Find quotes from this novel, with commentary from Shmoop. Pick a theme below to begin.
Visions of Nantucket Quotes
He was fourteen years old [...] and like every other Nantucket boy, had been taught to idolize the form of a ship. (1.1)
Society and Class Quotes
English Nantucketers had instituted a system of debt servitude that provided them with a steady supply of Wampanoag labor, (1.16)
Man vs. the Natural World Quotes
By 1760, the Nantucketers had practically wiped out the local whale population. (1.18)
Greed Quotes
With whale-oil prices steadily climbing and the rest of the world's economy sunk in depression, the village of Nantucket was on its way to becoming one of the richest towns in America. (1.3)
Violence Quotes
There was a savagery about this island, a bloodlust and pride that bound every mother, father, and child in a clannish commitment to the hunt. (1.39)
Choices Quotes
His first mate, however, disagreed. Chase urged that they continue on, despite the damage. (2.62)
Fear Quotes
New boatsteerers had been known to faint dead away when first presented with the terrifying prospect of attaching themselves to an infuriated sperm whale. (3.22)
Suffering Quotes
It has been estimated that sailors [...] were consuming around 3,800 calories a day. It is unlikely that the men [...] consumed even close to that amount. (3.50)