NCHS AP English Language

Ch. 93 The Castaway

In chapter 93, the African boy on board the Pequod is enlisted to row the harpooning boat with Stubb's crew. He successfully completes the task once, but the second time they go out, Pip freaks out and jumps overboard into the ocean because he feels the whale hit the little boat from under him. Stubb and the rest of the people on the boat are angry with him because they had to let the potentially captured whale go in order to save Pip. Stubb warns him never to jump out again, or else they won't try to save him again. Little scared Pip jumps again, and to teach him a lesson, the boat leaves him there to ruminate in the huge scary ocean. While hanging out in the ocean with whales and other freaky creatures passing by him, Pip has a sort of religious, near-death, revelational experience. Perhaps Melville uses the ocean as a sort of "trap" for Pip because he can not go anywhere and must think about his poor choices; he must reflect on his life-altering mistake (reflection.. water... get it). Finally the crew rescues Pip for a second time, and they conclude that the mystery and solitude of the ocean has made Pip go crazy. Stubb of course is upset that Pip did not follow his orders, so that is why he is crazy. Ishmael believes that he has seen God, and therefore does not think he is off his rocker. This experience is another example of a numinous experience, seeing God and becoming reassured. Ishmael has had a similar experience with the hand as a child and with the hand of Queequeg. This is why Ishmael can relate to such an uncomfortable situation and therefore thinks Pip not as crazy but as enlightened.

NOTE: Water, especially in the form of the Pacific Ocean, is scary, big, huge, isolated, unknown, etc. Obviously Pip could not have been completely the same after having sat, struggling to survive, in this aforementioned water for a long time. The crew just dismisses the poor boy as insane without giving him a chance to explain his experience. Personally, Amy and Caroline feel that they would not be the same after almost dying and hanging out with the fishies for a few hours.

Written by: Amy Coates and Caroline Ward

posted by Caroline Ward @ 1:55 PM