Chapter 48 - The First Lowering Practice Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 48 - The First Lowering
Who is Fedallah?
The tall, swart leader of Ahab's secret crew, distinguished by a white plaited turban and one protruding white tooth. He serves as harpooneer in Ahab's boat.
Where had Ahab's secret crew been hiding?
In the after hold of the Pequod, smuggled aboard before the ship sailed from Nantucket.
What is the ethnic background of Fedallah's companions?
They are described as aboriginal natives of the Manillas (Manila), with a "vivid, tiger-yellow complexion."
How many whaleboats are lowered during the first chase?
Four: one each for Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask, plus Ahab's personal boat crewed by Fedallah and his men.
Which crew member had earlier heard noises from the hold?
Archy, who told his shipmate Cabaco about the sounds, correctly suspecting stowaways.
How does Starbuck lead his crew during the chase?
Through intense, whispered commands, his eyes fixed ahead "almost seemed as two visible needles in two unerring binnacle compasses."
Describe Stubb's style of commanding his oarsmen.
He delivers long, paradoxical harangues mixing encouragement, insults, and humor, while lounging at his steering oar and yawning.
Why does Flask climb onto Daggoo's shoulders?
Because the loggerhead post is too short for him to see far enough. Daggoo volunteers his shoulders as "good a mast-head as any."
What allegory does Melville draw from Flask standing on Daggoo?
"So have I seen Passion and Vanity stamping the living magnanimous earth, but the earth did not alter her tides and her seasons for that."
Why does the narrator refuse to repeat Ahab's words to his crew?
He says they are unfit for Christian ears: "you live under the blessed light of the evangelical land. Only the infidel sharks in the audacious seas may give ear to such words."
What interrupts Stubb from lighting his pipe during the wait?
Tashtego suddenly spots the whales resurfacing and cries "Down, down all, and give way!- there they are!"
Who throws the harpoon at the whale?
Queequeg, the harpooneer in Starbuck's boat.
What goes wrong when Queequeg harpoons the whale?
The whale surfaces directly beneath the boat, swamping it. The harpoon only grazes the whale, which escapes. A squall hits simultaneously, capsizing the crew into the sea.
What does Queequeg hold aloft during the storm?
A lantern on a waif pole, serving as a signal. Melville calls it "that imbecile candle in the heart of that almighty forlornness."
What does Melville call Queequeg with the lantern symbolically?
"The sign and symbol of a man without faith, hopelessly holding up hope in the midst of despair."
How is Starbuck's crew finally rescued?
At dawn the Pequod looms through the mist, nearly running them down. They jump into the sea, then swim back to the overturned boat, and are taken aboard.
What earlier foreshadowing does Ishmael recall when seeing the strangers?
The mysterious shadows he saw creeping on board during the Nantucket dawn, and the enigmatical hintings of the prophet Elijah.
What does Stubb conclude about Ahab's secret crew?
"The White Whale's at the bottom of it." He realizes Ahab smuggled them aboard to help pursue Moby Dick.
How does Melville describe Ahab's crew rowing?
"Like five trip-hammers they rose and fell with regular strokes of strength, which periodically started the boat along the water like a horizontal burst boiler out of a Mississippi steamer."
What promise does Flask make to his crew during the chase?
He promises to sign over his Martha's Vineyard plantation, "including wife and children."
What does Starbuck say about the stowaways when Stubb asks?
"Smuggled on board, somehow, before the ship sailed. A sad business, Mr. Stubb! But never mind... all for the best."
What is a loggerhead in whaling?
A stout post rooted in the keel of a whaleboat, rising about two feet above the stern platform, used for catching turns with the whale line.
What simile does Melville use for the Pequod pursuing her boats?
"Like a wild hen after her screaming brood."