Whales, seafarers and changing values
Whaling off the Goto Islands by Katsushika Hokusai (1833–1834)
It’s interesting how the values of individuals and entire societies change over time. In our teen years, we read Herman Melville’s 1851 novel, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. Like millions of other Melville fans, we were fascinated by Captain Ahab, who commanded the whaleship Pequod and whose singular mad obsession was to hunt down the white sperm whale which once destroyed his boat and bit off his leg. Never did it occur to us that whale-killing could be wrong. (more…)
