Moby-Dick Ch. 22: Merry Christmas

Summary

Around noon on Christmas, the Pequod finally gets ready to leave. The riggers finish and the ship is hauled away from the wharf. Aunt Charity comes in a whale boat one last time. She brings a night cap for Stubb and a spare Bible for the steward.

Captain Peleg and Captain Bildad come out of the cabin. They act like they are both in charge on the quarter deck. Peleg tells Starbuck to call all hands. Captain Ahab is still not seen. People say he is in his cabin and not well enough to come on deck yet. They say the pilots do not need him to weigh anchor anyway.

Peleg shouts for the crew to strike the tent on deck. That tent only goes up in port. Taking it down always means the anchor is about to come up next.

Then he orders them to man the capstan. The crew grabs the handspikes and starts heaving. Bildad stands at the bow as pilot and sings psalms. The men at the windlass sing a rude song about girls in Booble Alley. Only three days ago Bildad banned profane songs on board.

Peleg swears and roars at the crew from the back of the ship. Ishmael pauses on his handspike because Peleg looks dangerous. Peleg kicks him in the rear. That is Ishmael's first kick on this voyage.

At last the anchor comes up. The sails are set. The Pequod moves out to sea. It is a short cold Christmas. Freezing spray coats the ship in ice like polished armor.

Bildad keeps singing a hymn about sweet green fields. Ishmael feels hopeful anyway, even with wet feet and a wet jacket.

When they are far enough from shore, the pilot boat comes alongside. Peleg and Bildad must leave. Bildad walks the deck, cannot say goodbye easily, and keeps going below for one more word. He has money in this ship and fear for the voyage ahead.

Peleg is more practical but has a tear in his eye. He wishes luck to Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask. He promises hot supper in Nantucket in three years.

Bildad blesses the crew and cannot stop giving advice. He warns about spare staves, molasses, sail-needles, butter prices, cheese in the hold, and tells Flask to beware of fornication at the islands. Peleg finally pushes him into the boat.

The ship and the pilot boat pull apart. A cold damp breeze blows between them. The crew gives three heavy cheers. Then they sail on into the lone Atlantic.

In this chapter: Terms Characters Key Quotes Modern Story

Why This Matters

Reading Launch-Day Reality

Stated rules mean little the moment a costly ship actually moves. Bildad banned profane capstan songs and placed Watts in every berth, yet the crew roars Booble Alley while Peleg kicks Ishmael and swears along the windlass.

When your project or job finally launches, watch who kicks, who prays, and who stays locked away instead of trusting yesterday's memo.

Coming Up in Chapter 23

On the shivering winter night the Pequod drives into malicious waves, Ishmael sees Bulkington at the helm: the tall mariner who just finished four years at sea and cannot rest on land. Melville pauses for a brief meditation on the lee shore, where refuge can wreck you harder than open ocean.

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Original text

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Chapter 22

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. At length, towards noon, upon the final dismissal of the ship's riggers, and after the Pequod had been hauled out from the wharf, and after the ever-thoughtful Charity had come off in a whale-boat, with her last gift—a night-cap for Stubb, the second mate, her brother-in-law, and a spare Bible for the steward—after all this, the two Captains, Peleg and Bildad, issued from the cabin, and turning to the chief mate, Peleg said: "Now, Mr. Starbuck, are you sure everything is right? Captain Ahab is all ready—just spoke to him—nothing more to be got from shore, eh? Well,…

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Critical Thinking Exercise

10 minutes

Audit Your Launch Hour

Recall a high-pressure start: move, rollout, first shift, wedding day. Write one rule that was stated beforehand, one that broke in the first hour, who broke it, and who enforced the real standard. Note whether the decider was visible.

Consider:

•Did piety, profanity, or inventory talk dominate the send-off?
•Who stayed invisible while others commanded?
•Were cheers heavy or joyful?

Journaling Prompt

Write about a send-off where someone listed groceries while saying goodbye. What were they really afraid of losing?

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Merry Christmas

Summary