How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
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)
This irony is one that defines Nantucket. On the one hand, the town is a stronghold for Quakerism: a religion defined by its passionate pacifism. On the other, there's nothing a Nantucketer loves more than murdering some whales. Needless to say, these two mindsets don't necessarily go hand-in-hand.
Quote #2
They all coaxed and cajoled their crews with words that evoked [...] the almost erotic bloodlust associated with pursuing one of the largest mammals on the planet. (3.18)
Yikes. Again, we see the squeaky-clean image of Quakerism sullied by the Nantucketers' love for violence. It's almost as if by committing themselves to pacifism, these Nantucketers have created pent-up aggression that they can only release by stabbing a whale. We usually punch a pillow or something?
Quote #3
When the lance finally found its mark, the whale would begin to choke on its own blood, its spout transformed into a fifteen- to twenty-foot geyser of gore. (3.31)
Wait—are we talking about In the Heart of the Sea or Kill Bill? Because this stuff sounds nasty. After seeing this, it's no wonder novice sailors are so shaken by their first whale hunt: even those who have killed their fair share of animals have never experienced anything as gruesome as this.