Chapter 109 - Ahab and Starbuck in the Cabin Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

by Herman Melville

Comprehension Quiz: Chapter 109 - Ahab and Starbuck in the Cabin

What problem does Starbuck report to Ahab at the beginning of Chapter 109?

  • The ship's mast has cracked and needs replacement before continuing the voyage
  • The oil casks in the hold are leaking, and oil is coming up with the pumped water
  • Several crew members have fallen ill and need to be taken to port for treatment
  • The ship's compass has become unreliable due to a nearby magnetic disturbance

What is Ahab doing when Starbuck enters the cabin?

  • Writing in his personal journal about the progress of the voyage so far
  • Sharpening his harpoon and preparing his whaling equipment for the hunt
  • Studying navigational charts of the oriental archipelagoes and Japanese coasts
  • Sleeping restlessly at his desk after spending the previous night on watch

What does "up Burtons and break out" mean in the context of this chapter?

  • Abandon the ship's current course and sail toward the nearest safe harbor
  • Hoist the tackle and open the hold to access and repair the leaking casks
  • Raise the anchor and set full sail to escape an approaching storm system
  • Organize the crew into work parties and assign emergency repair stations

When Starbuck says "What we come twenty thousand miles to get is worth saving," what is he referring to?

  • The whale oil they have collected during the commercial whaling voyage
  • The ship itself, which represents the owners' greatest financial investment
  • The crew's lives, which Starbuck values above the mission's commercial goals
  • The navigational knowledge they have gained about Pacific whaling routes

What does Ahab mean by his reply "So it is, so it is; if we get it"?

  • He agrees the oil is valuable but worries the crew may not be skilled enough to save it
  • He is thinking of Moby Dick rather than the oil, revealing the true purpose of his voyage
  • He doubts the repair will work and believes the oil is already irretrievably lost
  • He is sarcastically mocking Starbuck for caring about something as mundane as whale oil

What metaphor does Ahab create when he says "I'm all aleak myself"?

  • He compares his physical injuries from fighting Moby Dick to structural damage on a ship
  • He likens his waning authority over the crew to a captain losing control of a sinking vessel
  • He compares his psychological and spiritual decay to the leaking casks inside a leaky ship
  • He suggests that his navigational secrets have leaked out to rival whaling ship captains

How does Ahab respond when Starbuck mentions the ship's owners?

  • He agrees they owe the owners a duty of care and promises to consider their interests
  • He dismisses them, saying the only real owner is the commander and his conscience is in the keel
  • He admits the owners would be furious but argues the chase for Moby Dick will make them rich
  • He reveals a secret agreement with the owners that authorizes his pursuit of the White Whale

What does Ahab declare while pointing a loaded musket at Starbuck?

  • "No man may question the captain of a whaling ship when lives hang in the balance at sea"
  • "There is one God that is Lord over the earth, and one Captain that is lord over the Pequod"
  • "I have sworn an oath before God and man to destroy the White Whale or die in the attempt"
  • "The sea belongs to no man, and the ship belongs to whoever has the courage to command her"

What distinction does Starbuck draw between being "outraged" and "insulted"?

  • Being outraged means having one's reputation publicly damaged, while being insulted means private disrespect
  • Being outraged means wronged by superior force, while being insulted means having one's dignity attacked
  • Being outraged means physically harmed, while being insulted means verbally abused before the crew
  • Being outraged means challenged to fight, while being insulted means dismissed as unworthy of combat

What is the meaning of Starbuck's warning "let Ahab beware of Ahab"?

  • Starbuck is warning that the crew is plotting a mutiny against Ahab's leadership of the ship
  • Starbuck suggests Ahab's reputation among other whaling captains will suffer from his decisions
  • Starbuck is saying Ahab's greatest enemy is his own obsessive monomania, not any external force
  • Starbuck warns that Ahab's physical health is deteriorating and he should see a ship's doctor

How does Ahab react to Starbuck's parting warning?

  • He laughs it off and immediately returns to studying his navigational charts of Japan
  • He calls the crew together and publicly reprimands Starbuck for insubordination on deck
  • He is struck by the words, murmuring "there's something there!" and pacing with the musket as a staff
  • He orders Starbuck confined to quarters for the remainder of the voyage toward Japan

What does Ahab ultimately decide about the leaking oil casks?

  • He refuses to stop, insisting the chase for Moby Dick takes absolute priority over the cargo
  • He orders only a partial repair, allowing the crew to fix what they can while maintaining course
  • He reverses his position and orders the crew to furl sails and break out the main-hold for repairs
  • He delegates the decision entirely to Starbuck, washing his hands of all commercial concerns

What two possible motives does the narrator suggest for Ahab's reversal?

  • Fear of mutiny from the crew, or guilt over threatening his most loyal officer with a weapon
  • A flash of honesty, or prudential policy to prevent open disaffection in his chief officer
  • Genuine concern for the ship's financial mission, or a desire to delay reaching the whaling grounds
  • Respect for Starbuck's navigational expertise, or worry that the ship might actually sink

What does Ahab's remark "He waxes brave, but nevertheless obeys; most careful bravery that!" reveal about his view of Starbuck?

  • Ahab admires Starbuck's courage and considers him a worthy potential successor as captain
  • Ahab recognizes Starbuck's bravery but notes he will never cross the line into actual mutiny
  • Ahab believes Starbuck is secretly a coward who only acts brave when there is no real danger
  • Ahab thinks Starbuck's bravery is reckless and worries it will inspire rebellion among the crew

What is the central thematic conflict revealed in Chapter 109?

  • The tension between democratic governance and authoritarian rule aboard a whaling vessel
  • The clash between the commercial purpose of the voyage and Ahab's obsessive pursuit of Moby Dick
  • The struggle between Christian morality and pagan superstition among the Pequod's diverse crew
  • The conflict between experienced seamanship and reckless ambition in navigating dangerous waters

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