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Tashtego, a Gay Head Native American from Martha’s Vineyard, works aboard the Pequod as Stubb’s harpooneer. He is of the same rank as Queequeg and Daggoo, and the three of them bear much of the responsibility for actually killing and butchering the whales. In his construction of Tashtego as a character, Melville references numerous stereotypes that initially seem to render him an embodiment of the “noble savage” trope. Ishmael explains that Tashtego is “an inheritor of the unvitiated blood of those proud warrior hunters” who came before him, an image which emphasizes the idea that hunting comes naturally to him. He also lets out loud battle cries from atop the crosstrees of the ship whenever he catches sight of a whale, and the emphasis placed on his unique cadence in these moments brings him even closer to fulfilling Native American stereotypes. At the same time, however, Tashtego also has many qualities that make him just like every other common sailor, and these attributes actively challenge the image of him as a naïve, warrior-like character. He is highly skilled and knowledgeable about whales, bringing just as much value to the Pequod as any other member of the crew. Tashtego also enjoys socializing with others on board and eats alongside his fellow harpooneers while often longing for a bottle of rum. These details ultimately work to make Tashtego’s identity more complex.
In addition to offering Melville an opportunity to examine the racial stereotypes that Native Americans face, he also uses Tashtego’s character to advance other arguments about topics such as racial power dynamics and Christianity. The central role Tashtego plays in the process of whale hunting makes him a valuable member of the crew, yet those ranked above him frequently take credit for his work. When the Pequod comes across its first whale, for example, Tashtego is the one who spots it and actually kills it with his harpoon. Meanwhile, everyone on board views it as Stubb’s whale given that he was in charge of the boat that caught it. Ahab also steals from Tashtego, claiming that he earned the gold doubloon for spotting Moby Dick despite the fact that Tashtego’s voice was the first to call out. Both of these instances feature a white crew member erasing his accomplishments, and this dynamic highlights the injustice that racially driven power structures create. Another key scene for Tashtego occurs in Chapter 78 when he accidentally falls into a whale’s head while attempting to extract its spermaceti. Queequeg jumps to the rescue and saves him from drowning, an event which Ishmael compares to birth. As strange as this moment may seem, Tashtego’s reemergence from the whale functions as a symbol of a miraculous resurrection. Melville critiques Christianity’s self-proclaimed ownership of miracles by ironically involving two non-white, non-Christian men in the action.
