The Importance of Humor in Melville's Story

We know that Melville has a purpose here. Rather sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian. As long as he puts out his pipe, of course. And the way that he's telling the story is pushing so hard on the element of humor,. The whole thing sounds a bit like Ishmael is an old semen ... You know, we've met him in Nantucket and he's giving us his fishtail.