Chapter 86 - The Tail Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville
Comprehension Quiz: Chapter 86 - The Tail
According to Ishmael, how large is the upper surface area of the largest sperm whale's tail?
- At least twenty-five square feet of surface
- At least fifty square feet of surface
- At least seventy-five square feet of surface
- At least one hundred square feet of surface
How many distinct structural layers does Ishmael identify in the whale's tail?
- Two layers: outer and inner fibrous tissue
- Three layers: upper, middle, and lower strata
- Four layers arranged in concentric rings
- Five layers corresponding to the five motions
To what architectural feature does Ishmael compare the tail's three-layered structure?
- Gothic cathedral flying buttresses and arches
- Egyptian pyramid construction with interlocking blocks
- Roman walls with alternating courses of tile and stone
- Greek temple columns with fluted vertical channels
Which of the following is NOT one of the five great motions Ishmael attributes to the whale's tail?
- Progression (used as a fin for swimming forward)
- Breaching (launching the body entirely out of water)
- Lobtailing (playfully slapping the ocean surface)
- Peaking flukes (raising the tail before a deep dive)
According to Ishmael, how does the sperm whale fight other sperm whales versus how it fights humans?
- It uses its tail against whales and its head against humans
- It uses its head and jaw against whales but its tail against humans
- It uses the same ramming technique against both opponents
- It uses lobtailing against whales and sweeping against humans
What sense does Ishmael believe is concentrated in the whale's tail?
- The sense of hearing, attuned to underwater vibrations
- The sense of touch, with delicacy rivaling an elephant's trunk
- The sense of spatial awareness and magnetic navigation
- The sense of temperature, detecting warm ocean currents
What is Ishmael's central claim about the relationship between strength and beauty?
- Strength inevitably destroys beauty and creates ugliness
- Beauty exists only in the absence of physical strength
- Real strength never impairs beauty but often bestows it
- Strength and beauty are fundamentally separate qualities
Which cultural figures does Ishmael invoke to support his argument that strength produces beauty?
- Homer, Virgil, and Dante as literary authorities
- Hercules, Goethe, and Michelangelo's God the Father
- Zeus, Neptune, and Prometheus from classical mythology
- Shakespeare, Milton, and the biblical King David
What two contrasting visions does Ishmael associate with the sight of whales peaking their flukes at sunrise?
- Angels ascending to heaven and demons falling into the sea
- Satan reaching from Hell and whales worshipping like Persian fire devotees
- Ships sailing to war and doves returning with olive branches
- Thunder gods hurling lightning and calm seas after a storm
How does Ishmael ultimately rank the whale's tail against the elephant's trunk?
- He considers them roughly equal in power and sensitivity
- He declares the elephant's trunk superior due to its prehensile ability
- He says the trunk is "but the stalk of a lily" compared to the tail
- He refuses to compare them, calling it an unfair analogy
What do some whale hunters claim about the tail's mysterious gestures, according to Ishmael?
- That they signal changes in weather and ocean currents
- That they are akin to Free-Mason signs and symbols of communication
- That they mimic the wing patterns of seabirds overhead
- That they represent the whale's emotional distress signals
What biblical allusion does Ishmael use to describe the whale's ultimate unknowability?
- Jonah being swallowed by the great fish and surviving
- Noah measuring the animals before boarding the ark
- God telling Moses "Thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen"
- Job questioning God about the creation of Leviathan
What is the meaning of Ishmael's concluding declaration, "I know him not, and never will"?
- He admits he has never personally encountered a living sperm whale
- He confesses that anatomical study can never fully reveal the whale's nature
- He acknowledges that Captain Ahab understands the whale better than he does
- He laments that the whale species is becoming extinct before it can be studied
Comprehension Quiz
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