We first witness Ishmael contradicting his beliefs doubting religion start to emerge in the first couple chapters of the book as well. In Chapter 3, Ishmael is required to share a bed at the inn with a man named Queequeg, who is a cannibal from an unknown island of Kokovoko. Ishmael was at first horrified of Queequeg since he is fully tattooed and threatens to kill Ishmael if he does not explain why he was in his room. Later on Queequeg and Ishmael did become good friends. Back to the point, Ishmael notices that once he had explained the circumstance to Queequeg, Queequeg being a pagan, was kind and big-hearted but even civilized, he seems even more kind and generous than any Christian that might be in a equivalent situation. You can find this description in the passage: "You gettee in," he added, motioning to me with his tomahawk ... He really did this in not only a civil but a really kind and charitable way ... Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian. (Ch. 3) This we see that the minute Ishmael befriends a pagan cannibal is the moment that his views on Christian ethics and behavior start turning upside down.
…show more content…
If Ishmael can perceive that a pagan cannibal can behave more decently than many Christians, then certainly he would start having contradictory thoughts doubting the superiority and righteousness of his own
If Ishmael can perceive that a pagan cannibal can behave more decently than many Christians, then certainly he would start having contradictory thoughts doubting the superiority and righteousness of his own