I'm pretty sure Melville knew what he was doing. His readers, on the other hand, didn't figure things out for at least a hundred years, and most of them seem to be in denial to this day.
GOD DAMMIT STOP MAKING ME SHIP THEM. They should have double-dates with Holmes and Watson. Do they get a little cottage in the North where Ishmael can tend to the bees? HNNNGGGHHH MY VICTORIAN HOMOMANCE IS GETTING CONFUSED.
We will ignore the fact that they are on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, not to mention opposite ends of the century, and they shall double-date forever.
BUT THERE ARE ONLY TWO FICS IN ALL OF THE INTERNETS AND I'VE READ BOTH. I CAN'T GET INTO ANOTHER OBSCURE FANDOM. NEVERWHERE AND HOND ARE ALREADY EYE-SCRAPINGLY BARE. Okay so the story is; there's a whaling murder somewhere in England, and Holmes and Watson must solve it! They travel all across the world looking for someone- anyone- who knows some obscure thing about whaling and it turns out to be QUEEQUEG who has retired to a tiny little tropical island with Ishmael and Watson is like 'bawwww' but Holmes is all 'THERE IS A CASE THAT NEEDS SOLVING, MAN! Someone needs to explain away this whaling macguffin!'
this expression is super cute. when queequeg seemes "complimented", it's kind of like "good job, myself, i've won his friendship.". i wonder why queequeg takes to ishmael naturally too, what's so attractive in ishmael's part, considering queequeg don't ever befriend others. well, maybe because he's innocent, unlike other seamen queequeg saw there.
about why readers in a century and a half didn't have any suspision whether this book is homoerotic, i thought that it could be the same reason why the Greaks take same-sex love for granted while people of the contemparory don't. to notice something, one have to have enough reminders. straight people who grew up in straight circumstances are certainly not accustomed to addressing men's legplay as anything more than a little bid odd.
and even if one did notice the odd legplay might be a hint at homosexualality, which was unatural and even amoral back then, maybe he/she didn't dare to speak out. it's pretty tough for one to speak out his suspision if everybody else considers otherwise.
which was *considered* unatural and even amoral...
although LGBT people was not unheard of back then, these people could not provide any "reminder" for the straights when the latter were doing some serious reading. straights usually don't take homos seriously, it's simple as that.
when queequeg seemes "complimented", it's kind of like "good job, myself, i've won his friendship."
omg yes
I think Queequeg likes Ishmael because (so far in the book) Ishmael is the only white dude to treat Queequeg like an equal rather than an inferior, a savage, or a monster. He asks him questions about his life and makes an honest effort at communication instead of making fun of his accent.
There's also the theory that Ishmael's just a major cutie, and we the audience don't get to see that because Ishmael's the narrator and he never looks into any mirrors.
Comments 14
I am a homo for friendly snuggles.
My opinion of the writing in that article was very poor but then I am not one who needs to be persuaded in the first place.
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They should have double-dates with Holmes and Watson. Do they get a little cottage in the North where Ishmael can tend to the bees? HNNNGGGHHH MY VICTORIAN HOMOMANCE IS GETTING CONFUSED.
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We will ignore the fact that they are on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, not to mention opposite ends of the century, and they shall double-date forever.
also loling @ "HOMOMANCE"
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Okay so the story is; there's a whaling murder somewhere in England, and Holmes and Watson must solve it! They travel all across the world looking for someone- anyone- who knows some obscure thing about whaling and it turns out to be QUEEQUEG who has retired to a tiny little tropical island with Ishmael and Watson is like 'bawwww' but Holmes is all 'THERE IS A CASE THAT NEEDS SOLVING, MAN! Someone needs to explain away this whaling macguffin!'
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You must write the fic you just described because I would read it until my eyes fell out.
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this expression is super cute. when queequeg seemes "complimented", it's kind of like "good job, myself, i've won his friendship.". i wonder why queequeg takes to ishmael naturally too, what's so attractive in ishmael's part, considering queequeg don't ever befriend others. well, maybe because he's innocent, unlike other seamen queequeg saw there.
about why readers in a century and a half didn't have any suspision whether this book is homoerotic, i thought that it could be the same reason why the Greaks take same-sex love for granted while people of the contemparory don't. to notice something, one have to have enough reminders. straight people who grew up in straight circumstances are certainly not accustomed to addressing men's legplay as anything more than a little bid odd.
and even if one did notice the odd legplay might be a hint at homosexualality, which was unatural and even amoral back then, maybe he/she didn't dare to speak out. it's pretty tough for one to speak out his suspision if everybody else considers otherwise.
Reply
although LGBT people was not unheard of back then, these people could not provide any "reminder" for the straights when the latter were doing some serious reading. straights usually don't take homos seriously, it's simple as that.
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in a word, you won't want to underestimate the power of circumstances.
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omg yes
I think Queequeg likes Ishmael because (so far in the book) Ishmael is the only white dude to treat Queequeg like an equal rather than an inferior, a savage, or a monster. He asks him questions about his life and makes an honest effort at communication instead of making fun of his accent.
There's also the theory that Ishmael's just a major cutie, and we the audience don't get to see that because Ishmael's the narrator and he never looks into any mirrors.
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