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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. When the whale is harpooned, what action do the harpooner and the chief mate take?

2. What strange thing does Ahab do looking at the head of the captured whale?

3. What type of whale is Moby Dick, the whale they are searching for?

4. Who is Charity and what is her function regarding the Pequod?

5. Which ship does Ishmael select for him and Queequeg to sign on?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Ishmael soon lose his astonishment over Queequeg in New Bedford?

2. What ominous encounter do Ishmael and Queequeg have after they have signed onto the Pequod?

3. What is the amusing account of Queequeg and the wheelbarrow?

4. Detail the problems of holding a whale overnight tied to the side of the ship.

5. What does Ishmael think about paintings and drawings of whales?

6. Why is the story of Radney and Steelkilt important to the story?

7. How does Ishmael happen to share a bed with a tattooed headhunter?

8. How does Queequeg determine which of them will select the whaling ship they take for their whaling adventure?

9. What does Ahab do to disturb the crew during the night?

10. How complicated is the process of harvesting the whale blubber?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay of at least two typed, double-spaced pages on respect. Use the example of Starbuck who disagrees with Ahab's vendetta against a whale but always follows orders, even when he thinks they are wrong. Define why respect for the captain and the crew is necessary to maintain order on a ship.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay of at least two typed, double-spaced pages on a character from MOBY DICK you would like to meet. Give specific examples of the behavior of that character and explain why he or she would be someone you would like to know.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay of at least two typed, double-spaced pages on life in a coastal town. Use the differences Ishmael notices between how people live in New Bedford and Nantucket from the way people live inland. Give your opinion as to what it is about coastal people that make them different from other communities. If you have personal experience with a coastal town, work those into your essay.

(see the answer keys)

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