A STEP BEYOND

TESTS AND ANSWERS

TEST 1

_____ 1. Ishmael goes to sea because of the

A. wholesome exercise and pure air of the forecastle deck
B. profit in hunting the sperm whale
C. education that the eternal sea provides

_____ 2. One of the examples of foreboding in the book is

A. Ishmael's sharing a bed with Queequeg
B. the name of the proprietor of the Spouter-Inn
C. Starbuck's utter fearlessness

_____ 3. Ishmael said

A. "I'll throw in my lot with the ivory-legged skipper"
B. "Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me"
C. "Better sleep with a sober cannibal than with a drunken Christian"

_____ 4. A fixed symbol of Ahab's hate and vengeful purpose was

A. the Spanish doubloon nailed to the mast
B. the boiling try-pots that were tended by "devils"
C. the mates' pledging of allegiance by crossing their lances

_____ 5. The Rachel

A. was seeking a lost whaleboat
B. couldn't communicate with Ahab because of the storm
C. had lost its crew to Moby-Dick

_____ 6. The presence of Fedallah on board convinced the crew that

A. they would have a better chance to kill the white whale
B. Ahab had joined forces with the Devil
C. their encounter with Moby-Dick would end in disaster

_____ 7. In Father Mapple's sermon

A. Job discovers that God is his only friend
B. the money-changers are chased from the temple
C. Jonah repents and is delivered

_____ 8. One of Ahab's distinguishing features was

A. the withered arm, which had been paralyzed in a fall
B. the livid scar on his face
C. the missing earlobe, bitten off by the white whale

_____ 9. Ishmael tells the ship's owners that Queequeg

A. is a member of the First Congregational Church
B. is a savage who has given up cannibalism
C. prays to the idol Yojo

_____ 10. Stubb irritated Ahab when he asked him to

A. stop to search for leaking casks of oil
B. have a Sunday church service on the maindeck
C. pace more quietly on deck

11. How does Melville use the story of Jonah in Moby-Dick?

12. In what ways are whales portrayed as symbols of the unknown?

13. Does Ishmael's fate provide Moby-Dick with a pessimistic or an optimistic ending?