Chapter 73 - Stubb and Flask Kill a Right Whale and Then Have a Talk Over Him Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

by Herman Melville

Comprehension Quiz: Chapter 73 - Stubb and Flask Kill a Right Whale and Then Have a Talk Over Him

Why does Ahab order Stubb and Flask to hunt a Right Whale?

  • The crew needs more whale oil for their lamps
  • Fedallah said both whale heads on the ship prevent capsizing
  • Right Whales are more valuable than Sperm Whales
  • The Right Whale attacked the Pequod first

What nearly happens during the Right Whale chase?

  • The whale escapes into deep water
  • The boats are nearly dragged into the Pequod's hull
  • Flask falls overboard
  • The whale attacks a second ship

What does Stubb claim Fedallah is?

  • A prophet from the East
  • A retired sea captain
  • The devil in disguise
  • A cursed ghost

According to Stubb, why does Fedallah constantly need oakum for his boots?

  • To waterproof them for the deck
  • To hide his devil's tail coiled in the toes
  • To make them more comfortable for long watches
  • To muffle his footsteps while sneaking around

What "bargain" does Stubb think is taking place between Ahab and Fedallah?

  • Ahab is paying Fedallah to navigate to the White Whale
  • Fedallah is offering to trade his soul for Ahab's protection
  • Ahab is swapping his soul or silver watch for help killing Moby Dick
  • Fedallah is selling whale-hunting secrets to Ahab

In Stubb's parable, what does the devil do to John after the governor hands him over?

  • Sends him on a doomed voyage
  • Gives him the Asiatic cholera
  • Turns him into a whale
  • Locks him in the orlop deck

Which two philosophers does Melville reference when the whale heads balance the ship?

  • Plato and Aristotle
  • Descartes and Hume
  • Locke and Kant
  • Emerson and Thoreau

What does the Locke-and-Kant analogy ultimately advise?

  • Empiricism is superior to idealism
  • One should study both philosophies equally
  • Throw all rigid philosophical systems overboard
  • Kant provides the better balance for a seafaring life

What is Fedallah doing in the final paragraph of Chapter 73?

  • Arguing with Ahab about the ship's course
  • Studying the Right Whale's head wrinkles and the lines in his own palm
  • Sleeping coiled in the rigging
  • Directing the crew to secure the whale heads

What symbolic detail about shadows closes the chapter?

  • Ahab's shadow vanishes entirely
  • The whale heads cast no shadows
  • Fedallah's shadow blends with and lengthens Ahab's
  • The crew's shadows merge into one

What are "brit" as mentioned at the start of the chapter?

  • Pieces of broken ship timber
  • Patches of yellow plankton or krill eaten by Right Whales
  • Small fish that follow whaling ships
  • Barnacles on the Pequod's hull

What biblical simile describes the sharks during the whale kill?

  • Lions devouring Daniel
  • Israelites drinking from fountains from the smitten rock
  • The plagues of Egypt
  • Noah's animals boarding the ark

To what does Melville compare the head-laden Pequod?

  • A cathedral with twin steeples
  • A mule carrying overburdening panniers
  • A scale balancing justice
  • An elephant burdened with cargo

What does Stubb say he would do with Fedallah's tail if he grabbed it?

  • Throw it overboard as a charm
  • Nail it to the mast as a trophy
  • Sell it for an ox whip when they get home
  • Burn it to break the curse

Where does Flask say Fedallah sleeps?

  • In the captain's cabin
  • In a hammock below deck
  • In a coil of rigging
  • On top of the whale heads

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