Moby Dick; Or, The Whale

Reasoning the Propontis Monster is a Sperm Whale

While Procopius does not specify the exact species of the sea monster, the author is strongly inclined to conclude it was a sperm whale, based on its documented ship-destroying behavior and other supporting factors detailed in the chapter.

Evidence of Sperm Whales in the Mediterranean

The author previously assumed sperm whales were entirely unknown in the Mediterranean and its connected deep waters, and still holds that these seas are not a habitual gregarious range for sperm whales under current conditions, but recent research has confirmed that isolated modern instances of sperm whales appearing in the Mediterranean do exist.

Commodore Davis’s Barbary Coast Sperm Whale Find

The author cites reliable testimony that Commodore Davis of the British navy discovered a sperm whale skeleton on the Barbary Coast, as proof of sperm whale presence in the broader Mediterranean region.

Sperm Whale Access to the Propontis via the Dardanelles

The author argues that since a warship can easily pass through the Dardanelles strait, a sperm whale could also use this same route to travel from the Mediterranean into the Propontis, making the presence of a sperm whale in the Propontis physically plausible.

Propontis Sperm Whale Prey Availability

While the Propontis lacks the brit (the primary food of right whales) found in other whale habitats, the author has strong reason to believe squid or cuttle-fish, the primary prey of sperm whales, are present at the bottom of the Propontis, as large (but not the largest) members of this prey type have been observed at the sea’s surface.

KAPITEL 46. Surmises.

Though Ahab is consumed by his obsession with capturing Moby Dick, he recognizes that he cannot abandon the ordinary purposes of the voyage or neglect the practical needs of his crew, since even the most dedicated seamen require immediate incentives like wages to remain committed to distant goals. His calculations extend to managing Starbuck, whose loyalty is merely superficial while his soul abhors the hunt, and to preventing his crew from dwelling too long on the philosophical terror of their mission by providing them with nearer matters to occupy their minds. Ahab also understands that by revealing his private purpose to the crew, he has exposed himself to accusations of usurpation, making it essential that he maintain the appearance of legitimate whaling operations while his predominating will keeps them under control.

Ahab’s Dual Motives

Though Ahab was consumed with capturing Moby Dick and ready to sacrifice all mortal interests to that passion, he remained too wedded to a fiery whaleman’s ways to abandon the collateral prosecution of the voyage. There were additional motives beyond his monomania that influenced him. While it might be too refined to suggest his vindictiveness toward the White Whale extended to all sperm whales, there were other considerations capable of swaying him.

The Starbuck Problem

Ahab knew that while his magnetic ascendency over Starbuck was strong, it did not cover the complete spiritual man—corporeal superiority does not involve intellectual mastership. Starbuck’s body and coerced will belonged to Ahab as long as he kept his magnet at Starbuck’s brain, but the chief mate’s soul abhorred the captain’s quest and would gladly frustrate it if possible. During long intervals before seeing the White Whale, Starbuck would be prone to open rebellion unless ordinary, prudential influences were brought to bear upon him.

Occupying the Crew

Ahab’s subtle insanity manifested in his shrewdness in recognizing that the hunt must be stripped of its strange, imaginative impiousness. The full terror of the voyage needed to remain in the obscure background, for few men’s courage could withstand protracted meditation without action. When standing their long night watches, his officers and men needed nearer things to think of than Moby Dick. Though the savage crew had eagerly hailed the announcement of his quest, all sailors are capricious and unreliable, so temporary interests and employments must intervene to hold them healthily suspended for the final dash.