This is Moby Dick Chapter 29 Summary.
Vocabulary Words found in this chapter: Moby Dick Chapter 29: Enter Ahab; to Him, Stubb (Vocabulary Words)
Previous Chapter: Moby Dick Chapter 28: Ahab (summary)
Days have already passed and the wintry season is already behind as they were sailing towards the tropical climates of Quito. The warmly cool days were like crystal goblets of Persian sherbet.
The nights, by the words of Ishmael, “seemed haughty dames in jewelled velvets.” In other words, it was very very quiet, starry, and beautiful.
Like the old commanders of his ship, Captain Ahab would come to deck at night because he also can’t sleep well. Once, he muttered that lying down on bed is like going down to his grave.
All the watchers in the ship, whether by day or by night, were very cautious so as not to disturb the ones sleeping. Captain Ahab was also somehow considerate. He would not walk around the deck so that he wouldn’t disturb them, considering that his ivory leg would make the planks crack and creak so loud.
But there came a time he was deeply absorbed by his thoughts, he patrolled the ship from the taffrail to the main-mast. Hence, Stubb the second mate went up, came to Ahab, and hinted something.
He said that no one could stop Ahab from walking the planks. Then he hesitatingly inferred that there might be something that can be inserted to Ahab’s bony leg to muffle the noise. This implied that Stubb just didn’t know Ahab, at all.
Ahab replied with refusal, saying that it would make him look like a canon. But he also admitted that he forgot. And then ordered Stubb to get back to his bed, while calling him a dog.
But Stubb boldly told the captain that he didn’t like to be called a dog. Consequently, Ahab grittedly called him a donkey ten times while coming to him with such a terrifying aura, causing Stubb to retreat involuntarily.
While descending back down to the cabin-scuttle, Stubb was self-reflecting. He realized it was the first time that he didn’t strike back when angered. Recalling how Ahab’s eyes looked onto him even made him want to pray for the first time.
Furthermore, he noticed that the captain was not on his bed. Then he remembered what the Dough-Boy shared with him. He says that he always sees the captain’s hammock on the floor, all crumpled. Additionally, he sees the coverlid almost tied into knots and his pillow a sort of hot. Now Stubb thinks that Ahab has got what the sailors call “Tic-Dolly-Row.”
After that, he thinks about everything as weird. Then he stopped himself from thinking too much, reminding himself about his 11th and 12th “Commandments.” The 11th is, ‘Don’t think too much,’ and the 12th is, ‘Sleep when you can.’
He admitted that the old Captain Ahab made him crazy, and supposes that maybe it was all just a dream. Finally, he decided to just hide all of that from the others and went back to his bed and slept.
End of Moby Dick Chapter 29 Summary.