Chapter 131 - The Pequod Meets The Delight Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville
Comprehension Quiz: Chapter 131 - The Pequod Meets The Delight
Why does Melville call the Delight "most miserably misnamed"?
- Because the ship was originally named something else and had been renamed
- Because the ship is a scene of destruction, death, and mourning—the opposite of delight
- Because the captain of the Delight is a cheerful man despite his losses
- Because the ship has been at sea so long that its crew has forgotten joy
What does the Delight’s captain point to when Ahab asks "Hast seen the White Whale?"
- A chart marking the location where they last spotted Moby Dick
- The shattered remains of a whale-boat hanging from the ship’s shears
- A harpoon lodged in the side of his ship by the whale
- A white whale tooth kept as a trophy from a previous encounter
What claim does Ahab make about his harpoon?
- That it was blessed by a priest and sanctified for the hunt
- That it was stolen from the Delight during a previous encounter
- That it was tempered in blood and by lightning, holding the whale’s death
- That it was forged from the anchor of a ship sunk by Moby Dick
How many of the Delight’s crew survived the encounter with Moby Dick?
- None—all five crew members perished in the attack
- One survived the attack but is now being buried at sea
- Two survived and are recovering aboard the Delight
- Three survived but were transferred to another ship
What does the voice from the Delight cry out as the Pequod sails away?
- That the White Whale is following close behind the Pequod
- That Ahab’s harpoon is cursed and will bring only disaster
- That the Pequod flees the burial only to display its own coffin at the stern
- That the Delight’s crew will pray for the Pequod’s safe journey
What is the "life-buoy-coffin" that hangs at the Pequod’s stern?
- A coffin from the ship’s carpenter, built to honor a dead crew member
- Queequeg’s casket, repurposed as a flotation life-buoy after his recovery
- A decorative carving meant to ward off bad luck at sea
- A storage container for emergency supplies shaped like a coffin
What is the literary significance of the Pequod’s encounter with the Delight?
- It is the first gam in the novel, establishing the pattern of ship encounters
- It is the last of nine gam encounters, serving as the final warning before the chase
- It is a comedic interlude that provides relief from the novel’s dark themes
- It introduces a new character who will play a major role in the climax
What is the meaning of the word "descried" as used in the chapter?
- Criticized or spoke negatively about from a distance
- Caught sight of something, especially something far away or hard to see
- Described in elaborate and poetic detail to others
- Deliberately avoided or steered clear of while sailing
Comprehension Quiz
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