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The Probability Of Death In The Great Gatsby By Herman Melville

598 Words3 Pages

Another hardship in the whaling industry is the probability of death as working overseas not only increases the chances, but also expands to injuries and diseases, starvation, and lastly, cannibalism as some of the possibilities of entering the afterlife. While searching and hunting for whales, it’s easy for workers to easily catch different kinds of illnesses and diseases along the way. Many methods that illnesses can get caught throughout the journey is either from a weakened immune system, other sick shipmates, or any form of bacteria caught along the ship. If the illnesses aren’t treated with the proper approach or quick enough, then it can easily develop into a disease and eventually, lead to death. Melville portrays the idea of death in different methods, but one of the most memorable ways was with the shipmate Queequeg. …show more content…

Ishmael even described his features as “him thinned, and his cheekbones grew sharper, his eyes, nevertheless, seemed growing fuller...a woundorous testimony to that immortal health in him which could not die, or be weakened” (Melville 349). Despite the severity of his conditions, Queequeg doubted other’s beliefs and has made arrangements for his coffin along with his burial. Suddenly, Queequeg miraculously recovers from the unknown illness as his will to live is what cured his sudden infection. Although it’s not exactly stated how Queequeg suddenly got a fever, it’s suspectable that it could have been from the working conditions as his body felt weak, tired, and was in great danger of reaching his breaking

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