Chapter 100 - Leg and Arm. The Pequod of Nantucket, Meets the Samuel Enderby, of London Practice Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 100 - Leg and Arm. The Pequod of Nantucket, Meets the Samuel Enderby, of London
What ship does the Pequod encounter in Chapter 100?
The Samuel Enderby, an English whaling ship from London.
What is the first thing Ahab shouts to the stranger ship?
Hast seen the White Whale?
How does Ahab board the Samuel Enderby?
He is hoisted aboard using the cutting-tackle and blubber-hook, sitting in the curve of the hook because his ivory leg prevents him from climbing the ship's side normally.
Where did Captain Boomer encounter Moby Dick?
On the equatorial Line, during his first time cruising there.
How was Captain Boomer's arm injured?
After Moby Dick destroyed his boat, Boomer clung to a harpoon pole. The barb of a second iron tore along the length of his arm as the whale dived, and the wound later turned gangrenous, requiring amputation.
How many times has Captain Boomer crossed Moby Dick's wake since losing his arm?
Twice, but he deliberately chose not to pursue the whale either time.
What causes Ahab to leave the Samuel Enderby abruptly?
After Dr. Bunger senses Ahab's feverish state and approaches with a lancet, Ahab dashes him against the bulwarks and demands to know which way the whale was heading, then immediately returns to the Pequod.
What does Ahab recognize are his own harpoons in Boomer's story?
The harpoons sticking near Moby Dick's starboard fin, confirming Ahab had previously wounded the whale.
Describe Captain Boomer's physical appearance.
He is a darkly-tanned, burly, good-natured man of about sixty, wearing a spacious blue pilot-cloth jacket with one empty arm streaming behind him.
Who is Dr. Bunger?
The ship's surgeon aboard the Samuel Enderby. He is a round-faced, sober-looking man who claims to be a strict total abstinence man and formerly of the clergy.
Who is Mr. Mounttop?
The first mate of the Samuel Enderby, into whose boat Captain Boomer jumped during the encounter with Moby Dick.
What role does Fedallah play in this chapter?
Fedallah is present silently during the visit. The English Captain whispers to him asking if Ahab is crazy. Fedallah puts a finger on his lip and slides over the bulwarks to take the boat's steering oar.
How does Captain Boomer's personality contrast with Ahab's?
Boomer is good-humored, pragmatic, and accepting of his loss. Ahab is obsessive, impatient, and driven by vengeance.
What is the central thematic contrast in Chapter 100?
Obsession versus acceptance. Both captains lost limbs to Moby Dick, but Boomer chose to move on while Ahab pursues vengeance at all costs.
What does Dr. Bunger's interpretation of Moby Dick's behavior suggest thematically?
It suggests that Moby Dick's attacks may be instinctual rather than malicious, challenging Ahab's belief that the whale embodies deliberate evil and raising questions about how humans project meaning onto nature.
What does Boomer's advice that Moby Dick is "best let alone" represent?
It represents the voice of reason and moderation, offering Ahab a final chance to turn away from his self-destructive quest before it is too late.
How does this chapter explore the theme of physical disability?
Ahab's difficulty boarding the Samuel Enderby shows how his disability constantly reminds him of Moby Dick, fueling his rage. Boomer, with his ivory arm, has integrated his disability into a functional, even humorous, daily life.
How does Melville use Captain Boomer as a literary foil?
Boomer mirrors Ahab's experience with Moby Dick but responds with acceptance instead of obsession, highlighting that Ahab's monomania is a choice rather than an inevitable response to suffering.
What is the significance of the image of the crossed ivory limbs?
The crossing of Ahab's ivory leg and Boomer's ivory arm "like two sword-fish blades" symbolically links the two captains through shared suffering while visually emphasizing their physical and philosophical differences.
What foreshadowing appears in Chapter 100?
Ahab's refusal to heed Boomer's warning foreshadows his eventual destruction. His statement that Moby Dick is "all a magnet" signals his inability to resist the fatal pursuit.
What does "gam" mean in the context of whaling?
A gam is a social meeting between the crews of two whaling ships at sea, involving the exchange of news, mail, and stories.
What is a "cutting-tackle" on a whaling ship?
A system of heavy ropes and pulleys used to strip blubber from a whale alongside the ship. In this chapter, it is repurposed to hoist Ahab aboard.
What does "kelson" mean?
The kelson (or keelson) is a structural timber fastened above and parallel to the keel of a ship for additional strength. Being dropped "half way down to the kelson" means being dropped nearly to the bottom of the ship.
Who says "What is best let alone, that accursed thing is not always what least allures. He's all a magnet!" and what does it reveal?
Ahab says this in response to Boomer's advice to leave Moby Dick alone. It reveals that Ahab recognizes the irrationality of his obsession but feels powerless to resist it.
What is the meaning of Ahab's greeting: "let us shake bones together!— an arm and a leg!"?
Ahab's greeting darkly acknowledges the bond between the two captains as fellow victims of Moby Dick, using gallows humor to address their shared mutilation.