Bildad is the Quaker co-owner of the Pequod paired with Captain Peleg. In Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, the two retired whaling captains own and manage the ship that carries Captain Ahab and his multinational crew.
Bildad and Peleg appear when Ishmael signs on for the voyage. They represent the practical, business-minded side of whaling, contrasting with Ahab’s private obsession with hunting Moby Dick. Peleg is especially memorable because he previously served as Ahab’s first mate and helped oversee the Pequod’s preparation.
A common mix-up is confusing the owners with the ship’s officers. Stubb is the second mate, while Perth is the blacksmith who joins the voyage later. Boomer is not one of the Pequod’s principal owners; he is associated with another whaling ship encountered during the story.
Both names come from the Bible, reinforcing Melville’s habit of giving the novel’s characters names with religious and symbolic associations. Bildad’s sister Charity also appears during the ship’s preparations.