From Surmises:
“For even the high lifted and chivalric Crusaders of old times were not content to traverse two thousand miles of land to fight for their holy sepulchre, without committing burglaries, picking pockets, and gaining other pious perquisites by the way. Had they been strictly held to their one final and romantic object—that final and romantic object, too many would have turned from in disgust.”
Musing:
Melville understands humankind. It’s hard to keep our eye on the holy grail without being waylaid by Dollar Tree. If all we do is work for an end, it’s too much. We have to be rewarded along the way. Cheat days and cheat lists are ubiquitous.
Ahab knows that if he asks his men to only search for the end game – Moby-Dick, they will, eventually, rebel. It’s a genius thing to equate Ahab’s crew and the Crusaders and not such a huge step toward seeing ourselves.
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