Going Aboard
Mentioned by the rigger as being 'astir' on deck; described as a good, pious, and lively chief mate.
Merry Christmas
The chief mate, receiving final orders from the departing owners regarding supplies and conduct.
Knights and Squires
Profiled as the chief mate: a long, earnest, conscientious Quaker from Nantucket. His courage is practical and cautious, rooted in an estimation of peril, but undermined by superstition and haunting memories of his father and brother lost to whaling.
Knights and Squires
Mentioned as the chief mate who selected Queequeg, completing the trio of 'momentous' mates who command the whaleboats.
Ahab
Implied among the mates who show uneasy consciousness of being under Ahab's 'troubled master-eye' and who command vicariously in his absence.
XXXIII: The Specksnyder
As a mate, implied to have his quarters with the captain, part of the aft officer structure contrasted with the crew forward.
The Cabin-Table
The first mate, who waits for Ahab to be seated before announcing dinner to Stubb, and receives his food from Ahab 'as though receiving alms,' eating with solemn care.
The Quarterdeck
Voices the sole moral opposition, calling the quest 'madness' and 'blasphemous,' arguing they hunt for oil, not vengeance. He is ultimately psychologically overpowered by Ahab.
Sunset
Mentioned by Ahab as one who thinks him mad, highlighting the first mate's perception of Ahab's dangerous obsession.
Dusk
In a solitary soliloquy, he confesses his moral and psychological torment, feeling bound to obey Ahab's mad quest despite seeing its blasphemy and doomed end.
First Night-Watch
Mentioned by Stubb as having been visibly affected by Ahab, and calls out to Stubb at the chapter's end.
XLVI: Surmises
Ahab acknowledges that while he controls Starbuck's actions through force of will, he cannot conquer the first mate's soul, which abhors the quest, making him a potential source of rebellion.
XLVIII: The First Lowering
Commands his boat with intense, whispered focus; coolly balances on the stern platform; his calm authority contrasts with the chaos.
XLIX: The Hyena
Mentioned in absentia. Ishmael imputes their boat's disaster to Starbuck's uncharacteristic recklessness in driving onto a whale 'almost in the teeth of a squall.'
LI: The Spirit-Spout
Witnesses Ahab's terrifying aspect as he sleeps in his chair during the gale, steadfastly eyeing his purpose, highlighting Starbuck's perception of Ahab's monomania.
LIX: Squid
Expresses profound dread upon seeing the squid, declaring he would rather have faced Moby Dick.
LXIV: Stubb’s Supper
His staid demeanor contrasts with Stubb's excitement; he quietly resigns the management of affairs to Stubb for the time.
LXVII: Cutting In
One of the mates using a spade to cut the 'scarf' line in the whale's blubber.
LXXI: The Jeroboam’s Story
Follows Ahab's orders to retrieve the letter bag and ingeniously uses a pole to pass the letter to the Jeroboam's boat while maintaining quarantine.
LXXII: The Monkey-Rope
Briefly involved in the dispute over the ginger-water; agrees the offering is 'poor stuff' and allows Stubb to get spirits, citing Ahab's orders.
LXXXI: The Pequod Meets the Virgin
Observes the German captain's approach and leads the whale chase.
LXXXVII: The Grand Armada
Stands in the bows, using his lance to ward off whales and observes the natural line connecting mother and calf.
The Pequod Meets the Rose-Bud
Not explicitly mentioned in the provided excerpts.
XCIX: The Doubloon
Leans against the bulwarks, watching Ahab and murmuring that the coin seems touched by 'devil's claws.' He likens Ahab's study of it to reading 'Belshazzar's awful writing,' seeing it as an ominous, blasphemous sign.
The Fossil Whale
Not present in this chapter's excerpts.
CVI: Ahab’s Leg
Implied as one of the mates directed to supply the carpenter with materials.
CVIII: Ahab and the Carpenter
Mentioned indirectly as the recipient of Stubb's constant observations about Ahab's queerness.
CIX: Ahab and Starbuck in the Cabin
Confronts Ahab on practical and financial grounds regarding the oil leak. Shows remarkable, cautious bravery, warning Ahab of self-destruction ('beware of Ahab'). Ultimately obeys but leaves having challenged Ahab's authority more directly than ever.
Queequeg in His Coffin
Observes Pip's lunacy, interpreting his words as a mysterious, heavenly testimony from a forgotten childhood.
CXIV: The Gilder
Gazing into the 'golden sea,' he murmurs a plea to see only loveliness and faith, asking to let 'fancy oust memory' and consciously choosing to believe in beauty over the ocean's savage reality.
CXV: The Pequod Meets the Bachelor
Implied to be among the crew witnessing the celebration, his presence underscoring the normative whaling success and homecoming the Pequod has forsaken.
CXVI: The Dying Whale
Implied to be present among the crew during the successful hunt and the aftermath, serving as a contrast to Ahab's manic philosophical rapture.
CXVIII: The Quadrant
Watches Ahab's tumultuous path and the ship's way, comparing Ahab's fiery life to a coal fire that will eventually turn to 'dumbest dust,' foreseeing his doom.
The Candles
Interprets the electrical fire as a divine sign against Ahab's quest. He confronts Ahab directly, pleading with him to turn home, and briefly rallies the terrified crew towards mutiny.
The Deck Towards the End of the First Night Watch
The dutiful first mate, concerned for the ship's safety, attempts to follow standard procedure to secure the vessel during the rising storm.
CXXIII: The Musket
Experiences a profound internal conflict, contemplating assassinating the sleeping Ahab to save the crew but ultimately cannot commit the act.
CXXIV: The Needle
Watches Ahab's actions with silent dread and gloom, quietly issues orders but is deeply troubled by the omen.
CXXVI: The Life-Buoy
Reluctantly orders the carpenter to convert Queequeg's coffin into a life-buoy after the original is lost.
The Deck
Mentioned as having given the orders to convert the coffin into a life-buoy, a practical but grim act of preparation.
CXXVIII: The Pequod Meets the Rachel
Silently follows Ahab's order to time the departure and warn off the Rachel, acting as the instrument of Ahab's cold refusal.
The Hat
Chosen by Ahab to secure the rope holding him aloft, a sign of complex trust despite Ahab's earlier suspicions of the mates' fidelity.
The Symphony
Witnesses Ahab's vulnerability and passionately pleads with him to abandon the hunt and return safely to Nantucket and their families.
CXXXIII: The Chase—First Day
Ordered by Ahab to stay aboard the Pequod and keep the ship during the boat chase.
CXXXIV: The Chase—Second Day
Given command of the Pequod as Ahab lowers; instructed to keep the ship near but away from the boats.
CXXXV: The Chase—Third Day
Watches the chase with dread and profound foreboding. He delivers a soliloquy filled with existential terror and thoughts of his family, sensing his impending doom. His final plea is to God as the whale turns to attack the ship.
