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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Which fictional novel was inspired by the sinking of the Essex?
2. How many miles does it take the crew to set and trim the sails of the Essex?
3. How many people live in Nantucket in 1819?
4. How experienced is Benjamin Lawrence in harpooning whales?
5. How old is Captain George Pollard, Jr. when he boards the Essex in Chapter 2?
Short Essay Questions
1. How does the crew of the Essex decide to sail towards South America instead of the Society Islands?
2. What are the first difficulties that the Essex experiences at the end of Chapter 2?
3. What modifications are made to the whale boats in the beginning of Chapter 6?
4. How are the three whale boats divided and stocked for the trip at the end of Chapter 6?
5. As stated in the Preface, when, where, and why are sperm whales hunted?
6. What is unusual about the sperm whale that surfaces unexpectedly in Chapter 5?
7. What troubles is the Essex having at Cape Horn and off the coast of Chile?
8. How is the Essex described in Chapter 1?
9. As explained in Chapter 2, what route does a Nantucket whale ship normally take?
10. What are some of the facts that Philbrick discloses about the sinking of the Essex in the Preface?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Describe the way that Philbrick conveys the desperation of the men as they get farther away from the sunken ship. Provide multiple examples of how he uses literature in order to emphasize the severity of their situation and their inclination to surrender. Also, analyze the way that Philbrick simultaneously engages the reader along the way with signs of hope and optimism.
Essay Topic 2
Explain in detail how Pollard's and Chase's boats are rescued in different areas and the varying routes that the crew members take back to Nantucket. Also, include a description of how the three men are rescued on Henderson Island, the difficulties with the rescue, and the unknown status of the third whale boat from the Essex.
Essay Topic 3
After the crew kills its first whale, Philbrick takes the reader step by step through the process of "trying out" a whale.
1) Explain the procedure for gutting a whale, retrieving oil, and which parts are used.
2) Describe how oil and other products are made from the insides of a whale.
3) Analyze the techniques that Philbrick uses in describing the process and the reasons for them.
This section contains 892 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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