#captain bildad

During their meeting and signing with Queequeg we are given a scene of Bildad trying to persuade Queequeg to relinquish his religion for Christianity. Now, of course this is a problem because you know, religious tolerance and all that, but Bildad isn’t coming at it from the “I don’t accept any religion but my own therefor you need to follow mine or we can’t be friends” perspective. He talks about it as if it is a safety precaution. That means he genuinely is caring about him: “Meanwhile Captain Bildad sat earnestly and steadfastly eyeing Queequeg, and at last rising solemnly and fumbling in the huge pockets of his broad-skirted drab coat, took out a bundle of tracts, and selecting one entitled “The Latter Day Comming; or No Time to Lose,” placed it in Queequeg’s hands, and then grasping them and the book with both his, looked earnestly into his eyes, and said, “Son of darkness, I must do my duty by thee; I am part owner of this ship, and feel concerned for the souls of all its crew;” (85)      Honestly, like, he doesn’t just care about converting people he just wants to guarantee the safety of his crew. He just wants them to be okay.

And of course this could and was probably meant to be taken in a negative way, especially right after Ishmael’s speech on page 84 about how everyone, despite religious practices, are people and thus God’s children. However, when Charity, his sister, did basically the same thing when she “had placed a small choice copy of Watts in each seaman’s berth,” (94).

Next there’s chapter 20, “All Astir” where they are preparing the ship. During this Peleg stayed on the ship and Bildad “did all the puchasing and providing at the stores;” (89). Later Ishmael describes what necessities a ship, especially a whaling ship, has. He even says they bought enough to outfit two ships, “but a spare Captain and duplicate ship,” (89). Bildad, up to this point described as frugal, is the one providing all these supplies. Easily he could have given them the bare minimum but he makes sure everything is more than sufficient.

Finally there is Chapter 22 where they are departing. Another jab at Bildad was made when he was piloting the ship and “being suspected to have got himsefl made a pilot in order to save the Nantucket pilot-fee to all the ships he was concerned in,” (94). But really the way I see it is that he wants to spend as much time possible taking care of his ship and crew. We see this later when its time for him to leave the ship and he doesn’t want to leave. “- poor old Bildad lingered long; paced the deck with anxious strides; ran down into the cabin to speak another farewell word there; again came on deck, looked to windward; looked towards the wide and endless waters, only bounded by the far-off unseen Eastern Continents; looked towards the land; looked aloft; looked right and left; looked everywhere and where; and at last, mechanically coiling up a rope upon its pin, convulsively grasped stout Peleg by the hand, and holding up a lantern, for a moment stood gazing heroically in his face...” (95). Now if this whole passage isn’t heartbreaking then you are one of the soulless men Elijah was talking about. He cares soooooooo much about this ship and his crew and Ahab and everyone and I just can’t take it, especially knowing that this is the last time he will ever see any of them. Its like he knows too and that’s why he delays leaving as much as possible like he finds everything to distract him until he can come to terms with it. 

I relate so much to Bildad’s way of showing he cares and the way he leaves the ship it hit me so emotionally I almost teared up and that’s saying something. Anyway, on a lighter note....his name is a total pun. So most of the jokes about his character is how he is frugal and basically the money handler (Bil like bill). AND he is a total father figure for this ship and is so caring and wonderful and gentle yet distant (dad - he’s their dad, all of them). Therefore BILDAD.