the next morning he felt Queequeg's arm around him and remebered the numinous experience he had with the phantom when he was a child. He felt a sense of security with the phantom that night and with Queequeg the morning at the Spouter Inn. Later during the voyage, Queequeg decides that Ahab is delirious and he should not take his orders anymore, he goes into a spiritual trance were he constantly prays. He then has a coffin made for him because he feels they are all going to die. He comes around from his trance when during a storm Ahab has on his harpoon what seems like lightning. After this experience he seems to no longer need a use for a coffin. After the encounter with Moby Dick the Pequod sinks and everybody dies except for Ishmael. While Ishmael was floating around the vast Atlantic Queequeg's coffin comes up from no where and helps Ishamel to stay on top of the water to be rescued. Symbolically the coffin means that even in death Queequeg still took care of Ishamel and saved him from drowning.

posted by NCHS AP English Language III @ 8:29 PM