Moby-Dick ch. 107-109

ch. 107:
The way that the carpenter is described in this chapter makes me think that he is a man that all of the other whalers might want to be like, even if they might not realize it. He seems to be pretty decent at everything he does, and if he isn't at first, he works at it and eventually gets good at it. He doesn't get too attached to his fellow shipmates, which is a lesson they could all learn considering the danger the whalemen face every day. And, while he doesn't get too attached, he still has a pretty good time with the rest of the men.

ch. 108:
It is strange that Ahab is different than most people who lose a leg in the sense that he wants his to be made out of whale bone. Most people on land get a fake leg that they can put products on and care for like a normal leg. It would make sense for them to think like this, wanting everything to stay like normal. But, Ahab's choice of legs serves him 2 purposes. It is sturdy enough to keep him out and about on a whaling ship, and it is a constant reminder to him that he must catch the white whale.

ch. 109:
Ahab says, "the only real owner of anything is its commander." I don't think that he has realized that he is no longer his own commander, but that he is being commanded by his obsession to catch Moby Dick. Later in the chapter, Starbuck tells Ahab to beware of Ahab. I think that he is telling him to not let his obsession get the better of him to the point that it clouds his judgement on what is best for the ship and the people on it. Ahab needs to beware of the part of him that is becoming more and more crazy at the thought of catching the white whale.