Known in the numismatic world as a "Moby Dick Coin," the Ecuadorian 8 Escudos doubloon, minted in Quito, Ecuador, between 1838 and 1843, is the one ounce of gold "sixteen dollar piece" Captain Ahab nails to the mast of the Pequod, promising it to the first man who "raises" Moby-Dick.. . . It is often confused for a "Spanish" doubloon, but this coin was not struck by the Spanish crown or endorsed by the Spanish government. The Moby Dick coin was minted in the Republic of Ecuador, at the Quito mint, many years after its independence from Spain
Doubloon = Moby-Dick = Moby Dick- Chapter 99 is interesting because of its many different interpretations of the doubloon. For instance, Flask only views the coin as “a round thing made of gold[,]” which means that he only sees the coin for its monetary value["] (Chapter 99). However, Fedallah perceives the doubloon to be reverential as he is a “fire worshiper” (Chapter 99, 348). These various viewpoints demonstrate not only the characters and their beliefs but also how one item can generate many thoughts and discussions. This novel is like the doubloon, as many people have different theories for what Moby Dick symbolizes and how the novel should be interpreted. This point is further supported in the next chapter when Ahab meets Boomer, a captain who also lost a limb to Moby Dick. Even though the two men experienced similar trauma, Boomer has moved on with his life and believes Ahab to be “crazy” for hunting Moby Dick (Chapter 100, 354). The comparison of the two men proves how everyone views the world differently.
Chapter 99 of [Moby-Dick] provides a fascinating mental exercise that essentially encapsulates the concept of the entire book; more specifically, the gold doubloon Ishmael presents to the crew reflects the variety of meanings one can take away from not only this particular scene, but the entirety of [Moby-Dick] .
- Many of their interpretations of the meaning of the coin reflect the many approaches to analyzing literature and art in general; for example, Ahab’s interpretation of the coin is expansive and broad, while Flask finds no meaning in the coin at all beyond monetary value. Stubb, on the other hand, initially struggles to find anything worthwhile looking at the coin but eventually finds beauty in his own reflection. Lastly, Quuqueg is simply amused by the coin’s resemblance to his tattoo. Each of these perspectives is a reflection of human nature and how not only we perceive literature, but the world around us.
- Chapter 99 serves to illustrate the differences between many of the characters aboard the Pequod. The characters analyze the gold coin that is nailed to the ship, with interpretations ranging from religious significance, self-reflection, prophecy, and “it’s literally a gold coin stop reading too much into it, you knobs[.]” . . . But my biggest takeaway was that this is another example of how the Pequod is a microcosm. We already know that the crew is diverse in religious beliefs, race, and nationality, and this chapter shows how their backgrounds influence their interpretation of seemingly mundane things, such as currency. This idea is best summed up in the line “all sorts of men in one kind of world” (Ch. 99).
- Stubb: "Book! you lie there; the fact is, you books must know your places. You'll do to give us the bare words and facts, but we come in to supply the thoughts" (Ch. 99).
Absence of Malice
- The whale-surgeon of the ship Samuel Enderby, referred to as Mr. Bunger, argued to the two whale-limbed captains that “the white whale’s malice is only his awkwardness[,]” and provides scientific proof that “the digestive organs of the whale are so inscrutably constructed by Divine Providence, that it is quite impossible for him to completely digest even a man’s arm” (Ch. 100). This [contributes] to the idea that the white whale is no malevolent creature, but simply acted in defense of itself or even possibly to provide heroic aid to “the pod of four of five whales” Captain Boomer had been harpooning for (Ch. 100).
- The shocking thing about this account is that the people giving it do not hold ill will to Moby Dick, even though he swallowed the captain’s arm. Bunger tries to defend Moby Dick to Ahab, detailing how whale stomachs are not capable of digesting limbs, so if a whale bites them off it is because of his “awkwardness” or self-preservation. Bunger and the captain clearly do not see whales as monsters, just animals. It calls into question their reasoning for becoming whalers in the first place; we have to wonder if they feel bad for hunting whales or if they see hunting as such a necessity that any sympathy for the whales is outweighed by the demand for oil.
- There is a very obvious split between Boomer and Ahab, especially in regard to hunting the whale. Ahab was maimed by the whale and now has sworn to kill it for revenge, but Boomer is happy to be alive and no longer worries about the whale because he saw how dangerous it was. “No more White Whales for me,” said Boomer (Ch. 100). Ahab is surprised and annoyed that Boomer would give up one the whale, but he has his reasons. He further explains, “there would be great glory in killing him, I know that...but, hark ye, he is best left alone...” (Ch. 100). Boomer seems to understand that life is more valuable than seeking revenge on the whale, and he chooses not to bother himself with it anymore. He is cheerful about his life and enjoys what he does. On the contrary, Ahab cannot comprehend why he would give up on the White Whale and intends to never do so until it is dead. To Boomer’s previous statement, Ahab replied, “He is. But he will still be hunted for all that” (Ch. 100). Although he recognizes the whale is better left alone, he refuses to do so. He is very unhappy with his life and exacting his revenge on the whale gives him a sense of purpose it seems. The clear opposition of each character's way of life makes me think there may be a deeper meaning to it. I think that Ahab may hate his disability so much that he thinks killing the whale will make him feel less horrible, and he is unhappy because of it. On the contrary, Boomer is content with his disability because he recognizes there is no point in trying to change what he cannot, and he is happier because of it.
The Great Writing Challenge
- Ishmael muses that to write about his thoughts of whales makes him “faint with their outstretching comprehensiveness” and asks that he is given a “condor’s quill” and “Vesuvius’ crater for an inkstand” (Ch. 104). These requests and statement reflect the great lengths that Melville went to to describe various facts about whales and their anatomy and nature.
Ishmael is Black?
More evidence is also provided for Ishmael’s ethnicity in chapter 104. Ishmael states that he has worked as a “stone-mason, and also a great digger of ditches, canals and wells, wine-vaults, cellars, and cisterns” (Ch. 104). These are jobs, except possibly stone-mason, that were considered undesirable to many in the 1800s and would be taken up by people of color of those who were not qualified to work other jobs. This could be evidence that Ishmael truly is African American rather than Caucasian.
Throughout chapter 103 and 104, Ishmael attempts to describe Sperm Whales from their skeletons alone. Ishmael even states that he was “struck anew” by the “majestic” build of Sperm Whales (Chapter 103). He goes on to say that trying to capture the “magnitude” of the creature is a “vain and foolish” act for a man that is “timid” and “untraveled” (Chapter 103). This implies that just as Ishmael cannot admire or “comprehend” Sperm Whales, the reader cannot fully understand what the novel symbolizes without looking at all its parts (Chapter 103). In order to grasp what Melville is trying to convey in Moby-Dick, the reader has to dissect every chapter and character, not just the areas that they enjoy.
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