Moby-Dick ch. 101-103

ch. 101:
In this chapter, Ishmael tells us a little more about how he feels about the Nantucketers and their connection with whaling. To him, they are like the priests or the ones who first started spreading the religion of whaling. He credits them with being the first "civilized" sperm whale hunters. Throughout the book Ishmael is telling us about how the Nantucketers are superior in their whaling, and how he won't go on any other ship than one from Nantucket.

ch. 102:
When talking about the sperm whale skeleton and the vines that are growing over it, he compares it to Life and Death and how the two are intertwined. This could represent the hunting of the sperm whale and how the whalers don't know what will happen to them while they are hunting it. There is an equal chance for life and death for them. Even if there isn't an actual death, they could still live a life like Ahab's that is like a death. He is only living for one thing, to hunt and kill the white whale.

ch. 103:
In this chapter, Ishmael compares the whale and its skeleton to things that men would use to hold many people, like houses or Gothic buildings. These comparisons show us how huge the whale is and also could even be a reference to the whalers' connection with the whale. They all give up a normal house to live on a ship and pursue an animal that could be used to build their houses, but they never use it for that. These men can never be tied down to land, but they will always be tied to the whale.