June 30, 2022

"It’s good to know that Melville, according to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s son, Julian, had the company of 'a black Newfoundland dog, shaggy like himself, good natured and simple.'"

"('My shaggy ally' was how [Emily] Dickinson referred to her own Newfie, Carlo.) Readers of Moby-Dick may remember that after Ishmael wakes up in Queequeg’s arms in the Spouter-Inn, and complains of the 'unbecomingness of his hugging a fellow male in that matrimonial sort of style,' Queequeg 'shook himself all over like a Newfoundland dog just from the water.'"

I looked up the passage in my own (Kindle) copy of the book:
Throwing aside the counterpane, there lay the tomahawk sleeping by the savage's side, as if it were a hatchet-faced baby. A pretty pickle, truly, thought I; abed here in a strange house in the broad day, with a cannibal and a tomahawk! "Queequeg!—in the name of goodness, Queequeg, wake!" At length, by dint of much wriggling, and loud and incessant expostulations upon the unbecomingness of his hugging a fellow male in that matrimonial sort of style, I succeeded in extracting a grunt; and presently, he drew back his arm, shook himself all over like a Newfoundland dog just from the water, and sat up in bed, stiff as a pike-staff, looking at me, and rubbing his eyes as if he did not altogether remember how I came to be there, though a dim consciousness of knowing something about me seemed slowly dawning over him. Meanwhile, I lay quietly eyeing him, having no serious misgivings now, and bent upon narrowly observing so curious a creature. When, at last, his mind seemed made up touching the character of his bedfellow, and he became, as it were, reconciled to the fact; he jumped out upon the floor, and by certain signs and sounds gave me to understand that, if it pleased me, he would dress first and then leave me to dress afterwards, leaving the whole apartment to myself. Thinks I, Queequeg, under the circumstances, this is a very civilized overture; but, the truth is, these savages have an innate sense of delicacy, say what you will; it is marvellous how essentially polite they are. I pay this particular compliment to Queequeg, because he treated me with so much civility and consideration, while I was guilty of great rudeness; staring at him from the bed, and watching all his toilette motions; for the time my curiosity getting the better of my breeding. Nevertheless, a man like Queequeg you don't see every day, he and his ways were well worth unusual regarding....

10 comments:

Michael K said...

An internet friend had a Newfoundland dog as a young man. He needs another one and I don't know why he doesn't get one. I assume they eat a lot but so does my basset hound.

Carol said...

Ah, I remember that chimney story.

I've read a lot of Melville but could not get through Moby-Dick.

Bob_R said...

Sorry to go tangentially off topic (and I'll understand if this is deleted) but The Old Man has a pair of impeccably trained Rottweilers belonging to the Jeff Bridges character. They are a delight every time they are on screen. Bridges and Lithgow completely dominate the show so far. (Episode 4 drops tomorrow.) If you can tolerate the level of violence of, say, Taken, I think you will enjoy it.

realestateacct said...

I am married to the man I am married to because the man I was dating owned a Newfoundland dog in a very small studio apartment. It was while we ednlessly walked the dog together around NYC that he introduced me to his childhood friend.

Joe Smith said...

Shaggy dog story.

Had to be said...

donald said...

Knew a navy airdale in Bremerton who had two. They were massive (Of course) and as playful as my dog Blu. You could just dive into them and disappear! This was 1984. He said it cost $40.00 a week to feed them.

Richard Dillman said...

According to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s daughter Rose, Melville’s dog, named Bartleby, preferred not to go on walks or consent to wear a leash.

Kathryn51 said...

Merriweather Lewis purchased a Newfoundland named Seaman to accompany the Expedition. seaman made the entire round trip. When our family was planning a Lewis & Clark oriented family vacation in Montana and Idaho, we purchased a book (written for children) to read in advance.

It helped them enjoy our trips just a bit. 😊

Mr. Forward said...

"Nobody ever finished "Moby Dick".
English Lit professor on You Tube

Some books are made to be heard and not seen. I recently listened to talented Anthony Heald (Blackstone Publishing) narrate "Moby Dick" in it's entirety and got the lawn mowed.

mikee said...

Michener's historical novel Chesapeake - another long history fiction book like Moby Dick but much less lauded as fine literature - contains an apocryphal description of the introduction to America of the Labrador breed, comparing it to the local Chesapeake retrievers.

Neither holds a candle to the Newfie dogs, which are larger than either breed and smarter than both combined.
.