Chapter 93 - The Castaway Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

by Herman Melville

Comprehension Quiz: Chapter 93 - The Castaway

Why is Pip placed in Stubb's whaleboat?

  • He volunteers for extra pay and experience
  • Stubb's after-oarsman sprains his hand during the ambergris affair
  • Captain Ahab orders Pip to learn whaling firsthand
  • The crew draws lots and Pip is selected at random

What causes Pip to leap from the boat during the whale hunt?

  • The boat begins to take on water from a leak
  • A harpooned whale strikes the bottom of the boat beneath his seat
  • He is startled by Tashtego's war cry from the bow
  • A wave throws him off balance and he falls overboard

Who holds the boat-knife and asks "Cut?" when Pip is tangled in the whale line?

  • Stubb, the second mate leading the boat
  • Queequeg, who serves as Starbuck's harpooneer
  • Tashtego, standing in the bows full of the fire of the hunt
  • Flask, the third mate supervising from another boat

What does Stubb say a whale is worth compared to Pip?

  • Ten times what Pip would earn in a lifetime
  • Thirty times what Pip would bring in Alabama
  • A hundred barrels of oil more than Pip's yearly wages
  • More than the entire crew's pay combined for a voyage

What is the "true motto in whaling" that Stubb shares with Pip?

  • "Never turn your back on a whale in open water"
  • "A dead whale or a stove boat, no other outcome"
  • "Stick to the boat," though sometimes leaping is better
  • "The sea takes what it wants, so take it first"

What happens when Pip jumps from the boat the second time?

  • Stubb immediately turns the boat around to rescue him
  • Tashtego dives in after him and pulls him back aboard
  • Stubb leaves him behind, expecting the trailing boats to rescue him
  • The whale drags the boat back toward Pip by chance

How is Pip eventually rescued from the ocean?

  • Stubb returns after realizing the other boats missed him
  • Another whaling ship spots him drifting in the current
  • By the merest chance, the Pequod itself comes upon him
  • Queequeg convinces Starbuck to divert and search for Pip

What metaphor does Melville use to foreshadow that Pip's suffering will reveal hidden qualities?

  • A candle burning brightest just before it goes out
  • A diamond placed against a dark background and lit by unnatural gases
  • A star that can only be seen during the darkest nights
  • A pearl formed inside an oyster through years of irritation

According to Melville, what does the sea do to Pip's soul?

  • It strengthens his soul by testing his courage at sea
  • It keeps his finite body up but drowns the infinite of his soul
  • It washes away his memories and leaves him with no identity
  • It fills his soul with rage against Stubb and the crew

What does Pip see during his transcendent experience, according to Melville?

  • The spirits of drowned sailors calling out from the deep
  • God's foot upon the treadle of the loom and coral insects heaving colossal orbs
  • A vision of the Pequod's destruction by Moby Dick
  • The bones of ancient whales littering the ocean floor

What does Melville mean by "man's insanity is heaven's sense"?

  • That God punishes the wicked with madness as divine justice
  • That what seems like madness to humans may be celestial understanding
  • That only the insane are brave enough to challenge heaven
  • That heaven drives men mad to keep its secrets hidden

How does Melville compare Pip and Dough-Boy at the beginning of the chapter?

  • As two cowards who both fear the sea equally
  • As a black pony and a white one of equal size but dissimilar color and intellect
  • As the youngest and oldest members of the Pequod crew
  • As the best musician and the worst cook on the ship

What role do "shipkeepers" serve aboard a whaling vessel?

  • They navigate the ship while the captain is in his cabin
  • They work the vessel while the boats pursue the whale
  • They guard the valuable oil barrels stored below deck
  • They maintain order and discipline among the crew on watch

What does Stubb's reference to Pip's worth "in Alabama" allude to?

  • Alabama's reputation as a center for ivory trading
  • The slave trade and the market price of an enslaved person
  • Pip's hometown where his family could pay a ransom
  • The low wages paid to sailors at Alabama's seaports

Who does the narrator say should not be blamed too harshly for Pip's abandonment?

  • Captain Ahab, who set the ship's ruthless priorities
  • Tashtego, who wanted to cut Pip loose from the line
  • Stubb, because such abandonment was common in the fishery
  • The trailing boats, whose crews failed to spot Pip in the water

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