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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What time of the day do the men observe the latitude of their trip in Chapter 10?

2. Which one of the following is not done when Joy dies?

3. How long is it after avoiding the Society Islands in fear of cannibalism that the crew resorts to it for survival?

4. What does Pollard do the night before leaving the island in Chapter 9?

5. What does Chase encounter at the end of Chapter 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Chase choose the events to include in a book about the Essex?

2. What difficulties is Chase's boat having in Chapter 11?

3. How does Chase's boat deal with a shark attack?

4. What happens at the end of Chapter 11 when lots are drawn in Pollard's boat?

5. What happens to Chase at the end of his life?

6. What does the exhibit for the Essex at the Whaling Museum feature?

7. How does Cole die in Chapter 12?

8. How does Pollard's whaling career end, and how is he remembered?

9. What is the difference in the way Pollard and Chase are received when they return to Nantucket?

10. How has has the town of Nantucket changed since the nineteenth century?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Herman Melville is inspired by the Essex to write one of the most well known books in literature.

1) Explain how Melville first learns of the Essex's voyage.

2) Describe Melville's experiences in whaling and how they contribute to his book.

3) Analyze the connection of the Essex to Moby Dick along with the similarities and differences in the two epic stories.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the first two encounters with a whale that the crew of the Essex has, including a detailed description of the Nantucket sleigh ride. Also, provide an explanation of why this is a significant point in the story and what it indicates for the different members of the crew.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze three possible theories about why the whale might have attacked the Essex. Use the book to reference the sources of these theories and the reasons behind them. Also, explain which one you think is the most logical and why.

(see the answer keys)

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