Moby-Dick Quotes

Context

Stubb, the second mate on the Pequod, is a pretty nice guy, as far as Moby-Dick characters go. At this point of the novel, he's alone on the deck, mending a brace—so we're looking at a soliloquy of sorts. This chapter comes shortly after Ahab has announced his undying rage at the white whale. He has stirred the crew into a frenzy by asking them to join him on his mad quest for vengeance (not that they had much of a choice....other than mutiny). 

First we get chapter of Ahab's thoughts...and then Starbuck's...now it's time to hear what Stubb has to say.

The gist? Well, he doesn't know what's gonna happen, but he's down for anything—and he'll laugh all the way. 

Sounds like a good attitude, right?

Where you've heard it

Maybe you've seen it as an epigram to Bradbury's Something Wicked this Way Comes, or maybe you've just been talking with some deliriously fatalistic people.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

There's nothing too pretentious about taking an especially jovial attitude toward life and/or death, but you need to know when to stop with this one. Describing your laughter as "[s]uch a waggish leering as lurks in all your horribles!" and shouting "lirra, skirra!" while asking about your "juicy little pear" might be going a bit overboard...which is exactly where Stubb ends up. 

Although, to be fair, Ahab ends up there, too, and seems to have a much worse time than his second mate.