第二十一章 Going Aboard
Chapter 21 follows Ishmael and Queequeg’s arrival at the wharf in grey dawn, their unsettling encounter with the prophetic Elijah, boarding the mysteriously quiet Pequod, discovering and disturbing a sleeping rigger in the forecastle, and finally witnessing the crew assemble while Captain Ahab remains secluded within his cabin. The chapter establishes an atmosphere of ominous anticipation as the voyage’s commencement draws near.
Wharf Encounter with Elijah
As Ishmael and Queequeg approach the wharf nearly an hour before sunrise, a figure emerges from the mist behind them. Elijah inserts himself between the two sailors, asking pointedly if they are “going aboard.” When Ishmael demands he withdraw, Elijah responds with puzzling wonder, as though the answer surprises him. He then poses several cryptic questions about whether they saw men approaching the ship earlier, and though Ishmael confirms seeing four or five figures in the dim light, Elijah offers no explanation. He makes vague references to warning them about something, then abruptly shifts to commenting on the weather before departing with references to the Grand Jury, leaving Ishmael bewildered by his “frantic impudence.”
Boarding the Pequod and Interacting with the Sleeping Rigger
Upon boarding the Pequod, Ishmael finds profound quiet throughout the vessel. The cabin entrance is locked from within, hatches are closed and weighted with rigging coils. In the forecastle, they discover a sleeping old rigger lying face-down on two chests, wrapped in a tattered pea-jacket with his arms folded. Ishmael jokes about sitting up with the body, but Queequeg sits directly on the sleeper’s back, explaining it is customary in his country where lower classes serve as living furniture. When the narrator protests that Queequeg’s weight will grind the man’s face, Queequeg counters that his country considers this proper seating and won’t harm the face. They pass a tomahawk pipe over the sleeping man while Queequeg shares customs from his homeland regarding the use of human ottomans by chiefs and kings.
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