Chapter 66 - The Shark Massacre Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

by Herman Melville

Comprehension Quiz: Chapter 66 - The Shark Massacre

Why does the crew delay cutting-in the whale when it is captured late at night?

  • The captain insists on a religious ceremony before any whale is processed aboard ship
  • The cutting-in is exceedingly laborious, requires all hands, and cannot be quickly completed
  • The whale must soak in seawater for several hours to soften the blubber before cutting
  • The ship's try-works must cool down fully from the previous whale before processing a new one

What is an anchor-watch as described in this chapter?

  • A special lookout posted at the bow to watch for approaching whales during the night
  • A device attached to the anchor chain that alerts the crew if the ship begins to drift
  • A rotation of two-man pairs who mount the deck for an hour each to ensure all goes well
  • A single experienced officer who remains on deck throughout the entire night shift

Why is the standard overnight plan particularly dangerous in the Pacific on the Line?

  • Tropical storms can arise suddenly and tear the whale carcass free from the ship
  • Rival whaling ships may steal the captured whale under cover of darkness at night
  • Incalculable hosts of sharks would reduce the whale to a skeleton by morning if left unguarded
  • Strong ocean currents on the equator can drag the moored whale beneath the ship's hull

What is the ironic result of stirring sharks with whaling-spades in some instances?

  • The sharks scatter temporarily but then return in much greater numbers than before
  • The procedure only seems to "tickle them into still greater activity" and increased aggression
  • The blood from wounded sharks attracts even more predators from distant waters
  • The noise of the spades striking the water drives the sharks deeper beneath the whale

What vivid simile does Ishmael use to describe the sea swarming with sharks?

  • He compares the sea to a battlefield strewn with soldiers fighting over the spoils of war
  • He likens the scene to a pack of wolves circling a fallen deer on a frozen winter lake
  • He compares the whole round sea to "one huge cheese, and those sharks the maggots in it"
  • He describes the ocean as a boiling cauldron with the sharks as bubbles rising to the surface

Who takes the anchor-watch after Stubb's supper and fights the sharks?

  • Starbuck and Flask, the first and third mates of the Pequod, armed with harpoons
  • Tashtego and Daggoo, the experienced harpooneers from the second and third whale-boats
  • Queequeg and a forecastle seaman, who lower cutting stages and lanterns over the side
  • Ishmael and Pip, the narrator and the cabin boy, standing watch with long poles

Where on the sharks' bodies do the mariners aim their whaling-spades?

  • They strike at the sharks' dorsal fins to immobilize them and prevent further feeding
  • They aim for the sharks' gills, which are the most exposed and vulnerable area
  • They strike deep into the sharks' skulls, which are seemingly their only vital part
  • They target the sharks' bellies, slicing upward from the cutting stages below

What grotesque behavior do the wounded sharks exhibit?

  • They leap out of the water and crash against the hull of the ship in blind fury
  • They snap at each other's disembowelments and bend round to bite their own entrails
  • They form a tight circle around the whale carcass and refuse to let any others approach
  • They ram the cutting stages repeatedly, nearly knocking the sailors into the water

What phrase does Ishmael use to describe the life force that persists in dead sharks?

  • "An unholy spark of Satan's own fire" that smolders in the bones of every shark
  • "A demonic willfulness" that keeps the body animated well beyond natural death
  • "A sort of generic or Pantheistic vitality" lurking in their very joints and bones
  • "An infernal mechanism of nature" designed to make the shark dangerous even in death

What happens when Queequeg tries to handle a dead shark hoisted on deck?

  • The shark's tail thrashes and knocks Queequeg across the deck into the scuppers
  • The shark's dead jaw almost takes Queequeg's hand off when he tries to shut it
  • The shark's skin cuts Queequeg's palms because its hide is as rough as sandpaper
  • The shark suddenly rolls over, pinning Queequeg beneath its considerable weight

What does Queequeg say about the god who created sharks?

  • "Queequeg think shark no have god—shark be his own god, eat everything, fear nothing at all"
  • "De god wat made shark must be one dam Ingin"—meaning the creator must be savage or cruel
  • "Shark him belong to Fejee devil—no good god make creature dat bite after him dead already"
  • "Nantucket god him make whale—but shark, him come from dark place under the sea bottom"

What is the whaling-spade made of and how is it maintained, according to the chapter's footnote?

  • Cast iron shaped in a mold, sharpened once before each voyage on a grinding wheel
  • The very best steel, always kept as sharp as possible and occasionally honed like a razor
  • Hammered copper reinforced with brass rivets, polished daily to prevent saltwater corrosion
  • Hardwood tipped with a forged blade, replaced after each whale because it dulls so quickly

What does the word "voracity" mean as used in this chapter?

  • The ability to move swiftly and silently through the water when hunting prey
  • A tendency to attack in large coordinated groups rather than as individual predators
  • Extreme greediness or ravenous hunger—an insatiable appetite for consuming food
  • The instinct to defend territory aggressively against all intruders and rivals

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