#abt ahab

[strawberry-selfships]

the phrase “ahab spun around on his ivory leg” is so funny . he did a smooth 180 with his leg as an axle

#ok to rb #abt ahab #strawberry seeds

[pennyserenade]

i'm being forced to read moby-dick, so i think its only right that i get to come on here and talk about it in relation to the x-files. the first order of business i want to bring up is the curious relationship first shared between the characters ahab and starbuck. after ahab announces to the whole crew that his motivations for this three year whale voyage is so he can find and defeat moby-dick, starbuck is a little perturbed. later, to himself, he muses, "my soul is more than matched; she's overmanned; and by a madman!…but [ahab] drilled deep down, and blasted all my reason out of me! i think i see his impious end; but feel that i must help him to it." starbuck is seemingly possessed by ahab's mission, though he can't entirely understand it and doesn't readily want to dedicate himself and all the ship to it. like dana scully, our life-long starbuck, we see starbuck become enraptured in a quest that is not entirely his own for a purpose he cannot express.

later still, we get an insight into ahab's thoughts on starbuck. melville writes, "starbuck's body and starkbuck's coerced will were ahab's, so long as ahab kept his magnet at starbuck's brain; still he knew that for all this the chief mate, in his soul, abhorred his captain's quest, and could he, would joyfully disintegrate himself from it, or even frustrate it." in episode one, dana scully and fox mulder share this relationship: she is presented to him as someone who could, if she'd like, effectively destroy him and his mission. he understands the importance of psychology and--dare i say it--manipulation the way ahab understands it with starbuck here. in order to continue his mission, ahab and mulder both know they must capture and hold the interest of their starbuck, lest their starbuck turn against them. while their white whales make sense to an ardent few, ahab and mulder know that it is starbuck alone who will make or break them. and starbuck, beyond all reason or doubt, commits.

#x files analysis #im sure my teacher would be happy abt this #also i need you all to know moby dick is like the bible is to moby dick #in the sense that it referenced far more than you would think possible. its everywhere #even in mulder's background. martha vineyard's was a very important whaling place #and very close to the whaling capital of the world nantucket #he IS ahab #dana scully #fox mulder

[coulson-is-an-avenger]

Still losing my mind over how well Ahab's disability is handled in Moby-Dick, a novel from 1851 that handles a bunch of other topics on a wide scale of okay/good to very very bad, like????????

The way his prosthetic and disability are always a very visible, audible, notable thing about him but they don't subtract a milimeter from his incredibly powerful, commanding presence??? Even when he pities himself, the narrative itself never frames him as weak or incapable.

He's in constant pain, sure, and he has physical limitations, but he's also massively capable, capable enough to join whale hunts and put down a mutiny with a flaming harpoon and eventually drive a ship of 30+ people to their graves. He is powerful, he moves the narrative. His disability does not make him lesser than.

The way even when his leg breaks, when he has to be supported by Starbuck, or when he can't climb the mast himself and needs to be lifted, or other kinds of accommodations, the narrative backs him up in lending him support and power. It still sees him as whole and commanding and powerful, even though he needs help. What an insane concept from a christian American novel about capitalism like????????? needing help for being disabled doesn't make you less worthy???? HELLO???

The way he also has a super relatable disabled moment where he gets too excited and jumps onto a rope ladder before like. realizing his pegleg can't get a grip on that thing and he can't climb up gbdjxjdj LITERALLY the disabled experience of forgetting ur disabled and being like "oh fuck. help" is SOOOOO FUN, and even that isn't treated with disdain! He has his 'oops' moment, then gets properly accommodated, and 2 seconds later he's triumphantly crossing prosthetics with another captain, not the slightest bit emasculated.

Idk man I see disabled characters treated with less respect TODAY than Captain Ahab was in fucking 1851 and it kind of astounds me. 10/10 for this particular bit, Melville

#moby dick #mobydick #ahab #captain ahab #canonically disabled character #mossy speaks #im just thinking abt him #that bit on the ladder is SO dear to me im in love with him actuallh #even the little things melville gets wrong are like. just innocuously inaccurate not ever super malicious #fascinating

[umarthiels]

[...] Ahab was now entirely conscious that, in so doing, he had indirectly laid himself open to the unanswerable charge of usurpation; and with perfect impunity, both moral and legal, his crew if so disposed, and to that end competent, could refuse all further obedience to him, and even violently wrest from him the command. From even the barely hinted imputation of usurpation, and the possible consequences of such a suppressed impression gaining ground, Ahab must of course have been most anxious to protect himself.

LAW TIME!

this is so interesting to me bc it calls back to the fact that ahab doesn't actually own the pequod! he's captaining it and he does own a share in it, but the real owners are peleg and bildad, and on shore he's accountable to them. even though on the sea he is master of the ship, he still answers to the owners, and in derailing the voyage from "hunting whales and making money" to "hunting moby-dick specifically", he is usurping authority! he doesn't (well, in the sense of ownership, which will come up later) actually have the right to do this! and if the crew were to mutiny against him (say, if a certain mate who isn't keen on the quest and prioritizes the commercial interests of the voyage over ahab's goal convinced them), legally they'd be in the right to do it, and arguably it'd be their duty to do it. (nautical law side of tumblr do correct me if i'm wrong) (the idea of whether ahab actually has ultimate authority over the pequod comes up later and it's all very interesting!)

this is extra fun since ahab knows this and is genuinely nervous that the crew might rise up against him. right now starbuck stands alone, and even he gave way to peer pressure in the end! the entire crew is enthusiastic about the quest, but if that wanes and they start to consider it, ahab will be in genuine danger! he can't actually answer to the charge of usurpation, he undeniably did it (within the framework of ownership of the whaling industry ofc) which is something that isn't really obvious in pop culture perceptions of him, he's not just some dictator, he's pragmatic about things!

#whale weekly #ahab #moby dick #fr this is so interesting #and the callbacks to this in later chapters are so fascinating to me #esp in chapter 109 where it's most obvious #any people who know big water law do add onto this #like if ahab were any less charismatic and brilliant and pragmatic he mightve fallen prey to this but he DIDNT #and [REDACTED] #and that's something really interesting bc ishmael mentions how the incompetence/traits of the mates made them unable to stand up to ahab #and given that [REDACTED] iit's !!! to thinka bout ishmael recalling all of this after #also also the EVERYTHING abt ahab not actually owning the ship and being painfully conscious abt that #and how he reframes it in 109 #same energy as 'a king is he who can hold his own' #yeah thingol you say you own all beleriand but maedhros is actualy holding it #yeah bildad and peleg you technically own the pequod but ahab is actually captaining it #ALSO cannot believe i forgot to mention but something something means of production #ahab and the crew are doing the labor (and to be fair they do get shares) but they don't get the shares that the big stakeholders like pele #g and bildad do even though they're the ones doing the grueling labor

[mossy-rainfrog]

[ID: Four traditional pen drawings involving characters from Moby Dick. The first shows Fedallah staring darkly out into space with a thought bubble, showing a photograph of Bingus the cat. The second drawing shows Ishmael drawing Queequeg in a sketchbook as Queequeg reclines in front of him, chin in his hands, and smiles as Ishmael laughs. Text on the art reads: "lazy day - drawing his husband". The next drawing is of an autism creature, with Fedallah's harpoon and Zoroastrian skull cap. The fourth drawing shows Ahab and Fedallah walking together. Fedallah has a brace on his knee in view, side by side with Ahab's peg leg. Text on the art reads: "disabled besties".

Character designs: Fedallah is a thin, Persian man with a dark beard and mustache, wearing a long shirt and white Zoroastrian skull cap. Ishmael is a thin, white man with short hair and sideburns. Queequeg is a muscular Māori person with tattoos on his face, and a curly topknot on his hair. Ahab is a chubby, Persian man with short, curly hair, a beard, and a scar across his face. He has a pegleg, and wears a long coat. End ID.]

part 1 of all the mobydick themed doodles ive been doin at my new job for the past month in between trainings and call work :3 god i love fedallah. btw.

designs as always are from the delightful @pocketsizedquasar and their magnificent comic btw!!! go check them out always mwah mwah mwah

#moby dick #mobydick #fedallah #queequeg #ishmael #quishmael #ahab #captain ahab #fedallah mobydick #thinking abt fedallah's whole 'dark vacant evil emotionless stare' thing from the book like maybe the cunts jusgt autistic. yknow #herman melville #classic lit #autism creature #canon disabled character #and +1 with disability thrust upon heem :3 #fan art #moby dick art #mossy art

[mothhuuny]

hello my beautiful yuri knights of tumblr (selfshippers)

i have a question to ask: is it notmal to have an f/o that you fucking hate? not in a "ugh i hate them so much i cant believe im in love with them" but in a "god they're such a horrible and revolting person. i desire them carnally." because uh

captain ahab i think is one of the worst characters in limbus company (yes worse than kromer imo. at least we dont see her active emotional manipulation) so far and i kinda violently need her. i cannot fix her in any way possible but thats okay because whatever the fuck is wrong with her is way more interesting. if i met this woman irl i would violently detest her with a burning passion but since she is in fact not real i love her so so dearly . good night tumblr.

#self ship #yumeshipping #self shipping #malks (moth talks) #hi . if you follow me for my fun and witting posts. no you dont. leave me alone #anyways please ask me abt captain ahab i have not finished canto v but that doesnt matter i love her with an unbridled passion #alas ​im stuck on her boss fight as of the moment #dont ask me why i keep on falling for old butch women i cant provide an answer that'll satisfy you properly

[pocketsizedquasar]

new batch of sketch pages up on Patreon! here’s some previews💖💖 ft starhab smooches and other starhab nonsense, short king fedallah, fedallah & ahab’s first meeting, and , most importantly, WAMEN!!!!! multiple wamen (including mary starbuck, ahab’s wife, and both of the wives’ (wamen) lovers) !!!!! and more

u can find me there @ pocketsizedquasar

#mobydick #moby dick #starbuck #ahab #captain ahab #fedallah #mary starbuck #she makes an appearance! #i’ve drawn her a few times but i don’t think ever posted her #melville #herman melville #classic lit #classic literature #litblr #bookblr #art #my art #someday i’ll talk on here abt all the lads in the great nantucket polycule #but anyway all u need to know for now is #starbuck is at the center of all of it. and it’s very funny #he has two hands <3 and he loves mary and ahab so much #and mary has her own other partner <3 and ahab is in a beard gay/lesbian solidarity marriage w his lesbian wife #who has her own lover too #it’s great <3

[andromedako]

u know theyre a chara important to u when u cant think abt them too deep without almost crying bc theyre just so. oughh. theyre a genuine fucking tragedy

#emil.rtf #aka the reason i see ishmael and go 'wifey i love her' instead of analyzing her to shreds like i do anyone else #i think abt her too long and im almost bawling shes such a good character. shes a living tragedy. #thinking abt her reflections/connections to her source. her mirroring of not just narrator ishmael but also like ahab in her obsession in- #finding. well u know what its obvious. her blindness to everything else just to persue revenge. #and her connections beyond that to ismail/ishmael from genesis. which is seen a lot more looking at her connections To narrator ishmael but #i could make a post. but im sure some ppl can word it better than me. #i NEED to find parallels between her and ismail tho i need to bc i KNOW they exist

[grendelsmilf]

I understand otgw and yellowjackets, but how have people argued over which parts of amphibia's narrative are "real" or not?

okay yeah those examples weren’t equivalent, they’re all just various examples of media wherein the lines between “reality” and “abstract symbolism” are negligible. like just because “the unknown” is a portrait of wirt’s psychological landscape / manifestation of his depression doesn’t mean it’s not an afterlife / liminal space / purgatory doesn’t mean it’s not real. just because “the wilderness” is a coping mechanism devised by the yellowjackets to explain their gruesome survival tactics doesn’t mean the man with no eyes, antler queen, etc. aren’t real. just because everything in utena or amphibia is a metaphor doesn’t mean it didn’t really happen. because what does “really happened” even mean in this context?? none of it really happened... it’s fiction!

#ahab can’t you see the whale is a metaphor #ask #anon #but yeah it wasn’t a response to fans #bc I don’t think fans rly talk abt the symbolism in amphibia anyway #although they SHOULD.

[sweetlyfez]

"like so many ant-hills of powder, they all stand before me; and I their match. Oh, hard! that to fire others, the match itself must needs be wasting! "

So you agree, this is suicidal?

#Whale weekly #Moby dick #All this stuff abt the iron crown too #Im assuming ahab also got himself a little tbi from this whale #And no counselling for his injuries neither

[vote2]

My dad made me read moby dick in 3rd grade i remember nothing from it 👍

#i want to read again though because someone in a review of migrations talked abt franny as ahab and it intrigued me #also garone has an album thats just abt ahab and moby dick and i wish to get it

[strawberry-selfships]

new romantic f/o heheehe it’s ahab Again lol

but this time it’s the housamo version

but I’m just gonna have them both in the same tag bc classic literature ahab and fantasy game furry ahab are synonymous to me

but yea :3 he 💙

10/17/23

#new f/o #abt ahab

[spacelazarwolf]

Captain Ahab showing off the place on his little tum tum that he had to get shaved for an ultrasound. (He is fine, we had to pay $700 to find out that he didn't like his cat food anymore and stopped eating in protest)

i have heard so many stories abt ppl taking their cats to the vet bc they're worried they're not eating and something's wrong only for the vet to tell them "nah he's fine he's just being a little bitch" and it cracks me up every single goddamn time.

#ask avishai #also is he called captain ahab bc he's a tripod??????????? #bc if so i am going to die #beasts

[coulson-is-an-avenger]

tagged by @pocketsizedquasar and @banashee uwu haiyoo

Rules: When you get this, post 5 songs 🎵 you actually listen to. Then, tag 10 of your favorite people on here. ✨

taggingggggg: @nerdangels @iggy-flump @methaim @grayscaleskies @beneath-the-willow-tree @storm-in-a-tea-cup0 @anotherfandomok @definitelynotloki @mankillercalledbunny @lasilhouetteinbianco @resident-dumb-fuck and anyone else who wants to! feel free to say i tagged ye

#HONORARY MENTION STARSET I CANT BELIEVE I DIDNT PUT ANYTHING BY THEM ON HERE #but tbf i have been on new music Lockdown #sorry if anyones already been tagged in this i am bad at paying attention xoxo #tag game #mossy speaks #music #please listen to janelle monáe i am begging #Spotify #gah i could honestly write ESSAYS abt that whiteness of the whale song GOD the time signature. the changing minor/major chords #THE WAY THE NARRATIVE BREAKS APART INTO ALL THE OTHER SONGS AND COMPOUNDS INTO THIS VICIOUS BASS AT THE END #FUCKING STELLAR MUSIC #also point of no return lana lubany is ahab coded

[umarthiels]

men will go on doomed quests to hunt specific whales instead of going to therapy

#whale weekly #moby dick #ahab #someone has probably made this joke before.. if youre reading this sorry abt that but also great minds etc etc #anyway genuinely. jesus christ ahab is not doing good #my guy is TORMENTED no wonder hes so grumpy if he cant get any decent sleep bc of the nightmares #aaaaaaaa

[evergreen-femme]

moby dick anime details (i cant stop thinking abt this concept)

ahab is a woman. obviously

ishmael can use wind magic for greater control over the Pequod

the nascent divinity of moby dick has given all whales telepathic capabilities. it has also made the ocean incredibly dangerous for humans, causing near perpetual storms and a dark miasma that drives humans insane the longer they stay at sea. fedallah, one of the harpooners, uses holy magic to sustain a sanctuary within the Pequod.

moby dick's power is immense, and he can use his telepathy as well as mind-compelling powers over any distance. he eventually corrupts starbuck and turns him against ahab for good, and gives him a hybrid whale body when his mutiny is defeated and he's left for dead in the ocean.

in addition to whales driven mad and granted unholy power by moby dick (the Illveli, demon whales based on the Norwegian legends), the Pequod encounters whaling ships that have been corrupted by the miasma. the confrontation with captain boomer, who has been completely taken by moby dick in this version, foreshadows starbuck's betrayal and ultimate fate.

moby dick exists as a god because of ahab. she was originally a ruthless whaler who decimated populations of whales for both money and the thrill of victory. the terror and mourning of the whales was crystallized in moby dick's divinity, a prayer that something would save the whales from the pointless slaughter.

ahab is constantly tormented by moby dick via visions and taunts the whale sends her telepathically, but her desire for vengeance (actually a sublimated desire for repentance) is strong enough to keep the madness at bay.