ahab as luddite

[The Great Quail]

Terrance writes,

>>  And only one man can resist it. Oh Adam, forsake me not....
>
>And that man is a Quaker. And like the Quakers in M&D (including Dixon),
>and like almost all the men of religion in this novel, Starbuck is a
>Quaker who will recite orthodoxy when it suits him and break the
>principle of his religion as easily.

An interesting point, but Ahab is also a Quaker, and no doubt most of 
the Nantucketers on the ship, including Flask and Stubbs. (Although I 
can't recall if their "secret origin stories" are mentioned.) I think 
you are being a bit hard on ol' Starbuck, though. He was faithful 
enough, in his own way. It's not his fault that Satan would one day 
appropriate his name to shill $3 cups of coffee....

--Quailqueg