Epilogue Practice Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Epilogue
Who is the sole survivor of the Pequod?
Ishmael
What object saves Ishmael from drowning after the Pequod sinks?
Queequeg's coffin, which had been converted into a life-buoy
Which ship rescues Ishmael at the end of Moby-Dick?
The Rachel
Why was Ishmael in Ahab's whaleboat on the final day of the chase?
After the Parsee (Fedallah) disappeared, Ishmael was ordained by fate to replace Ahab's bowsman
What happens to Ishmael when the Pequod sinks?
He is slowly drawn toward the closing vortex, but it subsides before pulling him under
What Greek mythological figure does Melville compare Ishmael to as he revolves in the vortex?
Ixion, who was condemned to spin forever on a wheel
What biblical epigraph opens the Epilogue?
"And I only am escaped alone to tell thee" from the Book of Job
What does Melville call Ishmael in the final sentence of the novel?
An orphan
Why was Captain Gardiner's ship Rachel sailing the area where Ishmael was found?
The Rachel was retracing her search for Captain Gardiner's missing son, who had been lost during an earlier whale chase
What is ironic about the Rachel rescuing Ishmael?
Ahab had refused to help Captain Gardiner search for his lost son, yet Gardiner's ship ultimately saves Ahab's lone surviving crewman
How does Melville describe the sharks during Ishmael's time floating on the coffin?
They are "unharming" and glide by "as if with padlocks on their mouths"
How does Melville describe the sea-hawks during Ishmael's floating?
They sail with "sheathed beaks," suggesting a temporary natural truce
What does the coffin life-buoy symbolize in the Epilogue?
The intertwining of life and death, rebirth, and the endurance of friendship beyond death
How long does Ishmael float on the coffin before being rescued?
Almost one whole day and night
Why was the Epilogue significant in the publishing history of Moby-Dick?
The first British edition omitted it, causing critics to complain that the story was narrated by a dead man; the American edition included it to resolve this issue
What does Melville call the sea as Ishmael floats on the coffin?
A "soft and dirge-like main"
How does the vortex change by the time Ishmael reaches its center?
It subsides to a "creamy pool" and the black bubble at the axis bursts upward, releasing the coffin
What is the biblical significance of the name Ishmael?
In the Bible, Ishmael was Abraham's son cast out by his father, making him an archetypal outcast and orphan
What narrative purpose does the Epilogue serve?
It explains how Ishmael, the first-person narrator, survived to tell the story when the entire crew of the Pequod was destroyed
What word ends the novel Moby-Dick?
FINIS