George Boyle
In Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, Ishmael and Queequeg's relationship is a whirlwind romance. The two men meet in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and quickly become friends, with Ishmael admiring Queequeg's sincerity and lack of Christian hollow courtesies. Despite their differences—Queequeg is a pagan, with striking facial tattoos and a penchant for carrying a sharpened harpoon—the two form a deep bond, with Ishmael describing them as a cozy, loving pair. They share a bed, worship Queequeg's god together, and Queequeg even gives Ishmael half of his belongings. Their relationship has been interpreted by some as homoerotic, with literary critics debating whether Melville intended to portray a homosexual relationship or leave the interpretation open to the reader.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of the relationship | Whirlwind romance, love at first sight, spiritual marriage, honeymoon in Nantucket, friendship, homoerotic, gay marriage |
| First meeting | New Bedford, Massachusetts, at The Spouter-Inn |
| First impression | Fear, "the devil himself", "a spawn of the devil" |
| Overcoming fear | Ishmael keeps an open mind, decides to "try a pagan friend" |
| Growing friendship | Sharing a bed, worshipping Queequeg's god, sharing a smoke, long chats, consummating their relationship |
| Physical appearance | Queequeg: tattoos, filed teeth, tan skin, shaved head; Ishmael: "civilized" |
| Social status | Queequeg: son of a king, harpooner; Ishmael: orphan, experience in the merchant marine |
| Literary analysis | First portrait of same-sex marriage in American literature, moving beyond "cultural imprints of homophobia" |
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What You'll Learn
Love at first sight
In Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, the narrator Ishmael meets Queequeg, a native of the fictional island of Kokovoko, at an inn in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Ishmael is initially afraid of the unfamiliar, tattooed, heathenish stranger with whom he must share a bed. However, he soon warms to Queequeg, admiring his independence and self-possession, and the two quickly develop a close friendship.
Ishmael and Queequeg's relationship has been described as a "whirlwind romance" and even "love at first sight". They share a bed, smoke together, and worship Queequeg's god, with Ishmael citing the Golden Rule to justify his participation in pagan idolatry. Queequeg even gives Ishmael half of his belongings, and the two are described as a "cozy, loving pair". At one point, Ishmael wakes up to find "Queequeg's arm thrown over me in the most loving and affectionate manner. You had almost thought I had been his wife."
Some critics have interpreted Ishmael and Queequeg's relationship as homoerotic or as the first portrait of same-sex marriage in American literature. For example, in his journal article "Melville's Portrait of Same-Sex Marriage in Moby-Dick", Steven B. Herrmann argues that Melville's depiction of the physical affection between the two characters represents a move beyond the "cultural imprints of homophobia" in literature. However, it is important to note that Melville leaves the interpretation of the nature of their relationship up to the reader, and some literary buffs insist that the mentions of "marriage" and "honeymoon" are completely metaphorical.
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Intimacy and matrimonial language
In Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, the narrator Ishmael and the character Queequeg share an intense and affectionate bond that has been interpreted as a "whirlwind romance" and a "spiritual" or "gay marriage". The two men meet in a shared room at an inn in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and quickly develop a close friendship, with Ishmael admiring Queequeg's "independence and self-possession". They share a bed, attend church together, and worship Queequeg's idol, with Ishmael citing the Golden Rule as his rationale for taking part in pagan rituals.
The intimacy of their relationship is expressed through matrimonial language, with Ishmael describing their bond as a "hearts' honeymoon" and saying that Queequeg's arm was "thrown over me in the most loving and affectionate manner. You had almost thought I had been his wife". Their closeness is also demonstrated through physical gestures, such as Queequeg pressing "his forehead against mine, clasped me round the waist, and said that henceforth we were married".
Despite the intensity of their connection, some critics argue that the relationship is not romantic or sexual in nature, but rather a deep friendship. The literary interpretation of their bond is left open to the reader's interpretation by Melville.
The relationship between Ishmael and Queequeg is significant as it crosses boundaries between Christian and "savage", white and non-white, and civilised and uncivilised. Their friendship challenges social prejudices and demonstrates the potential for acceptance and mutual understanding across differences.
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A spiritual union
The nature of Ishmael and Queequeg's honeymoon can be interpreted as a spiritual union. Ishmael and Queequeg's whirlwind romance is expressed in matrimonial language, with Ishmael describing their relationship as a "hearts' honeymoon". The two men share a bed, attend church together, and worship Queequeg's god, with Ishmael citing the Golden Rule as his reason for participating in pagan idol worship.
Ishmael and Queequeg's spiritual union is also reflected in their shared experiences and intimate bond. They sleep side by side, awaken under a counterpane, have breakfast, and listen to a sermon together. Ishmael describes their intimacy as "a cosy, loving pair", and their relationship is consummated within 24 hours of meeting.
The spiritual nature of their honeymoon is further emphasised by the fact that Queequeg is a pagan who practices animism. He worships a small idol named Yojo and engages in prolonged periods of fasting and silence. Ishmael, on the other hand, is a Christian, and their spiritual union can be seen as a symbolic erasure of the line between different religions.
The relationship between Ishmael and Queequeg has been interpreted as the first portrait of same-sex marriage in American literature, with their physical affection moving beyond the "cultural imprints of homophobia" in literature. However, it is important to note that Melville leaves the interpretation of their relationship to the reader, and some literary buffs insist that the mentions of "marriage" and "honeymoon" are completely metaphorical.
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A bond that defies social prejudices
The relationship between Ishmael and Queequeg in Herman Melville's 1851 novel, Moby-Dick, is one that defies social prejudices. The pair meet in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and are placed in the same room at an inn. Ishmael, who is initially afraid of Queequeg, soon warms to him, and the two develop a close bond. They sleep side by side, attend church together, and worship Queequeg's god, with Ishmael citing the Golden Rule as his reason for doing so.
Ishmael and Queequeg's relationship is described as a whirlwind romance and a hearts' honeymoon, with Ishmael using matrimonial language to describe their intimacy. They are said to be a cozy, loving pair, and Ishmael even goes so far as to say that Queequeg's arm thrown over him in sleep made him feel as though he had been Queequeg's wife.
The relationship between the two men crosses boundaries of religion, race, and culture. Queequeg is a pagan who practices a form of animism, while Ishmael is a Christian. Queequeg is a savage with striking facial tattoos and sharpened teeth, and is described as a cannibal, while Ishmael is a white man. Despite their differences, Ishmael is drawn to Queequeg, admiring his independence and sincerity.
Some critics interpret the relationship between Ishmael and Queequeg as homoerotic, with the physical affection between them seen as Melville moving beyond the "cultural imprints of homophobia" in literature. However, it cannot be confirmed whether Melville intended for the relationship to be a homosexual one, leaving the interpretation open to the reader.
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A whirlwind romance
In Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, the narrator Ishmael and the character Queequeg have what one commentator calls a "whirlwind romance". Ishmael and Queequeg meet in New Bedford, Massachusetts, when they are placed in the same room at an inn. Ishmael is initially afraid of the unfamiliar, tattooed cannibal, but he soon warms to him. The pair go on to worship Queequeg's god together, share a bed, and travel to Nantucket together.
Ishmael and Queequeg's relationship has been interpreted as a portrayal of same-sex marriage. In one scene, Ishmael wakes up to find Queequeg's arm "thrown over" him, and he says that "You had almost thought I had been his wife". Later in the novel, Queequeg falls ill and expresses his desire not to be buried at sea, but in a canoe-like coffin. Although Queequeg recovers from his illness, he dies by other means.
Despite the physical affection between the two characters, it is unclear whether Melville intended for their relationship to be a homosexual one. Literary critics have argued that the mentions of marriage and honeymoon are metaphorical and that the two are just friends. However, Steven B. Herrmann, in his article "Melville's Portrait of Same-Sex Marriage in Moby-Dick", argues that Melville's portrayal of the relationship moves beyond the "cultural imprints of homophobia" in literature.
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Frequently asked questions
Ishmael and Queequeg's relationship is one of deep friendship, with some literary critics interpreting it as a romantic or sexual one. The two men share a bed, worship together, and Queequeg even gives Ishmael half of his belongings. They are described as a "cozy, loving pair" and Ishmael at one point says that Queequeg's arm is "thrown over me in the most loving and affectionate manner. You had almost thought I had been his wife."
This is a matter of interpretation. Steven B. Herrmann, for example, believes that the "Ishmael-Queequeg 'marriage'...is the first portrait of same-sex marriage in American literature." Caleb Crain also interprets their relationship as homoerotic, arguing that Melville used cannibalism as a euphemism for homosexuality. However, it cannot be confirmed whether Melville intended for this to be a homosexual relationship; he leaves this interpretation to the reader.
The "hearts' honeymoon" is a metaphorical way of describing the deep bond and intimacy between Ishmael and Queequeg. It signifies the emotional and spiritual connection they share, which transcends their physical differences and cultural backgrounds.
