Ishmael's Journey Analysis

It was a hot and luminous afternoon: we were preparing for a long, three-year voyage to find a grand fortune in the greatest maritime sport, whale-hunting. Nothing else was in my mind, except for the journey; it was like any other day until a young, flamboyant lad named Ishmael approached me for a spot in the Pequod. He did have some experience with commerce ships; however, this would be his first “whaling” trip. Immediately, I was furious at how he put up “the merchant service” as a credible sailing experience. Usually I would say, “No” to rookies, but there was something different about his tone and character -- his persuasion, persistence, and curiosity. Rare traits in select men; however, I admit: I tested the novice to see whether the boy was worth his salt, so I
I asked him if Ishmael would be a good addition to the crew, and he blandly said that the boy will do. The next line of business included the lay -- what proportion of profits will a person earn; I thought that the 200th lay would be proper and fair for the lad. As soon as I consulted with Bildad, he said that Ishamel deserved the 777th lay -- the biblical number! The ignorant, selfish man said that we do not deserve to give money to this man but that we should give it to the “orphans and widows” of our investors. What a load of fluff! I finally put down Ishmael’s lay as the 300th, but I was so angry that I wanted to attack Bildad. However, Ishamel helped me calm down through his actions: he decided to step outside for a while. I hope that our foolish actions did not halt his ambition of sailing the seas. I gave the young lad the papers to sign; he then told me that he wanted to bring a friend of his, whom has killed many whales. I told him to bring the fellow tomorrow morning; then, we gave our salutations to each