Melville and the Squeezing of the Hand
“I squeezed that sperm till a strange sort of insanity came over me; and I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers’ hands in it, mistaking their hands for the gentle globules. Such an abounding, affectionate, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes” I feel like it is important to read into this chapter, not only because it is one of the most interesting if not hilarious chapters to discuss. This isn’t the first instance of Melville’s general acceptance of homo erotic themes. The first instance that reminded me of this chapter was when he first found Queequeg in his hotel room, and how he was so comfortable with Queegqueg wrapped around him like his wife. It seems to me that Melville is obviously comfortable talking about and discussing the concept of homosexuality, at least subtly. Which makes me wonder what kind of sexual orientation he was, even though he was married. Maybe he seemed to understand bigger concepts like homosexuality better than most and observed it more so like society does now.
I think homosexuality was not as big of an issue in the nineteenth century as it is today. Peoples’ identiites were not defined by their sexual orientation; rather, homosexual acts were just behaviors one engaged in. Writing about sexual behavior, on the other hand, may have been considered taboo – thus leading to many banned books and magazines. This is why, I think, Melville decided to write about homosexuality on the Pequod using subtle clues. If Melville had explicitly written about the sexual acts carried out by the men. his book may not even have been published. Furthermore, I think homosexuality was common among seamen, perhaps because they were sexually deprived for several months at a time … it is important to note that they too have needs and desires, even while at sea, and Melville recognized and accounted for this.