Who read Moby-Dick help me please: Queequeg is one of the most intriguing characters

Queequeg is one of the most intriguing characters in Moby-Dick and figures prominently in the novel’s early chapters. Ishmael describes him as a “sagacious savage” who resembles George Washington “cannibalistically developed.” He admires Queegueg’s “serenity,” his self-possession, his ability to be “content with his own company.” Why has Melville developed Queequeg so vividly? How does he illuminate the more “civilized” characters, Ahab in particular?