Alright, enough! Let’s get back to it.

I apologize for missing last week, I had a good ol’ fashioned case of writer’s block. Ther weather was fine, I wasn’t too tired, just sat down and… no words came out. It happens to the best of us. I know that forcing it is futile, you might get a couple piddling paragraphs, but they won’t be any good. Of course, some of those times I’ve been most disappointed in my own work was when I would end up receiving very good grades from teachers, so perhaps I’m not the best judge after all.

Summary

Stubb and Flask secure the anchors to the forecastle bulwarks, to prevent them from being slammed into the ship during the storm. As they work, Flask questions Stubb’s continued loyalty to Ahab, and his dismissal of the very apparent danger he presents to the rest of the crew.

Stubb, for his part, rambles on in his usual manner, and continues to make excuses for his captain.

Analysis

The conversation in this chapter is something that has been repeated ten billion times throughout human history, and will continue to be repeated until we disappear from the Earth.

Getting A Bit Too Real

Two guys are talkin’ on the job, about how the leadership at said job is suddenly feeling a bit… questionable. And say, weren’t you always making “jokes” about how dangerous and unhinged our boss is? That sure seems like less of a joke now, man.

Didn’t you once say that whatever ship Ahab sails in, that ship should pay something extra on its insurance policy, just as though it were loaded with powder barrels aft and boxes of lucifers forward? Stop, now; didn’t you say so?

Flask was okay with a bit of vengeance against an animal, spitting in the face of God, sort of a thing, as long as it was just a little spice in an otherwise normal whaling voyage. Sure, the captain’s a bit fiery, what of it? We’re still catchin’ whales like normal, nothing seems that different.

But now? Well, now they’re flying directly into a howling gale, after their captain grabbed a live lightning rod and was surrounded by a cloud of plasma the likes of which nobody on board has seen before. All of this vague doom and mythologizing is suddenly feeling a little too real for his taste.

It has been a long time since Flask had any real focus, and he doesn’t have the same obvious sort of Thing as Starbuck (the reasonable and pious one) and Stubb (the class clown). The third mate of the Pequod is kinda just… some guy. He’s here to do his job and go home. Always has a quick, short answer, not interested in any nonsense. The ideal of a certain type of New Englander, I suppose

Of course, in this chapter he is literally playing a straight man for Stubb’s funny speeches. But still, it’s interesting that this may be his biggest moment in the book, finally questioning his captain after all that has happened. We have certainly reached a tipping point if Ahab is at risk of losing Flask, he stands in for a kind of utilitarian ethos that infuses all sailors, especially whalers it seems.

Things are getting dicey! They’re lashing down the anchors, seemingly for good, and plunging forward into the storm. What does Stubb have to say in reply?

Legging the Foghorn

I had a revelation reading this chapter: Stubb is Foghorn Leghorn. Or, rather, the other way around, I suppose, given the chronology.

Like, seriously: read his dialogue in this chapter and try not to imagine a six foot tall rooster bullying a barnyard dog:

Don’t you see, you timber-head, that no harm can come to the holder of the rod, unless the mast is first struck? What are you talking about, then? Not one ship in a hundred carries rods, and Ahab,—aye, man, and all of us,—were in no more danger then, in my poor opinion, than all the crews in ten thousand ships now sailing the seas. Why, you King-Post, you, I suppose you would have every man in the world go about with a small lightning-rod running up the corner of his hat, like a militia officer’s skewered feather, and trailing behind like his sash. Why don’t ye be sensible, Flask? it’s easy to be sensible; why don’t ye, then? any man with half an eye can be sensible.

The use of insults, barrelling forward after asking questions with an assumed answer, the appeal to common sense, it’s all there. It has exactly the right cadence, just needs a few shoves for emphasis thrown in, although that wouldn’t really work in this chapter, as they are perilously hanging from the side of the ship.

Anyway, his argument is essentially: Look, we knew this was gonna be a dangerous journey, with Ahab on board. But that’s just what it takes to get big returns on your investment! Look at all the whales we’ve caught so far, and if we can get Moby Dick, so much the better for our reputations. Besides, this storm is par for the course, nothing to worry about, and so was Ahab’s little demonstration just now.

I do love the bit about putting lightning rods on everyone’s hats, that is such a perfect disingenuous and bad faith counterargument. Stubb is completely not rattled, he’s still along for the ride, and thinks everything is fine. Nothing demonstrates that better than this.

This chapter is really the platonic ideal of what you would imagine for “a conversation between the second and third mates of the Pequod after shit starts going wrong”. One of them is scared and considering mutiny, the other just takin’ it in stride, it’s fine, no problem.

But… Stubb is slowly losing his armor, so to speak. We get that metaphoricall at the end of this chapter, when the tarp he’s wearing goes flying overboard. How long can he keep his own wits about him, as things continue to fall apart?

Not The Time

Really, the biggest counterargument Stubb has in this chapter is simply: now is not the time. There’s a storm going on, they’re both soaked, it’s an extraordinary event, but not anything they could possibly have anticipated or that could’ve been caused or prevented by their captain.

Besides, supposing we are loaded with powder barrels aft and lucifers forward; how the devil could the lucifers get afire in this drenching spray here? Why, my little man, you have pretty red hair, but you couldn’t get afire now. Shake yourself; you’re Aquarius, or the water-bearer, Flask; might fill pitchers at your coat collar.

This is the nature of Stubb’s pragmatism, at the end of the day: just deal with the hand your dealt, don’t go making trouble you don’t need. There’s plenty of time for casting blame after the horn of judgment has been sounded, so to speak.

But right now, we need to do what we need to in order to save the ship and everyone on it. Stubb is literally holding it together, helping to hammer knots down and secure necessary materials for the boat to continue onwards.

This is what it truly is to be along for the ride with someone like Ahab. He causes crises, and you just shut up and deal with it. They’ve truly thrown their lot in, made their bed, and now they have to lay in it.

Hmm… this is why whaling is the perfect profession for this particular tale, come to think of it. Whereas on a military or merchant vessel, most men are just paid a set salary, if you’ll recall way back to when Ishmael and Queequeg signed up: they get shares of the total profits of the whole voyage. The whole crew is literally bought in, in a way that most sailors are not.

This is most relevant for the calculus around mutiny. On a merchant or military ship, it’s basically like quitting your job and going on the run. Sure, you lose out on your salary, but hey maybe you come out ahead anyway, depending on circumstances. But on a whaling ship? You’re there for years at a time, and you lose out on everything. You can’t go back to port. It has to get really fucking bad for there to be a mutiny on a whaling ship.

And we’ve seen it! It took a religious mania to inspire a mutiny on another ship. But without a leading figure to speak to the doubts and fears of the common seamen, the Pequod will likely continue on as usual, at least for now….

---

Well, that was a fun one. Feels like I got a good handle on it.

Weather and brain conditions permitting, I’d love to make up for last week with a bonus post this week, but y’know. We’ll see how things go. I’m finally finishing off my dental work on wednesday, that’ll be nice to put behind me… maybe after that.

Until next time, shipmates!