Moby-Dick Recap: Chapters 9-15
Ishmael and Queequeg sure are moving fast, even if the novel isn't
Bud Smith, author of the novel Teenager, is not wrong here, lol. Besides Chapter 9’s sermon, that’s pretty much how I would summarize what happened in this week’s readings. That being said—
Same. I thought everything that happened in Chapters 10-15 was all v cute. The previously mentioned Chapter 9 was probably the hardest section for me. I’ll be honest, I struggled to pay attention during Mapple’s long speech and his retelling of Jonah and the Whale feels a little on the nose, like, “buckle up, kids. here comes some major foreshadowing. and do you want the novel’s themes blatantly stated in the dialogue for you? no, you prefer a bit of subtlety? well, too bad: ‘and if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves—’”
Okay, I’ll stop, I sound too much like my snarky high school self who had had enough with Gatbsy’s green light and the creeper eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. Also, I’m probably in the minority here, clearly this is a showpiece-y and famous part of Moby-Dick. Father Mapple’s speech is always included in film adaptations of the novel and he’s usually played by some grand elder statesman of the theatrical arts. In the 1956 version where Gregory Peck stars as Ahab, Father Mapple is played by none other than Orson Welles.
(As a side note, Orson Welles had a lifelong fascination with Moby-Dick and pursued filming different adaptations of it during his lifetime, though none got made or fully completed. Yes, this anecdote also feels too on-the-nose, except it’s real.)
In a bit of clever casting, Gregory Peck plays Father Mapple in the Patrick Stewart 1998 miniseries. And he's played by Donald Sutherland in a 2011 miniseries that stars William Hurt as Ahab, and Ethan Hawke as Starbuck (for the record, I think a younger post-Dead Poets Society Ethan Hawke would have made a great Ishmael). In The Moby-Dick Big Read, Chapter 9’s sermon is read by Simon Callow, a veteran Shakespearean actor.
Speaking of which, have you heard about The Moby-Dick Big Read? It features all 135 chapters read by various notable figures, including Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton (Yes, if you’ve ever longed to hear Tilda Swinton say “Call me Ishmael,” she reads “Loomings.”) Even its less famous readers are thoughtfully chosen for their respective chapters. For example, Māori writer Witi Ihimaera reads Queequeg’s origin story from Chapter 12 (“Biographical”) and Chapter 14 (“Nantucket”) is read by writer Nathaniel Philbrick, a long-time Nantucket resident and author of several Moby-Dick-related books.
It might be a good time to mention that it’s popular to read Moby-Dick out loud. Every year there’s Moby-Dick Marathons (24 hour+ non-stop readings of the book) in various locales. In their essay “Melville and the Spoken Word,” Mary K. Bercaw Edwards and Wyn Kelley describe how oral cultures inspired Melville’s writing, and in return, Melville’s writing attracts today’s rappers, spoken-word poets, and performance artists, or at least, his language appeals to them much more than the work of other 19th century novelists. We get some nods to the oral tradition of storytelling in this week’s chapters. “The Sermon” obviously, but “Biographical” is Ishmael’s retelling of Queequeg telling his story and the whole business in “Nantucket” about the entire ocean belonging to Nantucketers is a bit of a tall tale.
Hmm, what chapters haven’t we discussed yet… Chapter 11 literally is Queequeg and Ishmael snuggling in bed. Like, honestly, if I were to sum up that chapter I would call it “Ishmael’s Guide to Feeling Cozy in Bed.” And if you’re a Queequeg fan, that love *intensifies* during Chapter 13. On the boat ride over to Nantucket, when some ignorant bumpkin makes fun of Queequeg’s appearance, Queequeg gives him a light physical beatdown, but a stronger verbal one (“Queequeg no kill-e so small-e fish-e”). Then some strong winds hit, causing that same bumpkin to fall overboard, and Queequeg has to save his ass.
Chapter 15 (“Chowder”) is indeed a whimsical little chapter about our favorite duo enjoying various chowders. As someone who is low-key lactose intolerant, a cream or milk-based soup is never going to be my thing, but I must admit Melville made clam/cod chowder sound pretty tasty. I love when a book can engage with all the senses and make you crave the food in its world. It’s not just the words used to describe the food, it’s the setup. It’s the anticipation and funny misunderstanding that happens before the chowder even arrives (“Queequeg,” said I, “do you think that we can make out a supper for us both on one clam?”). It’s the secret tiny kitchen where you say either “clam” or “cod” and soon it magically appears before you. If you also craved chowder after reading this chapter, here’s a recipe that received high ratings.
I realize we’re jumping around a bunch, but returning to Chapter 9 (“The Sermon”) for a moment, one thing I did really enjoy was how the Christian seriousness of it contrasts with one particular moment in Chapter 10 (“A Bosom Friend”)—when Ishmael worships Queequeg’s pagan idol with him. Remember, in this chapter, Queequeg grasps Ishmael around the waist and says that they’re married, but in Melville’s day, that would not have been as controversial as Ishmael daring to worship another God by joining Queequeg in prayer at his idol. The religious press was powerful back then, and man, they came for Melville over that. According to the Norton Critical Edition I’m reading, it was one of the factors that led to his career failure. But props to Herman for sticking to his guns, both to the ideas around equality he wanted to explore in his novel (I also loved how, in this same chapter, he compares Queequeg’s head to that of George Washington’s—the most American of all figures), and staying true to his characters.
For Ishmael has grown to care for Queequeg, he knows that it would be hurtful to decline his invitation, so after some internal debate, he puts aside his concerns as a Presbyterian Christian to do something meaningful for his friend. Then they tuck into bed together “at peace with our own consciences and all the world,” but not before having some pillow talk. In their “hearts’ honeymoon,” Ismael declares himself and Queequeg “a cosy, loving pair.”
Damn, anyone else think this relationship is moving quickly? My friend Joy does:
Lol! Oh, by the way, in The Moby-Dick Big Read, the actor chosen to read “A Bosom Friend” is absolutely *chef’s kiss.*
It’s the great Stephen Fry. Enjoy.
This is 1000% queerer than I expected and I'm here for it.
My favorite line about Ish and Quee's rapidly moving relationship from this section was the last line of chapter 10. "Thus, then, in our hearts' honeymoon lay In and Queequeg -- a cosy, loving pair."
My favorite line for lyrical imagery reasons was the last line of chapter 14 "With the landless gull, that at sunset folds her wings and is rocked to sleep between billows; so at nightfall, the Nantucketer, out of sight of land, furls his sails, and lays him to his rest, while under his very pillow rush herd of walruses and whales "
oh they’re 100% in love