Chapter 39
First Night-Watch
First Night-Watch. Fore-Top. (Stubb solus, and mending a brace.) Ha! ha! ha! ha! hem! clear my throat!—I’ve been thinking over it ever since, and that ha, ha’s the final consequence. Why so? Because a laugh’s the wisest, easiest answer to all that’s queer; and come what will, one comfort’s always left—that unfailing comfort is, it’s all predestinated. I heard not all his talk with Starbuck; but to my poor eye Starbuck then looked something as I the other evening felt. Be sure the old Mogul has fixed him, too. I twigged it, knew it; had had the gift, might readily…
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Key Quotes & Analysis
"Because a laugh’s the wisest, easiest answer to all that’s queer; and come what will, one comfort’s always left—that unfailing comfort is, it’s all predestinated."
Context: Explaining his laughter on the fore-top
Humor and fatalism replace moral struggle.
In Today's Words:
Stubb says laughter is the smartest reply to anything odd on this ship and that predestination is the comfort left when everything else goes strange. He is not solving Ahab's oath. He is choosing a philosophy that lets him keep working without breaking. Many people use gallows humor and fate talk the same way when leadership goes mad.
"Be sure the old Mogul has fixed him, too. I twigged it, knew it; had had the gift, might readily have prophesied it—for when I clapped my eye upon his skull I saw it."
Context: On Starbuck after the quarter-deck
Stubb reads Starbuck as already captured by Ahab's will.
In Today's Words:
Stubb says the old Mogul captain has fixed Starbuck the way he fixes everyone, and he knew it the moment he studied the mate's skull. He treats resistance as already over. That is how secondary leaders look to coworkers when the top voice has won the moral argument in public.
"Well, Stubb, _wise_ Stubb—that’s my title—well, Stubb, what of it, Stubb? Here’s a carcase. I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing."
Context: Talking himself through the night watch
Self-mockery becomes courage without analysis.
In Today's Words:
Stubb calls himself wise Stubb and says he will face whatever carcase the voyage throws at him laughing. The bravado is deliberate performance for himself on the mast. It keeps his hands moving on the brace while his mind refuses Starbuck's heavy moral arithmetic and the Mogul's fix on the whole ship.
"A brave stave that—who calls? Mr. Starbuck? Aye, aye, sir—(_Aside_) he’s my superior, he has his too, if I’m not mistaken.—Aye, aye, sir, just through with this job—coming."
Context: Starbuck interrupts the song
Comedy yields instantly to chain of command.
In Today's Words:
Stubb praises his own song, hears Starbuck call, answers professionally, and aside admits his superior carries troubles too. The aside is brief compassion without rebellion. Laughter and dutiful mate snap back into place when the sober voice below demands the watch continue on a ship already sworn to the white whale.
Thematic Threads
Cultural Identity
In This Chapter
Each sailor expresses his unique cultural background through song, dance, and story while simultaneously joining the collective celebration
Development
Evolved from earlier focus on Queequeg's otherness to showing how all cultures blend aboard ship
In Your Life:
Your workplace contains the same mix of backgrounds—are you waiting for crisis to appreciate them?
Mortality
In This Chapter
The desperate edge to the celebration reveals the crew's awareness that they're courting death by hunting Moby Dick
Development
Building from Ahab's death-wish to show how it infects even moments of joy
In Your Life:
When you party hardest might reveal what you're most afraid of losing
Brotherhood
In This Chapter
Men who work in rigid hierarchies by day become equals in the night's revels, sharing drinks and dances
Development
Deepens from Ishmael-Queequeg friendship to encompass entire crew
In Your Life:
Real connection often happens outside official channels—in break rooms, not board rooms
Performance
In This Chapter
The chapter's play-like structure shows how each man performs his identity even while revealing authentic emotion
Development
Introduced here as new element—identity as both performance and truth
In Your Life:
You perform different versions of yourself at work and home, but which one is most real?
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
Why does Stubb say laughter is the wisest answer to what is queer?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
It lets him respond to Ahab's world without moral paralysis; humor is his tool.
- 2
What comfort does Stubb claim is always left?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
That everything is predestinated, so he can face whatever comes laughing.
- 3
How does Stubb read Starbuck after the quarter-deck scene?
application • mediumOne way to read it
He looks like Stubb felt another evening; the Mogul has fixed him too.
- 4
When have you used humor or fate talk to keep going under bad leadership?
application • deepOne way to read it
Gallows humor on a toxic job or family crisis fits Stubb's wise-Stubb routine.
- 5
What changes in Stubb's tone when Starbuck calls?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
He drops the song, answers professionally, admits his superior has troubles, and returns to duty coming.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Own Crew's Unity
Think about a group you're part of - your work shift, your family, your friend circle, or your community. Draw a simple diagram showing each person as a circle, then write one unique 'song' they bring (their strength, culture, or perspective). Now draw lines connecting people who've bonded during tough times. Finally, identify one person you haven't connected with yet and plan one small way to learn their 'song.'
Consider:
- •What shared challenges has your group faced that brought people together?
- •Which connections only emerged during crisis versus those built during calm times?
- •What barriers (language, shift schedules, hierarchy) keep certain people isolated?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when facing difficulty with others created an unexpected friendship or dissolved a long-standing barrier. What did that teach you about building connections before crisis hits?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 40: Midnight, Forecastle
Stubb climbs down into a forecastle chorus where nationalities, songs, and a squall will test whether laughter can hold Next: Midnight, Forecastle. The chapter opens as theater: harpooneers and sailors sing farewell to Spanish ladies, then trade songs, dances, and oaths in national voices from Nantucket to Tahiti.
