Moby-Dick Questions Ch. 23: Why is ch. 23 devoted to Bulkington
Why is ch. 23 devoted to Bulkington (“this six-inch chapter is the stoneless grave of Bulkington” (116 [96]).
What is his role in the novel?
Why does Ishmael call him a “demigod”? (117 [97])
How do you interpret Ishmael’s line: “But as in landlessness alone resides the highest truth, shoreless, indefinite as God—so, better is it to perish in that howling infinite, than be ingloriously dashed upon the lee, even if that were safety!” (117 [97]).
How do you interpret the last line of the chapter? Read this “six-inch chapter” carefully. What happens to Bulkington in the novel?
