The voyage, chapter by chapter

    Moby Dick timeline

    Follow the events of all 135 chapters and the Epilogue, from Ishmael’s first departure to the Rachel’s rescue.

    Chapters 1–20

    1. Chapter 1

      Loomings

      1. Ishmael introduces himself and explains his recurring need to go to sea.
      2. He describes his preference for serving as an ordinary sailor.
      3. He considers the motives attracting him to a whaling voyage.
      Read chapter 1Summary

    2. Chapter 2

      The Carpet-Bag

      1. Ishmael travels from Manhattan to New Bedford.
      2. He learns that the Nantucket packet has departed and the next opportunity is Monday.
      3. He selects the Spouter Inn as a likely source of cheap lodging.
      Read chapter 2Summary

    3. Chapter 3

      The Spouter-Inn

      1. Ishmael describes the inn's entry and puzzling painting.
      2. He challenges the landlord's account concerning the harpooneer.
      3. Queequeg invites him into bed, where he sleeps soundly.
      Read chapter 3Summary

    4. Chapter 4

      The Counterpane

      1. Ishmael wakes with Queequeg's arm around him.
      2. He recalls a childhood experience and discovers the tomahawk beside Queequeg.
      3. Queequeg washes, shaves with his harpoon head, and leaves the room.
      Read chapter 4Summary

    5. Chapter 5

      Breakfast

      1. Ishmael accepts the landlord's joking in good humor.
      2. The boarders eat in near silence while Queequeg helps himself with his harpoon.
      3. Queequeg settles down to smoke, and Ishmael goes for a walk.
      Read chapter 5Summary

    6. Chapter 6

      The Street

      1. Ishmael describes the varied people encountered in New Bedford's streets.
      2. He contrasts seasoned maritime figures with inexperienced rural recruits.
      3. He explains the connection between whaling wealth and the town's opulence.
      Read chapter 6Summary

    7. Chapter 7

      The Chapel

      1. Ishmael makes his way through the storm to the chapel.
      2. He observes the congregation, memorial inscriptions, and Queequeg.
      3. He reflects on death in whaling and the relationship between body and soul.
      Read chapter 7Summary

    8. Chapter 8

      The Pulpit

      1. Father Mapple enters the chapel and removes his wet clothing.
      2. Ishmael considers the spiritual significance of the chaplain's physical isolation.
      3. He interprets the nautical picture and pulpit design.
      Read chapter 8Summary

    9. Chapter 9

      The Sermon

      1. Mapple directs the congregation closer together and offers a prayer.
      2. His sermon recounts the captain's scrutiny of Jonah's money and acceptance of his passage.
      3. He pronounces a benediction and stays kneeling until everyone has left.
      Read chapter 9Summary

    10. Chapter 10

      A Bosom Friend

      1. Ishmael observes Queequeg and helps explain the book's printing and pictures.
      2. They share a smoke, and Queequeg expresses their new bond through affectionate gestures.
      3. Ishmael participates in Queequeg's worship, after which they go to bed and converse.
      Read chapter 10Summary

    11. Chapter 11

      Nightgown

      1. The companions sit up in bed after chatting drives away sleep.
      2. They light a lamp and pass Queequeg’s Tomahawk pipe between them.
      3. Ishmael invites Queequeg to tell his life story.
      Read chapter 11Summary

    12. Chapter 12

      Biographical

      1. The narrator recounts Queequeg’s boarding of a ship after being refused passage.
      2. Queequeg explains that he intends to keep voyaging before returning home.
      3. The friends agree to sail together, then embrace and fall asleep.
      Read chapter 12Summary

    13. Chapter 13

      Wheelbarrow

      1. Ishmael pays their lodging bill with Queequeg’s money, and they transport their luggage to the Moss.
      2. Queequeg explains why he carries his own harpoon.
      3. Queequeg brings up the submerged greenhorn, who is picked up by a boat and revived.
      Read chapter 13Summary

    14. Chapter 14

      Nantucket

      1. Ishmael briefly records the safe arrival at Nantucket.
      2. He describes the island through comic exaggerations and recounts its settlement legend.
      3. He traces a progression from shore fishing to extensive ocean voyaging.
      Read chapter 14Summary

    15. Chapter 15

      Chowder

      1. The companions locate the Try Pots after wandering and asking directions.
      2. Mrs. Hussey orders clam for two despite Ishmael’s misunderstanding.
      3. She demands the harpoon for safekeeping, and Ishmael requests both clam and cod chowder for breakfast.
      Read chapter 15Summary

    16. Chapter 16

      The Ship

      1. Queequeg announces Yojo’s instructions, and Ishmael yields despite his objections.
      2. The narrator discusses the combination of Quaker upbringing and violent maritime occupation.
      3. Ishmael hears a defense of Ahab and reflects on his lost leg and mysterious character.
      Read chapter 16Summary

    17. Chapter 17

      The Ramadan

      1. Ishmael waits until evening before knocking, then becomes anxious at the silence.
      2. He describes Queequeg’s constrained posture and the ineffectiveness of his own religious remarks.
      3. Queequeg breakfasts heartily, and the companions leave to board the Pequod.
      Read chapter 17Summary

    18. Chapter 18

      His Mark

      1. Peleg demands Queequeg’s papers before allowing him aboard.
      2. Queequeg throws his harpoon across the decks and hits the tar spot.
      3. Peleg counters Bildad’s religious interpretation of a typhoon with an account of emergency seamanship.
      Read chapter 18Summary

    19. Chapter 19

      The Prophet

      1. Elijah stops Ishmael and Queequeg after they leave the Pequod.
      2. He mocks the assurance that Ahab is recovering.
      3. Ishmael retraces his steps to test whether Elijah is following; Elijah passes on.
      Read chapter 19Summary

    20. Chapter 20

      All Astir

      1. Workers repair and equip the ship while Peleg and Bildad oversee preparations.
      2. The companions bring their belongings aboard but continue sleeping ashore as departure is delayed.
      3. After repeated inquiries about Ahab, Ishmael receives definite sailing notice and sets out early with Queequeg.
      Read chapter 20Summary

    Chapters 21–40

    1. Chapter 21

      Going Aboard

      1. Elijah stops the pair and delivers an evasive warning.
      2. Ishmael and Queequeg board and encounter an old rigger.
      3. The ship becomes active at sunrise, but Ahab stays inside.
      Read chapter 21Summary

    2. Chapter 22

      Merry Christmas

      1. Charity delivers final gifts before departure.
      2. The anchor rises and the Pequod sails into icy seas.
      3. Peleg and Bildad leave by boat after their farewell.
      Read chapter 22Summary

    3. Chapter 23

      The Lee Shore

      1. Ishmael identifies Bulkington at the Pequod's helm.
      2. The narrator develops an extended analogy between navigation and thought.
      3. He addresses Bulkington in an exalted tribute.
      Read chapter 23Summary

    4. Chapter 24

      The Advocate

      1. Ishmael states and rebuts landsmen's objections to whaling.
      2. He cites Job, Alfred the Great, and Burke in its defense.
      3. He calls a whale-ship his Yale and Harvard.
      Read chapter 24Summary

    5. Chapter 25

      Postscript

      1. The narrator justifies including conjecture in his defense.
      2. He mocks the practice of royal anointing.
      3. He proposes sperm oil as the substance used at coronations.
      Read chapter 25Summary

    6. Chapter 26

      Knights and Squires

      1. The narrator describes Starbuck's physique, background, and temperament.
      2. He distinguishes physical bravery from resistance to spiritual threats.
      3. He appeals to a democratic God to sanction his portrayal of humble people.
      Read chapter 26Summary

    7. Chapter 27

      Knights and Squires

      1. Stubb receives an extended character sketch.
      2. The narrator compares mates and harpooneers to knights and squires.
      3. He reflects on islander crews and addresses Pip elegiacally.
      Read chapter 27Summary

    8. Chapter 28

      Ahab

      1. Ishmael watches for Ahab and recalls Elijah's unsettling words.
      2. He observes Ahab's appearance and his leg braced in a deck hole.
      3. Ahab spends more time outdoors and begins to respond faintly to the weather.
      Read chapter 28Summary

    9. Chapter 29

      Enter Ahab; to Him, Stubb

      1. The narrator describes Ahab's wakefulness and preference for the open deck.
      2. Stubb refuses to accept being called a dog.
      3. Stubb debates the encounter internally and turns toward sleep.
      Read chapter 29Summary

    10. Chapter 30

      The Pipe

      1. Ahab has a sailor fetch his stool and pipe.
      2. He recognizes that smoking no longer calms him.
      3. He casts the pipe overboard and paces the planks.
      Read chapter 30Summary

    11. Chapter 31

      Queen Mab

      1. Stubb recounts his contradictory dream to Flask.
      2. Ahab commands particular vigilance for a white whale.
      3. Stubb tells Flask that Ahab has something bloody on his mind.
      Read chapter 31Summary

    12. Chapter 32

      Cetology

      1. The narrator introduces the challenges of cetology.
      2. He describes the Fin-Back's appearance and distinguishing fin.
      3. He closes by calling both his classification and his book unfinished drafts.
      Read chapter 32Summary

    13. Chapter 33

      The Specksnyder

      1. The narrator traces the Chief Harpooneer's former share in command and subsequent reduction in rank.
      2. He explains why harpooneers retain professional distinction.
      3. He shifts from shipboard hierarchy to reflections on sovereignty and Ahab's dramatic stature.
      Read chapter 33Summary

    14. Chapter 34

      The Cabin-Table

      1. Ahab calculates latitude on the tablet of his ivory leg before responding to dinner.
      2. The mates follow him below in order of seniority.
      3. The narrator explains Flask's constrained meals and Ahab's isolation.
      Read chapter 34Summary

    15. Chapter 35

      The Mast-Head

      1. The narrator introduces his first turn at mast-head duty.
      2. He digresses on elevated lookouts and admits his inattentive watchkeeping.
      3. He ends with a hypothetical fatal fall, warning against unguarded reverie.
      Read chapter 35Summary

    16. Chapter 36

      The Quarter-Deck

      1. Tashtego names the white whale as Moby Dick.
      2. Ahab fills the inverted harpoon sockets and calls for an oath to kill Moby Dick.
      3. The harpooneers drink, Starbuck shivers, and the gathering disperses.
      Read chapter 36Summary

    17. Chapter 37

      Sunset

      1. Ahab watches the sunset and declares that loveliness brings him anguish.
      2. He reflects on his power to set the crew in motion.
      3. He vows retaliation and challenges divine powers to swerve him.
      Read chapter 37Summary

    18. Chapter 38

      Dusk

      1. Starbuck voices his sense of being overpowered by Ahab.
      2. Forecastle revelry interrupts his reflection.
      3. He calls for the watch and invokes protective influences.
      Read chapter 38Summary

    19. Chapter 39

      First Night-Watch

      1. Stubb mends a brace while reflecting on laughter and destiny.
      2. He observes that Ahab appears to have mastered Starbuck too.
      3. He sings before responding to Starbuck's summons.
      Read chapter 39Summary

    20. Chapter 40

      Midnight, Forecastle

      1. The watch sings in chorus while individual sailors comment on the sea and weather.
      2. A mate orders sails taken in and topsails reefed as the squall strikes.
      3. Pip shelters under the windlass and prays for mercy.
      Read chapter 40Summary

    Chapters 41–60

    1. Chapter 41

      Moby Dick

      1. Ishmael recounts enthusiastically joining the oath against Moby Dick.
      2. The narrator explains why news travels unevenly through the whaling fleet.
      3. He considers the legends about the whale and the crew’s susceptibility to Ahab.
      Read chapter 41Summary

    2. Chapter 42

      The Whiteness of the Whale

      1. Ishmael identifies whiteness as the chief source of his peculiar terror.
      2. He catalogs favorable cultural and natural associations of white.
      3. He considers color and light before identifying the whale as the symbol of these disturbing reflections.
      Read chapter 42Summary

    3. Chapter 43

      Hark!

      1. Seamen pass buckets to replenish the scuttle-butt during the middle-watch.
      2. Archy repeatedly reports noises beneath the hatches.
      3. Cabaco dismisses Archy’s suspicion and tells him to attend to the buckets.
      Read chapter 43Summary

    4. Chapter 44

      The Chart

      1. Ahab consults charts and historical logs, erasing and adding course markings.
      2. The narrator describes the narrow ocean routes called whale 'veins.'
      3. The narration interprets Ahab’s disturbed condition through a division between soul and obsessive purpose.
      Read chapter 44Summary

    5. Chapter 45

      The Affidavit

      1. Ishmael reports three cases of the same whaleman striking a whale again after its earlier escape.
      2. He quotes a survivor’s reflections on a whale’s destructive attack.
      3. He argues that Procopius’s ship-destroying monster was probably a sperm whale.
      Read chapter 45Summary

    6. Chapter 46

      Surmises

      1. The narrator weighs possible motives for Ahab’s continued pursuit of ordinary whales.
      2. He explains how Ahab’s disclosed private purpose exposes him to a charge of usurpation.
      3. Ahab repeatedly orders vigilant observation from the three mastheads.
      Read chapter 46Summary

    7. Chapter 47

      The Mat-Maker

      1. Ishmael and Queequeg weave a sword-mat for their boat.
      2. The crew readies three boats after Tashtego’s whale sighting.
      3. An exclamation draws all eyes to Ahab surrounded by five unfamiliar figures.
      Read chapter 47Summary

    8. Chapter 48

      The First Lowering

      1. Fedallah answers Ahab as the unfamiliar men ready the captain’s boat.
      2. At dawn, Queequeg hears the approaching ship, and the boatmates leap into the sea.
      3. The ship passes over their boat; they swim back toward it and are safely taken aboard.
      Read chapter 48Summary

    9. Chapter 49

      The Hyena

      1. Ishmael asks whether such dangerous incidents commonly occur.
      2. Flask confirms the practice of rowing backward toward a whale.
      3. Ishmael makes his fourth nautical will, naming Queequeg lawyer, executor, and legatee.
      Read chapter 49Summary

    10. Chapter 50

      Ahab's Boat and Crew. Fedallah

      1. Stubb expresses surprise at Ahab’s boating, while Flask argues that he retains sufficient mobility.
      2. The narrator examines the likely objections to assigning Ahab a regular hunting boat and five extra men.
      3. Fedallah is characterized as mysterious, with his relationship to Ahab left unexplained.
      Read chapter 50Summary

    11. Chapter 51

      The Spirit-Spout

      1. Fedallah announces a distant spout during his nighttime watch.
      2. Cape winds batter the ship as sea birds cling to its rigging.
      3. Starbuck discovers Ahab asleep upright beside an unrolled chart.
      Read chapter 51Summary

    12. Chapter 52

      The Albatross

      1. Ahab hails the Albatross for news of the White Whale.
      2. The other captain loses his trumpet, preventing an audible reply.
      3. Ahab watches the fish leave and orders the Pequod onward.
      Read chapter 52Summary

    13. Chapter 53

      The Gam

      1. The narrator explains Ahab’s limited interest in visiting other captains.
      2. Whaling sociability is contrasted with the behavior of merchant, naval, and slave ships.
      3. The narration describes the comic hazards of maintaining a captain’s upright posture.
      Read chapter 53Summary

    14. Chapter 54

      The Town-Ho's Story

      1. The Town-Ho exchanges news with the Pequod during a short gam.
      2. Tashtego’s sleep-talking exposes part of the secret, leading him to disclose the rest.
      3. The framed account depicts punishment after mutiny and closes with an oath of truthfulness.
      Read chapter 54Summary

    15. Chapter 55

      Of the Monstrous Pictures of Whales

      1. The narrator introduces a critique of supposed whale portraits.
      2. He identifies errors in popular natural-history illustrations.
      3. He concludes that exact pictorial knowledge of the whale remains unattainable.
      Read chapter 55Summary

    16. Chapter 56

      Of the Less Erroneous Pictures of Whales, and the True Pictures of Whaling Scenes

      1. The narrator compares the accuracy of several published illustrations.
      2. He describes an engraving of a boat alongside a running right whale.
      3. He contrasts a peaceful island scene with an active cutting-in and pursuit scene.
      Read chapter 56Summary

    17. Chapter 57

      Of Whales in Paint; in Teeth; in Wood; in Sheet-Iron; in Stone; in Mountains; in Stars

      1. The narrator describes a beggar’s painted account of losing his leg.
      2. He catalogs scrimshaw, wooden whales, door knockers, and weather vanes.
      3. He moves from terrestrial likenesses to imagined celestial whale hunts.
      Read chapter 57Summary

    18. Chapter 58

      Brit

      1. The Pequod encounters vast fields of brit northeast of the Crozetts.
      2. Right whales filter food from the water and leave blue paths through the yellow surface.
      3. The narrator turns from feeding whales to oceanic violence and psychological analogy.
      Read chapter 58Summary

    19. Chapter 59

      Squid

      1. Daggoo sights a repeatedly rising white mass and cries out that it is the White Whale.
      2. Starbuck declares that he would almost rather have encountered Moby Dick.
      3. The narrator considers squid remains, feeding hypotheses, and the Kraken legend.
      Read chapter 59Summary

    20. Chapter 60

      The Line

      1. The narrator compares hemp and Manilla whale-lines.
      2. He explains the exposed lower end’s role in joining lines and maintaining safety.
      3. He expands the equipment discussion into a reflection on mortality.
      Read chapter 60Summary

    Chapters 61–80

    1. Chapter 61

      Stubb Kills a Whale

      1. Queequeg predicts a sperm-whale sighting after the squid.
      2. The oarsmen strain forward amid excited cries.
      3. The whale dies, and Stubb scatters his pipe ashes while surveying it.
      Read chapter 61Summary

    2. Chapter 62

      The Dart

      1. The narrator describes the harpooneer’s exhausting duties before the dart.
      2. He criticizes the dangerous exchange of positions after a successful throw.
      3. He proposes a revised division of labor.
      Read chapter 62Summary

    3. Chapter 63

      The Crotch

      1. The narrator defines the crotch and the two-iron arrangement.
      2. He explains the necessity and hazards of discarding the second iron.
      3. He imagines multiple boats surrounded by loose harpoons to clarify the danger.
      Read chapter 63Summary

    4. Chapter 64

      Stubb's Supper

      1. Three boats slowly tow the enormous corpse to the ship.
      2. Ahab orders the whale secured for the night and returns to his cabin.
      3. Stubb orders further whale dishes, and Fleece departs resentfully.
      Read chapter 64Summary

    5. Chapter 65

      The Whale as a Dish

      1. The narrator recounts historical and cultural examples of whale consumption.
      2. He describes whale products as food and recalls his own oil-fried suppers.
      3. He turns the discussion into a critique of meat eating and selective moral outrage.
      Read chapter 65Summary

    6. Chapter 66

      The Shark Massacre

      1. The narrator explains why cutting-in is usually delayed until daylight.
      2. Queequeg and a sailor attack the sharks with whaling-spades.
      3. A dead shark nearly severs Queequeg’s hand, prompting his bitter comment about its creator.
      Read chapter 66Summary

    7. Chapter 67

      Cutting In

      1. The crew installs tackles and inserts the blubber hook.
      2. Windlass hauling rolls the whale while the mates cut the strip free.
      3. Blanket-pieces are severed, lowered, and coiled in the blubber-room.
      Read chapter 67Summary

    8. Chapter 68

      The Blanket

      1. The narrator disputes what should properly be called whale skin.
      2. He describes transparent scraps used as bookmarks and the whale’s patterned surface.
      3. He draws a moral lesson from the whale’s warmth in polar waters.
      Read chapter 68Summary

    9. Chapter 69

      The Funeral

      1. The crew releases the stripped whale’s body.
      2. Sharks and birds gather as the corpse drifts out of sight.
      3. The narrator constructs a hypothetical navigational mistake and critiques precedent and orthodoxy.
      Read chapter 69Summary

    10. Chapter 70

      The Sphynx

      1. The narrator explains the anatomical precision required for decapitation.
      2. Ahab leans on Stubb’s spade and addresses the suspended head.
      3. An approaching presence reported from the starboard bow cheers Ahab and prompts his meditation on analogy.
      Read chapter 70Summary

    11. Chapter 71

      The Jeroboam's Story

      1. The narrator explains the whaleships' identifying signals.
      2. Mayhew begins his Moby Dick story amid Gabriel's interruptions and rough waves.
      3. Gabriel returns the letter on a knife, and the boat departs.
      Read chapter 71Summary

    12. Chapter 72

      The Monkey-Rope

      1. The narrator revisits how Queequeg inserted the blubber-hook.
      2. Stubb challenges Dough-Boy over the ginger drink.
      3. Queequeg receives spirits, and Aunt Charity's gift is discarded.
      Read chapter 72Summary

    13. Chapter 73

      Stubb and Flask kill a Right Whale; and Then Have a Talk over Him

      1. Stubb's and Flask's boats pursue a right whale and are towed toward the ship.
      2. The mates discuss whether a devil is aboard the Pequod.
      3. Both heads hang alongside while Fedallah examines the right whale's wrinkles and his palm.
      Read chapter 73Summary

    14. Chapter 74

      The Sperm Whale's Head—Contrasted View

      1. The narrator introduces a practical comparison of the two heads.
      2. He speculates about divided vision and describes the tiny ears.
      3. He describes jaw removal, tooth extraction, and cutting the jaw into slabs.
      Read chapter 74Summary

    15. Chapter 75

      The Right Whale's Head—Contrasted View

      1. The narrator shifts attention to the right whale's head.
      2. He discusses baleen's uses in clothing and umbrellas.
      3. He contrasts the heads' anatomy and imagined philosophical expressions.
      Read chapter 75Summary

    16. Chapter 76

      The Battering-Ram

      1. The narrator examines the head's forward surface and placement of organs.
      2. He uses dockside cushioning to explain resistance to impact.
      3. He advances a buoyancy hypothesis and challenges readers' incredulity.
      Read chapter 76Summary

    17. Chapter 77

      The Great Heidelburgh Tun

      1. The narrator divides the head conceptually into its structural compartments.
      2. He explains spermaceti's purity and its crystallization after exposure to air.
      3. He describes the head's suspended position and introduces the coming extraction.
      Read chapter 77Summary

    18. Chapter 78

      Cistern and Buckets

      1. Tashtego opens the Case and guides the bucket during baling.
      2. The head falls into the sea with Tashtego trapped inside.
      3. Queequeg dives to the rescue, and the narrator explains the head's slow sinking.
      Read chapter 78Summary

    19. Chapter 79

      The Prairie

      1. The narrator proposes applying two human interpretive disciplines to the whale.
      2. He considers the absent external nose, the brow, and the whale's silence.
      3. He challenges the reader to decipher the face after questioning physiognomy.
      Read chapter 79Summary

    20. Chapter 80

      The Nut

      1. The narrator locates the brain within the enormous skull.
      2. He explains why the intact head misleads phrenological inspection.
      3. He proposes mapping the spine and assigns significance to the hump.
      Read chapter 80Summary

    Chapters 81–100

    1. Chapter 81

      The Pequod Meets The Virgin

      1. The Jungfrau’s captain approaches the Pequod by boat.
      2. The narrator describes the whale’s suffering and explains carcass buoyancy.
      3. The Jungfrau and its boats disappear in pursuit of a Fin-Back.
      Read chapter 81Summary

    2. Chapter 82

      The Honor and Glory of Whaling

      1. The narrator retells Perseus’s rescue of Andromeda as a whaling exploit.
      2. He argues that St. George’s dragon could have been a whale.
      3. He recounts Vishnoo’s recovery of the Vedas and concludes with an illustrious membership list.
      Read chapter 82Summary

    3. Chapter 83

      Jonah Historically Regarded

      1. The narrator introduces Sag-Harbor’s objection about the Right Whale’s narrow throat.
      2. He reviews explanations involving a whale’s mouth, a dead whale, and another ship.
      3. He contrasts geographical objections with a priest’s appeal to the magnitude of the miracle.
      Read chapter 83Summary

    4. Chapter 84

      Pitchpoling

      1. Queequeg applies extra grease to his boat’s bottom.
      2. Tashtego harpoons a whale that continues fleeing too quickly to approach.
      3. Stubb repeatedly pitchpoles his lance and watches the whale die.
      Read chapter 84Summary

    5. Chapter 85

      The Fountain

      1. The narrator poses the water-versus-vapor question.
      2. He explains the whale’s lungs, surfacing, and breathing through the spiracle.
      3. He connects vapor above the whale with contemplation and his own uncertain beliefs.
      Read chapter 85Summary

    6. Chapter 86

      The Tail

      1. The narrator describes the tail’s dimensions and three-layered construction.
      2. He explains its roles in swimming and striking at humans.
      3. He considers apparent signaling gestures and admits his inability to understand the whale.
      Read chapter 86Summary

    7. Chapter 87

      The Grand Armada

      1. The narrator frames the Straits of Sunda as a gateway through an island barrier.
      2. Queequeg steers among whales while Starbuck pricks nearby animals aside.
      3. The herd speeds away, and the boats linger to recover whales left behind.
      Read chapter 87Summary

    8. Chapter 88

      Schools and Schoolmasters

      1. The narrator distinguishes two principal kinds of whale schools.
      2. He describes the attending male’s protective behavior and lack of nursery involvement.
      3. He contrasts male turbulence and dispersal with female concern for wounded companions.
      Read chapter 88Summary

    9. Chapter 89

      Fast-Fish and Loose-Fish

      1. The narrator introduces situations that produce disputes between whalers.
      2. He recounts the claims behind an English whale-recovery lawsuit.
      3. He expands fishery terminology into a commentary on political and intellectual possession.
      Read chapter 89Summary

    10. Chapter 90

      Heads or Tails

      1. The narrator translates and discusses the royal whale-division rule.
      2. He introduces a recent coastal catch and the Lord Warden’s entitlement to royal proceeds.
      3. He corrects Prynne’s whalebone explanation and offers a humorous comparison with the royal sturgeon.
      Read chapter 90Summary

    11. Chapter 91

      The Pequod Meets The Rose-Bud

      1. The crew detects an unpleasant smell before the lookouts identify its source.
      2. Stubb boards the other vessel and encounters sailors distressed by the odor.
      3. Stubb retrieves ambergris but stops at Ahab's command.
      Read chapter 91Summary

    12. Chapter 92

      Ambergris

      1. The narrator explains ambergris's properties and uses.
      2. He connects its origin with scriptural language about corruption and glory.
      3. He argues that properly handled whales and casked sperm oil are not inherently foul-smelling.
      Read chapter 92Summary

    13. Chapter 93

      The Castaway

      1. Stubb orders a cut that sacrifices the whale and saves Pip.
      2. The crew curses Pip, and Stubb warns him against jumping from a boat.
      3. The ship rescues the abandoned Pip, whose mental condition is thereafter altered.
      Read chapter 93Summary

    14. Chapter 94

      A Squeeze of the Hand

      1. The narrator and other sailors squeeze lumps of cooled sperm into fluid.
      2. The narrator describes the oily, tendon-filled material called white-horse.
      3. He explains the paired workers' hazardous cutting procedure in the blubber-room.
      Read chapter 94Summary

    15. Chapter 95

      The Cassock

      1. The mincer and two helpers carry the whale organ onto the forecastle.
      2. The mincer removes, stretches, dries, and cuts its pelt into a garment.
      3. The narrator explains why mates demand extremely thin slices of blubber.
      Read chapter 95Summary

    16. Chapter 96

      The Try-Works

      1. The narrator describes the try-works and recalls polishing a pot while considering geometry.
      2. Harpooneers feed blubber into the pots and tend the fires.
      3. The narrator weighs sorrow's wisdom against the danger of engulfing despair.
      Read chapter 96Summary

    17. Chapter 97

      The Lamp

      1. The narrator presents the sleeping watch surrounded by lamps.
      2. He contrasts lighting aboard whalers and merchant ships.
      3. He describes sailors replenishing lamps directly from the oil cooler.
      Read chapter 97Summary

    18. Chapter 98

      Stowing Down and Clearing Up

      1. The narrator explains how sailors fill, secure, and lower heavy oil casks.
      2. He describes cleaning the decks, rigging, bulwarks, and equipment.
      3. He connects recurring whale hunts with recurring human and spiritual labor.
      Read chapter 98Summary

    19. Chapter 99

      The Doubloon

      1. Ahab studies the doubloon's figures and inscriptions.
      2. Observers interpret its signs through astrology and bodily comparison.
      3. Pip imagines the coin remaining in a submerged mast and being discovered at the resurrection.
      Read chapter 99Summary

    20. Chapter 100

      Leg and Arm

      1. Ahab asks the approaching English ship whether it has seen the White Whale.
      2. The surgeon begins describing Captain Boomer's severe wound.
      3. Ahab departs after receiving an eastward heading, despite Boomer's attempts to hail him.
      Read chapter 100Summary

    Chapters 101–120

    1. Chapter 101

      The Decanter

      1. The narrator credits Nantucketers with pioneering sperm-whaling and describes Enderby-sponsored expansion into the Pacific.
      2. He consults an old Dutch volume and calculates beer allowances.
      3. He explains English whalers' good cheer as an inherited custom.
      Read chapter 101Summary

    2. Chapter 102

      A Bower in the Arsacides

      1. Ishmael announces a shift from exterior description to skeletal anatomy.
      2. He recalls the small whale hoisted aboard a former ship.
      3. He identifies his arm tattoos as the source of the forthcoming dimensions.
      Read chapter 102Summary

    3. Chapter 103

      Measurement of The Whale's Skeleton

      1. Ishmael calculates that a large sperm whale would outweigh a village's population.
      2. He measures and compares the ribs and spinal bones.
      3. He recounts being told that children stole the smallest vertebrae.
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    4. Chapter 104

      The Fossil Whale

      1. The narrator introduces a fossil-focused discussion of the whale.
      2. He describes Owen identifying the supposed reptile Basilosaurus as an extinct whale.
      3. He concludes with John Leo's account of a whale-bone temple and its associated beliefs.
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    5. Chapter 105

      Does the Whale's Magnitude Diminish?—Will He Perish?

      1. Ishmael compares ancient and modern whale sizes.
      2. He considers and rejects the buffalo's disappearance as a decisive analogy for whale extinction.
      3. He closes with an imagined whale surviving another worldwide flood.
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    6. Chapter 106

      Ahab's Leg

      1. Ahab damages and further strains his ivory leg.
      2. The narrator discloses the earlier injury behind Ahab's seclusion.
      3. Ahab orders a new leg completed that night and mobilizes the carpenter and blacksmith.
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    7. Chapter 107

      The Carpenter

      1. Ishmael introduces the carpenter as an unusually capable individual.
      2. He illustrates the carpenter's range with repairs, ornamentation, and bodily treatments.
      3. He qualifies the tool comparison by describing the carpenter's vitality and habitual soliloquies.
      Read chapter 107Summary

    8. Chapter 108

      Ahab and the Carpenter

      1. The carpenter files the ivory and calls for metal fittings.
      2. Ahab objects to a light being thrust into his face.
      3. The carpenter resumes work and remembers the small ivory slate used for latitude calculations.
      Read chapter 108Summary

    9. Chapter 109

      Ahab and Starbuck in the Cabin

      1. Routine pumping exposes leaking oil casks.
      2. Starbuck raises the owners' interests, and Ahab rejects their authority over his conscience.
      3. Ahab reconsiders and orders work in the main hold.
      Read chapter 109Summary

    10. Chapter 110

      Queequeg in His Coffin

      1. The crew piles cargo on deck while searching deeper for the leak.
      2. The fever-stricken Queequeg has his coffin brought near and supplied with objects and provisions.
      3. Queequeg resumes handling his harpoon and turns the coffin into a decorated sea-chest.
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    11. Chapter 111

      The Pacific

      1. The ship emerges onto the Pacific near the Bashee isles.
      2. The narrator meditates on the ocean’s spiritual and geographical unity.
      3. Ahab cries out in his sleep about the White Whale spouting blood.
      Read chapter 111Summary

    12. Chapter 112

      The Blacksmith

      1. Perth works on weapons and boat equipment at his forge on deck.
      2. The narrator recounts Perth’s suffering and loss of home and family.
      3. The narrative explains why Perth went whaling.
      Read chapter 112Summary

    13. Chapter 113

      The Forge

      1. Ahab and Perth exchange remarks about sparks and scars.
      2. Ahab tests the rods and takes over their welding as the Parsee passes the forge.
      3. Ahab secures the harpoon’s pole and rope, then departs with the weapon.
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    14. Chapter 114

      The Gilder

      1. The boats spend prolonged stretches pursuing and waiting for whales.
      2. The narrator considers the sea’s temporary calming effect and the recurrence of doubt.
      3. Starbuck affirms belief in the sea’s loveliness, while Stubb declares his perpetual jollity.
      Read chapter 114Summary

    15. Chapter 115

      The Pequod Meets The Bachelor

      1. The celebrating Bachelor approaches and its captain invites Ahab aboard.
      2. Ahab refuses and orders the Pequod to keep to the wind.
      3. The ships part as Ahab looks between the Bachelor and his vial of sand.
      Read chapter 115Summary

    16. Chapter 116

      The Dying Whale

      1. Four whales are killed, including one by Ahab.
      2. Ahab watches the whale’s final movements at sunset.
      3. Ahab reflects on death, fire worship, and his kinship with the sea.
      Read chapter 116Summary

    17. Chapter 117

      The Whale Watch

      1. Ahab’s boat keeps overnight watch beside the dead whale.
      2. The Parsee repeats his predictions, and Ahab claims immunity from death.
      3. The crew rises at dawn and brings the whale to the ship before noon.
      Read chapter 117Summary

    18. Chapter 118

      The Quadrant

      1. The crew awaits and receives the order to steer for the equator.
      2. Ahab observes the sun and calculates latitude while the Parsee also watches the sun.
      3. Starbuck and Stubb voice contrasting assessments of Ahab.
      Read chapter 118Summary

    19. Chapter 119

      The Candles

      1. The typhoon tears away canvas and a wave staves in Ahab’s boat.
      2. Starbuck calls attention to the corpusants glowing aloft.
      3. Ahab suppresses the crew’s resistance with the burning harpoon and extinguishes its flame.
      Read chapter 119Summary

    20. Chapter 120

      The Deck Towards the End of the First Night Watch

      1. Starbuck reports the yard’s loose band and damaged lift, asking permission to lower it.
      2. Ahab refuses to lower the yard or move the anchors, ordering them secured instead.
      3. Ahab dismisses caution as cowardice and mocks the storm’s noise.
      Read chapter 120Summary

    Chapters 121–Epilogue

    1. Chapter 121

      Midnight.—The Forecastle Bulwarks

      1. Stubb and Flask add lashings to the hanging anchors.
      2. Flask challenges Stubb’s inconsistent assessment of Ahab.
      3. The wind carries Stubb’s tarpaulin overboard.
      Read chapter 121Summary

    2. Chapter 122

      Midnight Aloft.—Thunder and Lightning

      1. Tashtego secures the main-top-sail yard with new lashings.
      2. He tells the thunder to stop and calls for rum.
      Read chapter 122Summary

    3. Chapter 123

      The Musket

      1. The narrator describes violent tiller movements and revolving compass needles during the typhoon.
      2. Starbuck pauses outside Ahab’s door and takes up a musket.
      3. He replaces the weapon and asks Stubb to wake Ahab.
      Read chapter 123Summary

    4. Chapter 124

      The Needle

      1. Ahab celebrates the ship’s motion through the luminous morning sea.
      2. The narrator explains storm-related damage to compass needles.
      3. Ahab suspends a treated sail-needle over a compass-card and invites the crew to inspect it.
      Read chapter 124Summary

    5. Chapter 125

      The Log and Line

      1. Ahab orders the log heaved, and its resistance makes the reelman stagger.
      2. Ahab invites Pip to his cabin after Pip refuses to release his hand.
      3. The Manxman decides to consult Stubb about a new line.
      Read chapter 125Summary

    6. Chapter 126

      The Life-Buoy

      1. The Pequod continues southeast toward the Equator.
      2. Unearthly cries interrupt the watch’s reveries.
      3. The carpenter outlines how he will waterproof the coffin and attach life-lines.
      Read chapter 126Summary

    7. Chapter 127

      The Deck

      1. The carpenter identifies the coffin as Queequeg’s and explains its conversion.
      2. Ahab interrogates him about his trades, singing, and faith.
      3. Ahab demands the coffin be removed from view and returns below.
      Read chapter 127Summary

    8. Chapter 128

      The Pequod Meets The Rachel

      1. Ahab hails the approaching ship with a question about the White Whale.
      2. Gardiner offers payment for the Pequod’s assistance, and Stubb urges saving his son.
      3. Gardiner returns to his ship after rejection and resumes the search.
      Read chapter 128Summary

    9. Chapter 129

      The Cabin

      1. Pip catches Ahab’s hand and begs to accompany him.
      2. Ahab refuses, blesses Pip, and leaves the cabin.
      3. Pip stages an imaginary gathering and vows to remain where Ahab placed him.
      Read chapter 129Summary

    10. Chapter 130

      The Hat

      1. The narrator describes the disappearance of humor and visible dissent aboard ship.
      2. Ahab declares he will sight the whale first and rigs his own lookout basket.
      3. A hawk seizes his hat, which is never restored.
      Read chapter 130Summary

    11. Chapter 131

      The Pequod Meets The Delight

      1. The Delight's captain points to a wrecked boat when asked about the White Whale.
      2. Ahab displays his harpoon and vows to kill the whale.
      3. The Pequod departs during a burial, prompting a warning about its coffin.
      Read chapter 131Summary

    12. Chapter 132

      The Symphony

      1. The narrator contrasts the gentle air with the sea's hidden violence.
      2. Ahab addresses Starbuck on fate and mortality, but the mate slips away.
      3. Ahab notices Fedallah's reflected eyes beside the ship.
      Read chapter 132Summary

    13. Chapter 133

      The Chase—First Day

      1. Ahab follows the whale's scent and orders a course adjustment.
      2. The whale crushes Ahab's boat as he struggles with its jaw.
      3. Ahab maintains the night watch and announces revised terms for the doubloon.
      Read chapter 133Summary

    14. Chapter 134

      The Chase—Second Day

      1. The ship rescues floating sailors and equipment after the fight.
      2. Ahab puzzles over the missing Parsee and the prediction that he must reappear before Ahab can perish.
      3. The crew readies spare boats and sharpens weapons while the carpenter makes Ahab another leg.
      Read chapter 134Summary

    15. Chapter 135

      The Chase—Third Day

      1. Ahab orders continued pursuit along the whale's wake.
      2. Moby Dick scatters the attacking boats and damages the mates' bows.
      3. Tashtego's hammer traps a hawk as the ship sinks, and the sea closes over it.
      Read chapter 135Summary

    16. Epilogue

      Epilogue

      1. The narrator explains his boat assignment and how he was dropped astern.
      2. Drawn toward the weakening vortex, he reaches the surfaced coffin and stays afloat on it.
      3. The searching Rachel picks him up on the second day.
      Read epilogueSummary