How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Their ignorance of the Society Islands, in particular Tahiti, is even more extraordinary. Since 1797, there had been a thriving English mission on the island. (6.22)
Ultimately, the crew of the Essex pays a big price for their racial and cultural ignorance. If only they had been able to get over their misplaced nightmares about cannibalistic natives, they might have been able to avoid becoming cannibals themselves. Ouch—that one's got to sting.
Quote #8
The food served in the forecastle (where the blacks lived) had been a grade below the miserable fare that had been served to the boatseerers and young Nantucketers. (9.44)
Here, we see how the power imbalance between white and black sailors has devastating consequences. It's no coincidence that the black crewmembers are the first to die after the Essex disaster—they were in bad health even before things went bad. When "miserable fare" would be considered an upgrade, you know you've stumbled into a messed up situation.
Quote #9
Since there would be no black survivors [...] the possibility exists that the Nantucketers took [an] [...] active role in insuring their own survival. (11.31)
Even though this might seem far-fetched, it deserves some consideration: after all, the book presents plenty of examples of this very thing happening on other ships. Regardless, it's hard to dispute that the African American crewmembers' deaths can be attributed to their low social status.