riest; and on the maternal side he boasted aunts who were the wives of unconquerable warriors. There was excellent blood in his veins - royal stuff; though sadly vitiated, I fear, by the cannibal propensity he nourished in his untutored youth” (Melville, 70). Yet another culture that is rolled up into one within Queequeg, is that of the Islamic religion. He follows the Ramadan but only while worshipping an African idol. Along with his harpoon, one of the most precious belongings to Queequeg is his little “Congo baby” (Melville, 41) named Yojo. When he is following rituals like the Ramadan for hours on end, he escapes to another world. His death - like trance is frightening to those who don’t understand what he is about; Ishmael thinks Queequeg had died before learning of this special fasting period! “ . . . there squatted Queequeg, as if he had been screwed down to the floor” (Melville, 97). But all of these opinions form are based merely on the physical looks of his character. Despite the fact that at first glance, anyone would be terrified of this so - called cannibal, he is one of the most outgoing and positive people in the book. “He remains loyal to his friends” (Monarch Notes, 1), especially Ishmael, and his courage and nobility shines through his heroic acts. “The poor fellow whom Queequeg had handled so roughly, was swept overboard; all hands were in a panic; Queequeg, stripped to the waist, darted from the side with a long living arc of a leap. For three minutes or more he was seen swimming . . . The poor bumpkin was restored. All hands voted Queequeg a noble trump” (Melville, 75-76). His intriguing character builds a fascinating scope of human emotions and characteristics that are unique to him, yet common to humanity.On three different levels, Melville has offered examples of his observations on the nature of mankind. In three different scales, from the grandiose s...
