Not P but Moby-Dick (95)

[Michael Bailey]

Context suggests it’s himself

“I know the way to act with you: defiance. You’re going to be cruel even if
I offer love & reverence. If you choose to punish my defiance, all you can
do is kill me - and what the heck, everyone is going to die anyway.

“I’m not fearless out of foolishness or ignorance - I know (“own” - archaic
usage) how powerful you are, but I will defy you to my last gasp”



On Wed, Mar 27, 2024 at 12:10 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
wrote:

> From Chapter 119:
>
> “Oh! thou clear spirit of clear fire, whom on these seas I as Persian once
> did worship, till in the sacramental act so burned by thee, that to this
> hour I bear the scar; I now know thee, thou clear spirit, and I now know
> that thy right worship is defiance. To neither love nor reverence wilt thou
> be kind; and e’en for hate thou canst but kill; and all are killed. No
> fearless fool now fronts thee. I own thy speechless, placeless power; but
> to the last gasp of my earthquake life will dispute its unconditional,
> unintegral mastery in me.
>
> In "No fearless fool now fronts thee", is Ahab talking talking about
> himself, i.e. "I am no fearless fool", or is he making a general statement,
> meaning there is no one fearless and foolish enough to confront the spirit?
> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>