Plot Summary
Chapter 21 of Moby-Dick opens in the grey, misty predawn as Ishmael and Queequeg hurry toward the wharf to board the Pequod before its sunrise departure. They spot sailors running ahead of them in the dim light, but before they can board, they are intercepted by Elijah, the mysterious stranger who had previously warned them about Captain Ahab. Elijah presses them with cryptic questions—asking whether they saw shadowy figures heading toward the ship—before departing with an ominous farewell that references the Grand Jury, hinting at crimes or doom ahead.
Once aboard, Ishmael and Queequeg find the Pequod eerily silent. The cabin entrance is locked, the hatches are battened down, and no crew is visible. Below decks in the forecastle, they discover only an old rigger asleep on two sea chests. Queequeg comically sits on the sleeping man, explaining that in his homeland, lower-ranking people serve as living furniture for chiefs. The rigger eventually wakes, choked by smoke from Queequeg’s tomahawk pipe, and informs them that the ship sails today and that Captain Ahab came aboard the previous night—though he remains invisibly shut away in his cabin.
As clear sunrise arrives, crew members trickle on board and preparations for departure begin under the direction of the chief mate, Starbuck. Captain Ahab, however, stays hidden, reinforcing the aura of mystery that surrounds him.
Character Development
Ishmael’s rational temperament is on full display as he tries to dismiss Elijah’s warnings and the unsettling appearance of shadowy figures near the ship. He calls Elijah “cracked” and urges Queequeg to ignore him, yet he cannot entirely suppress his own unease. Queequeg, by contrast, remains unfazed by Elijah’s theatrics; his calm indifference to Western social conventions is illustrated in the comic scene where he sits atop the sleeping rigger and explains the custom of human ottomans in his homeland. This moment reveals Queequeg’s cultural self-assurance and provides comic relief amid the chapter’s mounting tension.
Themes and Motifs
Fate and Free Will: Elijah’s repeated interventions raise the question of whether Ishmael and Queequeg are making a free choice to board or are being drawn toward an inescapable destiny. The mysterious “four or five men” who boarded before them—later revealed to be Ahab’s secret crew—deepen the sense that hidden forces are already at work. The Unknown Captain: Ahab’s continued physical absence, even though he is confirmed to be aboard, sustains the motif of the unseen authority figure and amplifies the dread surrounding his character. Cultural Encounter: Queequeg’s anecdote about human furniture humorously juxtaposes island customs with Western norms, continuing the novel’s exploration of cultural relativity.
Literary Devices
Biblical Allusion: Elijah’s name echoes the Old Testament prophet who foretold the destruction of King Ahab, reinforcing the parallel between the biblical narrative and the fate of Captain Ahab. Foreshadowing: The shadowy figures boarding the ship, Elijah’s cryptic warnings, and the deathly stillness of the Pequod all foreshadow the tragic outcome of the voyage. Comic Relief: Queequeg sitting on the sleeping rigger and describing human ottomans provides humor that offsets the chapter’s pervasive unease. Atmosphere: Melville uses the grey dawn, mist, and the tomb-like quiet of the ship to create a mood that is equal parts ghost story and adventure narrative.