Herman Melville uses the image of the harpoon through Queequeg to embody the idea that Queequeg cannot function without it because it is a part of him “it has been with him for a long time." The harpoon is a fundamental part of everyday life for Queequeg; he uses it to shave, sleep with, and even eat. The harpoon is practically a beloved teddy bear to him. In chapter 13, Ishmael questions Queequeg as to why he carries such a "troublesome thing with him always" (Melville 61). Ishmael is curious as to why he carries it around when whaling ships have their own harpoons aboard, but he fails to realize the emotional attachment between Queequeg and his harpoon. It has been with Queequeg since the time he came over to America on the ship headed for Nantucket. Although he came from royalty, he would rather be a harpooner. Just like a person in containment who wants to get out and be free, Queequeg feels the same. He does not like the pressure put on him to be the next king, so he strives to get away from that duty in any way that he can think of. Queequeg had been fashioned into a harpooner from the ship he forced himself onto. He even claims "that barbed iron is in lieu of a scepter now" (Melville 60). This passage is a symbolic representation of how Queequeg would rather live his life as a harpooner than as a king. He virtually gives up his throne-to-be to become an adventurer. The harpoon is so personal to Queequeg because he has no way to fulfill his sought-after lifestyle without it. Queequeg ultimately would become a lost cause without his harpoon because it means so much to him. During Ahab's attempt to rouse the spirits of his crew, Melville reveals through Ahab that harpoons are definitely a part of their owner, and they can be used as tools of harm or celebration. In this scene, Ahab uses his "people skills" to excite the crew and motivate them to continue chasing Moby Dick. Starting his festivity off with some "brimming pewte