Summary
Stubb, the second mate, has a vivid dream that leaves him puzzled and seeking answers. In his dream, Captain Ahab kicks him with his ivory leg, but instead of feeling insulted, Stubb finds himself oddly honored by the kick. The dream takes a bizarre turn when a merman appears and tells Stubb he should consider himself lucky to be kicked by such a distinguished leg - one made from a sperm whale's jawbone, no less. The merman reveals his own backside is covered in pyramid-shaped bumps from being kicked by even greater beings, suggesting a cosmic hierarchy of kicking that goes all the way up to the divine. When Stubb wakes and tries to share his dream with Flask, the third mate dismisses it as nonsense. This chapter reveals how Ahab's domineering presence infiltrates even the crew's subconscious minds. Stubb's dream shows him trying to rationalize and even find honor in Ahab's abuse - a psychological defense mechanism that helps him cope with serving under such a tyrannical captain. The absurd logic of the dream (being kicked by a whale bone leg is an honor) mirrors how the crew must twist their thinking to survive Ahab's obsession. The pyramid imagery hints at power structures both on the ship and in the universe itself, where everyone kicks down at those below them. Through Stubb's comical yet disturbing dream, Melville explores how people under authoritarian rule often internalize and justify their own oppression, finding ways to make their suffering seem meaningful or even prestigious.
Coming Up in Chapter 70
The Pequod encounters a French whaling ship, and Stubb spots an opportunity for profit that the French crew has overlooked. His clever scheme involves some creative deception and a very smelly whale carcass.
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An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 431 words)
he Funeral.
“Haul in the chains! Let the carcase go astern!”
The vast tackles have now done their duty. The peeled white body of the
beheaded whale flashes like a marble sepulchre; though changed in hue,
it has not perceptibly lost anything in bulk. It is still colossal.
Slowly it floats more and more away, the water round it torn and
splashed by the insatiate sharks, and the air above vexed with
rapacious flights of screaming fowls, whose beaks are like so many
insulting poniards in the whale. The vast white headless phantom floats
further and further from the ship, and every rod that it so floats,
what seem square roods of sharks and cubic roods of fowls, augment the
murderous din. For hours and hours from the almost stationary ship that
hideous sight is seen. Beneath the unclouded and mild azure sky, upon
the fair face of the pleasant sea, wafted by the joyous breezes, that
great mass of death floats on and on, till lost in infinite
perspectives.
There’s a most doleful and most mocking funeral! The sea-vultures all
in pious mourning, the air-sharks all punctiliously in black or
speckled. In life but few of them would have helped the whale, I ween,
if peradventure he had needed it; but upon the banquet of his funeral
they most piously do pounce. Oh, horrible vultureism of earth! from
which not the mightiest whale is free.
Nor is this the end. Desecrated as the body is, a vengeful ghost
survives and hovers over it to scare. Espied by some timid man-of-war
or blundering discovery-vessel from afar, when the distance obscuring
the swarming fowls, nevertheless still shows the white mass floating in
the sun, and the white spray heaving high against it; straightway the
whale’s unharming corpse, with trembling fingers is set down in the
log—shoals, rocks, and breakers hereabouts: beware! And for years
afterwards, perhaps, ships shun the place; leaping over it as silly
sheep leap over a vacuum, because their leader originally leaped there
when a stick was held. There’s your law of precedents; there’s your
utility of traditions; there’s the story of your obstinate survival of
old beliefs never bottomed on the earth, and now not even hovering in
the air! There’s orthodoxy!
Thus, while in life the great whale’s body may have been a real terror
to his foes, in his death his ghost becomes a powerless panic to a
world.
Are you a believer in ghosts, my friend? There are other ghosts than
the Cock-Lane one, and far deeper men than Doctor Johnson who believe
in them.
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Making Peace with Power - When Your Mind Rewrites Reality to Survive
When dependency on authority causes the mind to reframe abuse as privilege to protect psychological survival.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches you to recognize when your own mind is rewriting reality to help you cope with powerlessness.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you catch yourself explaining away someone's bad treatment as them caring too much or pushing you to grow - write down what actually happened versus the story you told yourself.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Merman
A mythical sea creature with a human upper body and fish tail. In sailor folklore, mermen were messengers between the human and divine worlds. Stubb's dream merman represents how we create fantasy figures to explain our suffering.
Modern Usage:
We still create imaginary authorities to justify unfair treatment - like saying 'everything happens for a reason' when bad things happen
Ivory leg
Ahab's prosthetic leg carved from sperm whale jawbone. More than just a replacement limb, it's a symbol of his obsession and power. The leg literally comes from what he hunts, making him part whale himself.
Modern Usage:
Like how some bosses wear expensive suits or drive fancy cars to intimidate employees and show dominance
Pyramid
Ancient Egyptian tombs built in triangular shapes, symbolizing hierarchy and power. The merman's pyramid-shaped bumps represent levels of authority where everyone above kicks those below. Shows how abuse flows downward through ranks.
Modern Usage:
We see this in toxic workplaces where managers abuse workers, who then take it out on newer employees
Second mate
Third in command on a whaling ship, below captain and first mate. Stubb holds middle management - powerful enough to give orders but still subject to Ahab's whims. A precarious position requiring careful navigation.
Modern Usage:
Like being a shift supervisor - you have some authority but still answer to upper management
Honor in abuse
The psychological trick of finding prestige in mistreatment. Stubb's dream shows him convincing himself that being kicked by Ahab is actually special. A coping mechanism for dealing with tyrannical authority.
Modern Usage:
When people brag about working 80-hour weeks for demanding bosses, turning exploitation into a badge of honor
Dream logic
The bizarre reasoning that makes sense only in dreams. Stubb's dream follows its own rules where being kicked by a whale bone is prestigious. Reveals how our minds process trauma and power dynamics while we sleep.
Modern Usage:
Like stress dreams about work where your boss turns into a dragon but you still try to finish your reports
Characters in This Chapter
Stubb
Second mate and dreamer
Has a bizarre dream about being kicked by Ahab, which he interprets as an honor rather than abuse. Shows how he psychologically copes with Ahab's tyranny by reframing mistreatment as privilege. His subconscious reveals the mental gymnastics required to serve under a madman.
Modern Equivalent:
The middle manager who jokes about their terrible boss to cope
Captain Ahab
Tyrannical captain (in dream)
Appears in Stubb's dream as the kicker, showing how deeply he's invaded the crew's psyche. Even in sleep, the crew can't escape his domineering presence. His ivory leg becomes a symbol of honor in the twisted dream logic.
Modern Equivalent:
The CEO whose presence haunts employees even on weekends
The Merman
Dream messenger
A bizarre dream figure who explains to Stubb why being kicked by Ahab is actually an honor. Reveals his own pyramid-covered backside from being kicked by higher beings. Represents how we create elaborate justifications for accepting abuse.
Modern Equivalent:
That coworker who's been there forever and tells you why the toxic culture is actually good
Flask
Third mate and skeptic
Dismisses Stubb's dream as nonsense when Stubb tries to share it. Represents the practical mindset that refuses to engage with psychological complexity. His rejection forces Stubb to keep his coping mechanisms private.
Modern Equivalent:
The no-nonsense coworker who doesn't want to hear about your problems
Key Quotes & Analysis
"What's the use of being sore at a kick from a whale's jaw-bone?"
Context: The merman explains to Stubb why he shouldn't be upset about Ahab kicking him
Shows the absurd logic people use to justify abuse from authority. The merman argues that being kicked by something rare (whale bone) makes the abuse special. This reveals how oppressed people often rationalize their mistreatment to maintain sanity.
In Today's Words:
Why complain about overtime when you're working for such a successful company?
"The more kicks the better, say I; it's a sign of honor."
Context: Stubb's conclusion after his dream conversation with the merman
Represents complete internalization of abuse as privilege. Stubb has convinced himself that mistreatment equals distinction. This psychological reversal helps him survive under Ahab but shows the damage authoritarian leadership does to people's minds.
In Today's Words:
The harder they push you, the more they must see your potential, right?
"I've been kicked by old Ahab, and made a wise man of."
Context: Stubb reflecting on his dream after waking up
Claims the abuse has taught him wisdom, showing how people reframe trauma as education. This coping mechanism allows Stubb to maintain his dignity while serving under a tyrant. The 'wisdom' is really just learning to accept mistreatment.
In Today's Words:
That terrible job taught me so much about dealing with difficult people
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
Ahab's authority invades even dreams, showing how total power colonizes the subconscious
Development
Evolved from physical domination in earlier chapters to psychological control
In Your Life:
When your boss's voice echoes in your head even on weekends
Class
In This Chapter
The pyramid hierarchy in Stubb's dream - everyone kicks downward in the great chain of abuse
Development
Deepens from simple rank differences to internalized class acceptance
In Your Life:
When you find yourself passing down the same treatment you hate receiving
Identity
In This Chapter
Stubb's identity reshapes itself around Ahab's abuse, finding honor in humiliation
Development
Shifts from external identity markers to internal psychological adaptation
In Your Life:
When you start defining yourself by how well you handle mistreatment
Delusion
In This Chapter
The dream's absurd logic mirrors how crews create alternate realities to cope with madness
Development
Introduced here as collective delusion spreading through the ship
In Your Life:
When your whole workplace agrees the toxic culture is actually 'family'
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What happens in Stubb's dream, and how does he react when he wakes up?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Stubb's mind turn Ahab's kick into something honorable instead of insulting?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen people convince themselves that bad treatment is actually a sign of respect or special attention?
application • medium - 4
If you realized your mind was turning someone's disrespect into an honor, what steps would you take to protect yourself while staying safe?
application • deep - 5
What does the merman's pyramid-covered backside tell us about how power and abuse flow through human systems?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Mind's Rewrite
Think of a time when someone with power over you (boss, parent, teacher) treated you poorly. Write down what actually happened in plain facts. Then write the story you told yourself to make it feel okay. Compare the two versions and identify what your mind changed to help you cope.
Consider:
- •Focus on facts first - what were the actual words and actions?
- •Notice where you added positive intentions that weren't stated
- •Look for phrases like 'they meant well' or 'it's for my own good'
Journaling Prompt
Describe a situation where you see someone else rationalizing mistreatment. What would you tell them if they asked for your honest advice?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 70
The Pequod encounters a French whaling ship, and Stubb spots an opportunity for profit that the French crew has overlooked. His clever scheme involves some creative deception and a very smelly whale carcass.
