Chapter 22 - Merry Christmas Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

by Herman Melville

Comprehension Quiz: Chapter 22 - Merry Christmas

On what day does the Pequod depart Nantucket?

  • New Year's Day
  • Christmas Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Easter Sunday

What final gift does Aunt Charity bring for Stubb?

  • A spare Bible
  • A warm coat
  • A nightcap
  • A bottle of rum

Why does Captain Ahab remain below deck during the departure?

  • He is angry with the crew
  • He is reportedly not yet fully recovered
  • He is studying charts
  • He refuses to work with Peleg

What role do Peleg and Bildad serve in guiding the Pequod out of port?

  • Ship's chaplains
  • Helmsmen
  • Licensed pilots
  • Temporary first mates

What order traditionally signals that the Pequod is about to weigh anchor?

  • "Man the capstan!"
  • "All hands on deck!"
  • "Strike the tent there!"
  • "Hoist the mainsail!"

What physical action does Peleg take against Ishmael?

  • Slaps him across the face
  • Kicks him in the rear
  • Pushes him overboard
  • Throws a rope at him

What bawdy subject do the sailors sing about while working the windlass?

  • Pirates and treasure
  • The girls in Booble Alley
  • Storms at sea
  • Drinking and taverns

What biblical event does Bildad's hymn about "sweet fields beyond the swelling flood" reference?

  • Noah's Ark and the great flood
  • The parting of the Red Sea
  • The Israelites crossing the Jordan into Canaan
  • Jonah and the whale

What does the freezing spray do to the Pequod as it sails into the Atlantic?

  • It fills the deck with slush
  • It cases the ship in ice like polished armor
  • It forces the crew below deck
  • It damages the sails

Why is Bildad suspected of having become a licensed pilot?

  • To gain authority over Peleg
  • To save the pilot-fee on ships he had financial interest in
  • To delay his retirement from the sea
  • To impress Aunt Charity

What emotional detail betrays Peleg's feelings during the farewell?

  • His voice breaks mid-sentence
  • He refuses to shake hands
  • A tear twinkles in his eye when the lantern comes near
  • He turns away from the crew

In his farewell speech, what does Bildad warn Mr. Flask to beware of at the islands?

  • Cannibals
  • Fornication
  • Tropical diseases
  • Bad weather

What promise does Peleg make to the crew before departing?

  • He will send supplies to them at sea
  • He will pray for their safe return
  • He will have a hot supper waiting in three years
  • He will petition for higher wages on their behalf

What simile does Melville use for the icicles hanging from the Pequod's bows?

  • Like crystal chandeliers
  • Like the white ivory tusks of some huge elephant
  • Like frozen waterfalls
  • Like the teeth of a great whale

What is the final image of the chapter as the Pequod leaves the pilots behind?

  • The crew celebrates with a Christmas feast
  • A whale is spotted on the horizon
  • The ship "blindly plunged like fate into the lone Atlantic"
  • Captain Ahab finally appears on deck

Comprehension Quiz

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