Inscrutable Malice by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literary Criticism, Religion
Publisher: NIU press
Published: 2012-12-04T00:00:00+00:00

Perhaps the most explicit statement of the Joban theme of God’s ultimate responsibility for allowing evil in the world occurs in a comic dialogue between Stubb and Flask, in chapter 73, during which Stubb narrates an updated nautical version of the folktale opening of the book of Job describing the wager between God and the satan for Job’s soul.21 The chapter, entitled “Stubb and Flask Kill a Right Whale; and Then Have a Talk over Him,” describes the killing of a right whale so that its head may be hoisted upon the side of the Pequod opposite a sperm whale’s head according to Fedallah’s occult belief that the ship would thereby be magically protected against capsizing. In the process of preparing the whale for towing back to the Pequod, Stubb and Flask discuss the Parsee’s mysterious presence on the ship. Stubb insists facetiously that he’s the devil in disguise. After some whimsical joking about how Fedallah manages to hide his tail, Stubb also asserts that Ahab made a Faustian bargain with the Parsee, and the latter promised Ahab the White Whale in exchange for Ahab’s soul. Stubb begins the conversation with an intentionally naïve question:

“What’s the old man have so much to do with him for?”

“Striking up a swap or a bargain, I suppose.”

“Bargain?—About what?”

“Why, do you see, the old man is hard bent after that White Whale, and the devil there is trying to come round him, and get him to swap away his silver watch, or his soul, or something of that sort, and then he’ll surrender Moby Dick.”

“I don’t know, Flask, but the devil is a curious chap, and a wicked one, I tell ye. Why, they say as how he went sauntering into the old flag-ship once, switching his tail about devilish easy and gentlemanlike, and inquiring if the old governor was at home. Well, he was at home, and asked the devil what he wanted. The devil, switching his hoofs, up and says, ‘I want John.’ ‘What for?’ says the old governor. ‘What business is that of yours,’ says the devil, getting mad,—‘I want to use him.’ ‘Take him,’ says the governor—and by the Lord, Flask, if the devil didn’t give John the Asiatic cholera before he got through with him, I’ll eat this whale in one mouthful. But look sharp—aint you all ready there? Well, then, pull ahead, and let’s get the whale alongside.”

“I think I remember some such story as you were telling,” said Flask, when at last the two boats were slowly advancing with their burden towards the ship, “but I can’t remember where.”

“Three Spaniards? Adventures of those three bloody-minded soldadoes? Did ye read it there, Flask? I guess ye did?”

“No: never saw such a book; heard of it, though. But now, tell me, Stubb, do you suppose that that devil you was speaking of just now, was the same you say is now on board the Pequod?”

“Am I the same man that helped kill this whale? Doesn’t the devil live for

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