Moby Dick
... other men to the whales and Queequeg killed the largest one with his harpoon. They stripped the whale of it’s blubber and was melted in pots then stored (Atchity 3993). They encountered the English whaling ship and ordered the place where Moby Dick should be. He told them and Ahab quickly changed the course in search of Moby Dick. Starbuck tried to persuade his captain to end the voyage and return home. Instead, out of anger he ordered him out of his cabin after grabbing his rifle and pointing it a him in a motion to shoot him. While all of this was going on, Queequeg became sick with a fever and it seemed as if he would die. He even requested a coffin be built in the shape of a canoe (Atchity 3993). Queequeg became well and returned to his shipmates and used the coffin as a sea chest, where he carved many designs on it (Atchity 3994). One night a storm came and set fire to the sail with lighting and the crew felt this was God’s way of saying they need to return, but Ahab was not frightened and was determined to find and kill the white whale. Several days later, Ahab spotted Moby Dick and they started after the whale in the rowboats and Ahab was about to harpoon the whale when it ripped the boat to pieces. Ahab and his men chased the whale and caught up to him the second day and stuck three harpoons in the side of him, but he twisted and the ropes of the boats were tangled and ripped the boats. On the third day of the chase, Moby Dick seemed as if he was tired and the boats had overtook him and was about to give up but he was so angry that he tuned and splintered the boats. Starbuck was in the Pequod and tried to save them but the whale hit the Pequod and destroyed it. It was now time for Ahab to die. The ropes twisted around Ahab’s neck and strangled him to death. The only survivor was Ishmael who floated on Queequeg’s canoe until a passing ship picked him up (Atchity 3994). The characters in Moby Dick are as unique as any that you will ever discover. Ishmael is a young school teacher who sails the sea when is bored of his normal life. He joins with only one friend, Queequeg. Queequeg is a native harpooner who Ishmael meets while staying in an Inn. He is a cannibal from Kokovoko and he is not a Christian like his shipmates and has reverted to paganism, so he worships yogo, a little black idol. Captain Ahab is the captain of the Pequod. This harsh, bitter man has only goal in life and that is to kill the great white whale, Moby Dick. The whale had took his leg in an earlier encounter which is now been replaced with a whale bone (Magill 726). Starbuck is captain Ahab’s first mate. He goes against Ahab’s revenge that he seeks on the great whale. On the third day of the chase he gives in the pursuit of the whale. Stubb is captain Ahab’s second mate. He is a well-humored man, who is care free and a frequent pipe-smoker. Fedallah is Ahab’s servant who prophesies that Ahab’s death will have neither hearse nor coffin. Fedallah is killed by a fouled harpoon line. Moby Dick is a legend among whalers that is a large albino sperm whale. He has been attacked many times but has always overtaken the forces that oppose him (Magill 727). Tashtego is Stubb’s harpooner who is an American Indian. Flask is the third mate who is short and rough. He loves killing whales for the fun of it and destroys the animals as if they were overpopulated. Dagoo is Flask’s harpooner, who is an African American. Father Mapple is a minister at a chapel who preaches his sea fearing ways from his whaling days. Captain Peleg and Captain Bilad are the real owners of the Pequod. They are also fighting quakers. Elijah is a strange man who tells Ishmael and Queequeg about the disadvantages of sailing with captain Ahab. Dough-Boy is a dull, pale boy who tries his hardest to please the crew because he is so afraid of them. Fleece is the ships cook who hopes the crew will be killed because of their greed and cannot believe stubb’s liking of whale meat. Bulkington is a big, dark man who takes care of the helsmen job of the ship. Perth is the Pequod’s blacksmith who makes the harpoon that is to kill Moby Dick. He took up whaling after ...