Feb 16 2010
Ahab’s control over his men
Back-tracking by quite a bit, Chapter 36, “The Quarter-Deck,” is significant because it is the first chapter in which Ahab addresses his men and in which the dynamic of the entirely male crew is revealed. Ishmael describes the intense pacing of Ahab around his cabin and the deck before he orders Starbuck to summon the crew. Once the mass of men is collected in one location, Ahab initiates a cycle of wild and boisterous chanting:
“‘What do ye do when ye see a whale, men?’
‘Sing out for him!’ was the impulsive rejoinder from a score of clubbed voices.
‘Good!’ cried Ahab, with a wild approval in his tones; observing the hearty animation into which his unexpected question has so magnetically thrown them” (142-43).
This chanting back and forth between the captain and his crew continues. This is Ahab’s way of “rallying the troops” before he even mentions the mission of vengeance that is at the heart of the voyage. Words like “impulsive,” “wild approval,” “hearty animation,” and “magnetically” jump out because they are so sensational and they give the reader the impression of a “mob mentality” existing aboard the wholly male Pequod. Ahab is gleeful at how much control he seems to have over his men from the very start as he calls out questions and then listens to the answers shouted back at him in unison. Even the shipmates are taken aback by their instinctual responses and yet they continue to respond naturally: “More and more strangely and fiercely glad and approving, grew the countenance of the old man at every shout; while the mariners began to gaze curiously at each others, as if marveling how it was that they themselves became so excited at such seemingly purposeless questions” (143). The reader is reminded of the control a general or lieutenant has over a group of men in a militaristic setting.
Next, Ahab begins to reveal the sinister side of his plot. He moves closer to his sailors, shows them a gold coin in one hand, and announces that the killer of a large white-headed whale shall receive this coin. The immediate response of the crew is a joyous “‘Huzza! Huzza!’” (143). Tashtego, Daggoo, and Queequeg recognize their captain’s description of the white whale as they have all heard of Moby Dick. Starbuck makes the connection between Moby Dick and Ahab’s lost leg, to which Ahab admits. All of the men continue to chant and shout excitedly and supportively, as if completely unperturbed by the announcement of this secondary mission of the Pequod; however, Starbuck is rational and sharp enough to realize the dilemma, and so he challenges Ahab. While the others do not recognize that they have been cheated by Ahab – that they are now trapped on a ship hunting a very large and dangerous whale without knowing before boarding that this would be the captain’s main goal – Starbuck comments that “I came here to hunt whales, not my commander’s vengeance. How many barrels will thy vengeance yield thee…it will not fetch thee much in our Nantucket market” (145). Ahab tries to appeal to Starbuck’s sense of pride, and although Starbuck quiets his dissent, he quietly mutters to God to look out for his safety and the safety of the others.
After having already used vocal stimulation and fiscal incentive to rally his men on a personal vendetta, Ahab calls for them to congregate in a circle on the deck, and for his harpooners to carry their weapons. Ishmael describes the eyes of the riveted men as “wild” and compares them to “the bloodshot eyes of the prairie wolves” who “meet the eye of their leader” (146-47). Ahab whips out his next tool in exciting his male crew – the pewter brimming with alcohol. Ahab orders his men to “‘Drink and pass!’” the pewter around in the circle so that every man receives some of the delicious beverage (147). The pewter is refilled and the men continue to drink. They drink upon their captain’s command as he yells out to the seas and the skies that the Pequod will be hunting Moby Dick to his death. Finally, after “the replenished pewter went the rounds among the frantic crew,” Ahab waves his hand for them all to disperse and returns to his cabin to rest (148). It was thus the captain’s combination of excitedly vocal chanting, monetary reward, and communal drinking that activates the crew and puts them in this so-called frantic state. Melville is exploring the stereotypes of manhood, masculinity, and the bonds between men. Money and alcohol are stereotypical allures for men, and Ahab utilizes them cleverly. The only true resistance he receives comes from Starbuck, who realizes he has no way out of this mess and must rely on God to save his life. Therefore, “The Quarter-Deck” is an important chapter that establishes the dynamic of the crew, who answer wholeheartedly and excitedly to the mad Ahab without truly appreciating how they have been wronged.
2 Responses to “Ahab’s control over his men”
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Thanks for your comment on my Quarter-Deck blog. You discuss something here that I completely neglected in my post: the monetary incentive Ahab offers to his ardent crew (i.e. a shiny piece of gold). I focused on Ahab’s diction and the impact of his performance, but forgot that these sailors are perhaps not here primarily to escape their manic depression on shore, like our Ishmael, but to engage in the most lucrative business of whaling and come out of this voyage with money jingling in their pockets. I forgot about the importance of this gold ounce until we return to it at the end of the novel when the crew (or was it Ahab?) raises the white whale.
As the first real glimpse we get of Ahab’s genius and of course his complete madness, this was one of my favorite moments in the text. I mentioned this chapter a few blog posts back but was having a hard time really capturing the spirit of hypermasculinity that Ahab is constantly manipulating throughout his speech. I thought your military analogy of “rallying the troops” was very accurate in this respect, as the sailors really are just as soldiers going to war against Moby Dick for mad King Ahab.