Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick, 1851 (Christianity in the South Pacific)

American Minute ^ | August 1, 2019 | Bill Federer

[Perseverando]

"There she blows!" cried the lookout, sighting the great white whale, Moby Dick.

The classic book, Moby Dick, was written by New England author Herman Melville, published in 1851.

In the novel, Captain Ahab, driven by revenge, sailed the seas to capture this great white whale who had bitten off his leg in a previous encounter.

The crew of Captain Ahab's ship, the Pequod, included:

Ishmael, the teller of the tale, which begins the line: "Call me Ishmael"-the name of Abraham's son who was sent away;

Chief Mate Starbuck, a Quaker from Nantucket, for whom the Seattle-based coffee franchise took its name;

Second Mate Stubb;

Captain Boomer;

Harpooneer Tashtego, a native American of the Wampanoag Tribe; and

Harpooneer Queequeg, a tattooed Polynesian from a mysterious cannibal island in the South Pacific.

"Tattoo" originated from "tatau" or "tatu," which were body markings originally associated with natives, aborigines, cannibals and headhunters of Southeast Asian islands, such as:

Polynesia, Micronesia, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, New Zealand, New Guinea, Malagasy, and the Marquesas Islands.

"Tattoo" was first mentioned by naturalist Joseph Banks, who accompanied Captain James Cook on the ship HMS Endeavour as he explored the Pacific, 1768-1771:

"I shall now mention the way they mark themselves indelibly, each of them is so marked by their humour or disposition."

Sailors brought tattoos to port cities around the world, where, for a century, they were associated with salty sailors, rough working men, slaves, convicts, and circus sideshows.

In the 1956 film Moby Dick, actor Gregory Peck played Captain Ahab.

Ahab finally caught up with Moby Dick in the Pacific Ocean.

As fate would have it, when the harpoon struck Moby Dick, the rope flew out so fast it snagged Ahab, pulling him out of the boat.

[Perseverando]

Time for another American history lesson from American Minute.

Interesting info about cannibals, the South Pacific exploration, etc.

[hanamizu]

I worked on an albacore boat off of the California coast. While that doesn’t make me a mariner, I can tell you without doubt Melville spent time at sea and knew what he was writing about.

He also repeatedly said the book was not a allegory—man against nature, etc. English teachers, knowing better have ignored him.

[null and void]

I’ve listened to it on any number of long trips, enjoyed it every time and learned a bit more about life in those days on each listening.

I’m so glad I live in the here and now!

[odawg]

English teachers did the same with Hemingway. Hemingway thought they were crazy. “I never meant that, etc.”

[bboop]

Wonderful post.

[Phlap]

In American literature, there are two great novels, Moby Dick and To Kill A Mocking Bird. Were I marooned with them, I would never be bored.

[Jane Long]

Very nice. Thanks for posting.

Do you subscribe to get on this e-blast list?

[Perseverando]

I highly recommend getting on the American Minute email list.

Also here are 2 links I use for finding “daily articles” when American Minute goes on hiatus for short periods.

http://www.amerisearch.net/

https://americanminute.com/pages/posts

[Jane Long]

Thanks so much.

Such valuable information that the left would love to see disappear.

If you happen to have, or start, a ping list for these threads, please add me!

[Bookshelf]

Melville’s Typee provides substantial information on the inhabitants of an island in the Marquesas — especially tatooing. Of the two books, Moby Dick and Typee, the latter, really a marvellous ethnographic study, was much more popular during Melville’s lifetime.

[elcid1970]

“I thought Moby Dick was a social disease.”

(couldn’t resist)

;^)

[left that other site]

MD is one of my all-time favorite books!

And, yes, I have actually read the whole thing...many times! LOL! :-)

[elteemike]

Not likely possible to get an academic to let go of a pet theory...Even when confronted by empirical evidence or the author himself...

“I know better” just seems to go with the territory...

I have a couple of “Piled Higher and Deepers” in my immediate family and there’s never any arguing with ‘em about anything...They suffer from the illusion (too common in academe) their expertise in one narrow area of study automatically carries over to any/all others they care to expound about...

[JoeFromSidney]

As a recruit, I was once advised by an old Chief Petty Officer, "If you insist getting a tattoo, get one that reads 'Mother.'"

[Verginius Rufus]

That reminds me of a cartoon I saw when I was a kid, maybe in The Saturday Evening Post. The bride and groom are in their hotel room on their wedding night and the bride notices his tattoo with a female name (obviously some former girlfriend's name). He is trying to tell her that it's the name of his airedale which had saved his life by pulling him out of a raging river.

[Bull Snipe]

Also by Melville, but less noted is “White Jacket”. It a book about life on an American sailing warship. Melville was stranded in Hawaii in the 1843. To get home, he shipped on the frigate USS United States. The book recounts his experiences on the United States Navy. Particularly important was his vivid description of a flogging. In 1850, when the book was published. A copy was sent to all Congressmen. It was influential in getting a law past that outlawed flogging in the Navy.

[JoeFromSidney]

Old joke from college. If Herman Melville wrote a book about a motorcycle cop, what would he call it?

Mobile Dick.