Chapter 72 - The Monkey-Rope Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

by Herman Melville

Comprehension Quiz: Chapter 72 - The Monkey-Rope

What is the monkey-rope used for during whaling?

  • To hoist the whale onto the deck of the ship
  • To connect the harpooneer on the whale to a crewman on deck for safety
  • To tie the whale to the ship so it does not drift away
  • To lower the whaleboats into the water for the chase

What modification to the monkey-rope is unique to the Pequod?

  • The rope is made of chain instead of hemp for greater strength
  • The rope is fastened at both ends so both men share the same fate
  • The rope is triple-braided for extra safety during storms
  • The rope is attached to the mast rather than to a crewman

Who introduced the modification of fastening the monkey-rope at both ends?

  • Starbuck, to ensure the chief harpooneer's safety
  • Ahab, as part of his obsessive quest for the white whale
  • Stubb, to guarantee faithfulness in the rope holder
  • Flask, who believed it made the cutting-in more efficient

To what does Ishmael compare his bond with Queequeg through the monkey-rope?

  • A captain and his first mate bound by duty at sea
  • Siamese twins joined by an elongated ligature and a marriage
  • A master and apprentice linked by an unbreakable contract
  • A soldier and his commander tied by chains of military honor

What universal philosophical point does Ishmael draw from the monkey-rope?

  • That courage is the highest virtue a person can possess
  • That every person is bound to others and no one fully controls their fate
  • That the sea is the most dangerous workplace in the world
  • That friendship between different races is ultimately impossible to sustain

Which of the following examples does Ishmael use to illustrate everyday interdependence?

  • If your ship captain steers wrong, you all sink together
  • If your banker breaks, you snap; if your apothecary sends poison, you die
  • If your neighbor's house catches fire, your home burns as well
  • If your teacher fails to instruct, you remain forever ignorant

What three simultaneous dangers does Queequeg face on the whale's back?

  • Falling overboard, harpoon recoil, and rope tangles around his body
  • Being jammed between whale and ship, swarming sharks, and indiscriminate whale-spades
  • Lightning strikes, whale flukes, and scalding blubber from the try-works
  • Freezing water, poisonous whale bile, and attacks from rival whaling ships

Who wields whale-spades to protect Queequeg from the sharks?

  • Ishmael and Starbuck, standing at the ship's rail with long-handled spades
  • Stubb and Flask, directing the operation from the quarterdeck above
  • Tashtego and Daggoo, suspended in stages over the ship's side
  • Pip and Dough-Boy, assigned to shark duty by the first mate

In Ishmael's allegorical reading, what do the sharks and the spades represent?

  • The sharks represent nature and the spades represent technology
  • The sharks represent foes and the spades represent friends
  • The sharks represent death and the spades represent salvation through God
  • The sharks represent capitalism and the spades represent labor unions

What does the steward Dough-Boy offer Queequeg after his ordeal on the whale?

  • A bowl of hot chowder to warm him after the freezing water
  • A cup of tepid ginger and water instead of proper spirits
  • A blanket and dry clothing to prevent hypothermia on deck
  • A shot of rum followed by a plate of ship's biscuit

Who is responsible for bringing the ginger aboard and forbidding spirits for harpooneers?

  • Captain Ahab, who enforces strict discipline aboard the Pequod
  • Starbuck, who follows Quaker temperance principles as first mate
  • Aunt Charity, a Temperance-minded Nantucket woman who provisioned the ship
  • Father Mapple, whose sermon against sin influenced the ship's policies

How does Stubb respond to the ginger-jub incident?

  • He quietly accepts it and says Queequeg should not drink alcohol
  • He reports Dough-Boy to Captain Ahab for disobeying standing orders
  • He erupts in outrage, mocks the drink, and sends for proper grog
  • He throws the ginger at Queequeg and storms below deck in anger

What happens to Aunt Charity's ginger-jub at the end of the chapter?

  • It is stored below deck for future medicinal purposes
  • It is given freely to the waves—thrown overboard into the sea
  • It is poured over the side as an offering to ward off sharks
  • It is drunk by Dough-Boy himself after nobody else wants it

What does Ishmael mean by an "interregnum in Providence"?

  • A period when the ship's captain is absent and no one gives orders
  • A gap in divine justice, since Providence cannot fairly allow the innocent to suffer
  • A time when the wind dies and the ship cannot move forward at all
  • A pause between whale sightings when the crew has nothing to do

What does Ishmael realize about "the management of one end" of the rope?

  • That Queequeg is stronger and should control the entire rope himself
  • That the rope is too short and needs to be lengthened for proper safety
  • That despite all his caution, he cannot control the other person's end—a limit on individual autonomy
  • That the first mate should take over the rope since Ishmael is too inexperienced

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