Moby Dick Chapter 105 - 107

Chapter 105 - 107

Does the Whale's Magnitude Diminish?- Will He Perish?/Ahab's Leg/The Carpenter

It is wondered if the whale's size has decreased over the long course of his existence; however, it can be seen that whale's size has actually increased from certain ancient times, although it is possible that it's gotten smaller since the time of Adam. Some whalers have worried that the hunting of whales could lead to their extinction, but due to the enormous number of them, and the relatively small amount that are killed, this doesn't seem to be a problem.

The violent manner in which Captain Ahab departed from the Samuel Enderby and returned to the Pequod causes him to do some damage to his ivory leg. The pain in the leg seems connected to all his woes with the world.

Topic Tracking: Vengeance 12

He calls the carpenter over, and orders him to make a new leg, out of the ivory that had been gotten on the trip.

The carpenter is proficient in a thousand different minor skills that are necessary to keep the Pequod running smoothly. He has a vice bench, on which he does all his work. He considers all things equally; he is generally stolid with occasional bursts of humor, but he is not the most intelligent of men. In fact, he functions almost as a tool. But there is something unique about him, in his unknowing devotion to duty.