Moby-Dick Chapter Questions
Ch. 1
Loomings
Introduction This chapter sets the tone and the metaphysical
under pinnings of the entire novel. It bears
patience and understanding.
Answer these questions after you have read the
chapter.
Questions Answer the following questions fully in your journal.
1. Who was Ishmael?
Why is that an appropriate name for the main
character?
2. What is the tone of the narrator?
What words establish this tone?
Is this the tone you would expect?
3. Why does he go to sea?
What are the attractions of the sea?
Is that attraction true for everyone?
Explain.
4. Why does he go to sea "before the mast"?
Do you suppose there are reasons that he doesn’t tell
you?
5. Complete the quote "Who ain’t a slave..."
What might an answer to that rhetorical question be?
How does that relate to Emerson?
The Carpetbag
Introduction Like some chapters, this inter chapter addresses
some interesting issues, but only briefly.
Questions Answer the following questions after you have
finished the chapter.
1. Which port does he choose to leave from?
Why?
What was it’s status in whaling at the time?
What does that tell you about Ishmael?
2. What is "Euroclydon"
Why use that name?
The Spouter Inn
Introduction This is one of the most important and interesting
chapters in Moby Dick. Melville writes a comic
story that deals with all his precious whales, but
also with racism. How would you like to share a
bed with a head-hunter?
Questions Answer the following questions while you read the
chapter.
1. What is the painting Ishmael is trying so hard to
decipher?
Paintings used in writing always have a specific
meaning. Why do you suppose Melville included this
work?
2. Describe the bar part of the Inn?
3. What does a "scrimshander" do?
4. Why won’t he sleep with the Harpooneer?
5. How does the landlord increase his nervousness
about the harpooneer?
6. What odd things does Queequeg do before going to
bed?
Why does Ishmael stay in bed?
Why does Melville mention that it is "the best sleep
he has ever had."
Thought Who is more of the outcast in this chapter, Queequeg
Question or Ishmael? Explain..
How is this a chapter that involves prejudice? Do you
think Ishmael is having a prejudiced reaction when he
doesn’t want to share a bed with Queequeg?
A Bosom Friend
Introduction Another chapter that does pretty much what the
Spouter Inn did, but tighter.
Questions Answer all of the following questions.
1. Why is it important that he compares Queequeg to
Washington?
2. Why do you suppose "something melted" in
Ishmael and he warmed to Queequeg?
3. Is he being blasphemous, making friends and
worshipping with Queequeg?
4. Why does this chapter follow hard upon the
Sermon?
The
Answer these questions.
Nightgown
1. Why does Melville go so far as to put Queequeg
and Ishmael in bed together, smoking.
2. What does Ishmael mean by "nothing exists in
itself.
Biographical Answer these questions.
1. In your own words, describe Queequeg’s
background.
The Wheelbarrow
Introduction This is an odd, but telling chapter in the story.
Questions Answer the following questions after you have read
the chapter.
1. Why were the townspeople staring at Queequeg
this morning?
Why have the two of them become such friends?
Is Ishmael as committed to this friendship?
Show that.
2. What does the story of the wheelbarrow (and the
wedding feast) show?
What does it show about Queequeg’s character?
3. What does New Bedford look like from the sea?
What lesson does Ishmael take from this?
4. What happens on the boat?
What seems to be the meaning of the last sentence of
the chapter?
Do you think it is important that Queequeg never
says this, but Ishmael does for him?
5. Overall, was is the dominant message of this
chapter.
Nantucket
Questions Answer all of the following questions
1. What jokes does he make at the expense of
nantucketers?
2. How does he compliment them?
Knowing what you know about Ishmael, why might
he want to trumpet Nantucketers?
3. Look at the idea of "Naked Nantucketers,
swarming out of their anthill like so many
Alexanders...."
What contradictory ideas does this present?
What does this seem to say about their relationship
to nature.
Chowder
Introductory This is a light comedic part of the story, with one
ominous overtone.
Questions Pick one of the following questions.
1. What does Melville want you to laugh at on
Nantucket?
How did he use this same technique in New Bedford.
2. Death seems to haunt this book. How is death
present in this chapter?
Why does Melville make it appear so often?
The Ramadan
Introduction Queequeg attempts to purify himself against the
citron
Christians.
Questions Answer one of the following questions.
• Ishmael begins the chapter by writing of his respect
for anyone’s religious beliefs, but tries to break in on
Queequeg anyway. What does this show about our
Intrepid narrator?
• This chapter is clearly written to be comic. How
does Melville attempt to make it funny? Comment on
this.
His Mark
Introduction Queequeg becomes a rich man (in theory).
Questions Please answer one of the following questions.
• How religious are Bildad and his partner?
Why do they decide to take Queequeg on?
Do you take that as a positive character trait or a
negative one?
• According to Peleg, why does a pious harpooneer
make for a bad one?
Why might he think of a man as a shark?
How do shark fit into an Emersonian world view?
The Prophet
Introduction The first of many warnings comes to Ishmael.
Questions Answer one of the following questions.
• What does the prophet tell (and hint) about Ahab?
How does all this build up affect the portrayal of
Ahab?
What is the theme of all of these Ahab stories?
Is Ahab being portrayed as a Jonah? Explain.
• Why does the "prophet" wish them "Good-bye" as
he comes to the kernel of his tale?
Why, then, would he follow them?
Assume there is nothing supernatural going on. Why
is he following them?
• What is the importance of his name?
All Astir
Introduction The boat is prepared and two of the most
interesting characters in the entire narrative slip
out.
Questions Pick one of the following questions.
• Why must a whaling ship be "over-stocked"?
• Why does this woman do all the work?
Going Abroad
Introduction Finally, the Pequod leaves the dock and the story
begins.
Questions Answer all of the following questions.
1. What has Ishmael seen running to the boat?
Do they see them later?
Who could they be?
2. Where does Queequeg sit?
Why?
Why does the author include this?
3. What day is the Pequod set to sail?
What importance might that have for Ishmael?
Merry Christmas
Introduction The ship moves from the dock, out into the
harbor, and deep into the heart of an
impenetrable darkness.
Questions Answer all of the following questions.
1. Why isn’t the captain appearing?
Dramatically, why doesn’t Ahab appear?
2. How do they haul up an anchor?
3. What songs to the men sing?
What did Bildad want them to sing?
What symbolic importance might this little change
have?
4. What is the weather like as they leave port?
5. Why don’t Bildad and Peleg want to leave the boat?
Melville weighs their leaving with more weight than
you would think. How does he do that?
The Lee Shore
Introduction Welcome to your last vision of Bulkington. Enjoy
it.
Questions Answer one of the following questions.
1. What is the "lee shore"?
Why is it dangerous?
2. What sort of a man is Bulkington?
Many of the men in this book are representative.
What does B. represent?
3. What does the word "apotheosis" mean?
Why is it used there?
4. Melville refers to the sea as superior to land. In
what way?
The Advocate
Introduction This chapter begins Melville’s experimentation
with narration. Ostensibly in Ishmael’s voice,
Melville begins to lecture.
Questions Answer the following questions.
1. Why has whaling become an ignoble profession?
2. Why is the whale man more brave and noble than
the soldier?
3. Complete the quote: "For what are the
comprehensible terrors of man compared with
___________________________________"
4. What wonders has whaling brought about?
5. What honors were loaded onto the Whaleman of
the past?
6. How is this chapter organized?
Postscript
Introduction This is a tiny, little chapter.
Questions Answer both of the following questions.
1. What is the tone of this chapter? Compare it with
the tone of the first etymology-why might they be
similar?
2. What is the final cause of the whale man’s nobility?
Knights and Squires
Introduction This chapter introduces all of the main characters
on the boat. The answers to these questions
should be of considerable depth.
Questions Answer the following questions fully.
1. Describe Starbuck physically.
What is he supposed to embody?
Why is he named the way he is?
What do you suppose the word "careful" means to
Stubb?
What is the nature of Starbuck’s bravery
2. Why does this chapter have that odd incantation to
God?
How is God "democratic"?
3. Why does Starbuck get his own chapter?
Knights and Squires (again)
Introduction Starbuck taken care of, Melville moves on the rest
of the crew.
Questions Answer the following questions fully.
1. Describe Stubb physically.
What is he supposed to embody?
Why is he named the way he is?
How is he different from Starbuck?
2. Describe Flask physically.
What is he supposed to embody?
Why is he named the way he is?
How is he different from the other two mates?
3. Describe Tashtego and Dagoo?
What are the major differences between these two
men?
How about between them and Queequeg?
How are these three men different from the mates?
Ahab
Introduction This chapter introduces (finally) Ahab.
Questions Answer all of the following questions.
1. When does Ahab finally appear?
How is the emperor and dictator of the ship?
Melville initially describes him as something left
from a fire. What many things does that description
reveal?
2. What sort of scar does Ahab have?
Symbolically, what might that be?
Biblically, why might that be?
Why is the scar white?
3. Melville uses Ahab;s glance to describe his
character. What does his glance reveal?
Would this be a worrisome or a positive development
for a crewman of this boat?
What is his relationship to nature?
Enter Ahab; To Him, Stubb
Introduction Ahab begins to interact with the crew, but not all
that positively.
questions Answer one of the following questions.
1. Stubb has two reactions when Ahab kicks him.
What are they?
Why does he witrhdraw, somewhat confused?
Is he mad?
If he is, what is the nature of his madness-How does
he differ from other folks?
2. Why does Ahab hate sleep? (Thought Question)
The Pipe
Introduction This is a short, but revealing inter-chapter.
Questions Answer the following question fully.
• Why doesn’t the pipe sooth anymore?
Why can’t he be soothed?
Queen Mab
Introduction If you don’t remember her, Queen Mab is the fairy
queen of dreams, made famous by Mercutio and
Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet. In the play, the
Queen Mab speech begins innocently enough, but
ends in a flourish of anger.
Question Answer the following question fully.
• What was Stubb’s dream?
How might you interpret that dream?
If you assume Ahab is merely human, what does the
dream tell you about Stubb?
Why might the white whale be mentioned in this
chapter.
Cetology
Introduction This is yet another in a series of technical chapters
on whales.
Questions Answer all of the following questions thoroughly.
• What are the scientific errors made in this chapter?
• While this is ostensibly a scientific chapter, the logic
of the story and the will of the author continues.
What themes are present, even in this chapter?
• Melville alludes to Job yet again. Why is that story
so important to this novel?
• He ends the chapter with the phrase "Oh, this whole
book is but a draught, a draught of a draught." What
does that mean?
The Specksynder
Introduction Melville’s tone picks up some of his humor here,
in another chapter that will show Ahab.
Question Answer the following questions.
1. How are whaling ships different from other ships
(vis a vis Officers)
Why might Harponers be treated this way?
What does it say about Ahab, that he follows this
tradition?
2. Melville casually writes of the "paramount forms
and usages of the sea" Why might sailors be more
given to ritual than others?
Would you think Sailors might use masks (a la Lord of
the Flies?)
What is "sultanism"?
Why might a man use it?
3. According to Melville (and Ishmael) should the
truly great man use tricks of power.
Does Ahab?
What does he do?
Is this Emersonian?
The Cabin Table
Introduction The theory of the previous chapter is carried out
here.
Questions Answer two of the following questions.
• How does Ahab use his table as an example of
"sultanism"
• How do all of his mates bend to the power of the
captain?
• How do the harpooners usurp the captain?
The Masthead
Introduction The focus of the story now returns to Ishmael and
his odd ways.
Questions Answer the following questions as you read the
chapter.
1. Where is the Masthead on a ship?
Why would this be a dangerous and unproductive
place for Ishmael?
Symbolically, why would the Masthead be important
for Melville? (not the Tower of Babel allusion)
2. Why does he compare the masthead to all of those
other figures?
3. How well does Ishmael do his job?
Why is he (the young "Platonist") such a bad man for
a whale boat?
4. How does jab Emerson at the end of this chapter?
The Quarterdeck
Introduction Note how the games with narration continue. I
believe that Melville had more that he wanted to
do with this story, more than a first person
narration could do.
Questions Answer the following questions.
1. Complete the phrase "bigotry of ___________"
Why does he use the word Bigotry?
2. How do the men react to the exhortations of Ahab?
Psychologically, why do you suppose they get so into it?
3. What challenge does Ahab issue to his crew?
Metaphorically, why does he want to reward them with gold?
4. How do the harpooners react when they hear of the whale?
Why?
5. Why is Starbuck uneasy?
Why does he say he is uneasy?
Why does he fall to Ahab’s power?
6. Ahab has a great, thoughtful speech. What does he compare
all things (nature) to?
Complete the quote "the inscrutable thing is
___________________"
What does "inscrutable" mean?
Therefore, why does Ahab hate the whale?
What does the whale represent?
Why would the whale madden Emerson as much as it
maddens Ahab?
Is Nature good or evil, to Ahab?
7. Why is Starbuck struck silent?
8. Before Ahab toasts the harpooneers, Melville
makes an odd animal analogy. What is it?
Why is that strange?
9. What don’t the three mates have, that Ahab has in
abundance?
Why won’t they look him in the eye?
10. "I do not order ye, ye will it" What does this
mean?
Is this true?
11. What is the symbolic import of the toast?
What metaphors does Ahab use for the toast?
Why should this scene be so shocking to Starbuck and
the officers?
12. What has Ahab’s emotions been like for this
scene?
Introduction This is an important, but highly symbolic chapter.
Read it and weep.
Questions Answer the following questions.
1. What sort of crown sits on Ahab’s head?
Why is that symbolically important?
2. Why doesn’t the sunlight cheer him?
How did he get damned?
If he is Damned, what has damned him?
Explain.
3. How is Ahab’s madness different from ordinary
madness?
Why the word "demoniac"
Is Ahab’s madness something that could run in the
normal way for men?
Dusk
Introduction Ah, Starbuck....
Questions Answer two of the following questions.
• How do both Ahab and Starbuck use the idea of
"reason"?
• Why was Ahab able to overmatch Starbuck?
• How does Starbuck use the idea of the shark again?
• Where does the horror come from that Starbuck
notes?
First Night Watch
Introduction Oh, Stubb...
Quetions Answer one of the following questions.
• Why is a laugh the easiest answer?
• How is his attitude radically different from Ahab’s or
Starbucks?
• Why the titles of these last three (and the next)
chapter?
Midnight, Forecastle
Introduction All of the last three chapters have dealt with the
reverberations of Ahab’s speech. In this one, the
crew deals.
Questions. Answer the following questions.
• What is the difference between the two songs.
• Why are the sailors identified by location and not
by name? (ave Pip)
• Why is dancing an appropriate response to Ahab
(think Lord of the Flies)?
• Why should a fight pop up?
• What is the importance of this quote "God mad’st
the ring."
• What is Pip afraid of?
• How does this chapter make a hash out of color
symbolism?
Moby Dick
Introduction The chapter of the title is more than a little unruly
and chaotic. The first pages in particular are very
cumbersome.
Questions Answer two of the following questions
1. What does Ishmael admit to at the beginning of the
chapter? How is that a change for him?
2. Describe Moby Dick.
What and how did he do in Ahab?
What does Ahab ascribe to the whale?
3. Melville write of Ahab’s "monomania"-what is
that?
How is the madness cunning?
Why was the crew also obsessed by the whale?
The Whiteness of the Whale
Introduction This is an odd and famous chapter. Remember
what time of day it is in the story.
Also, this is a really heavy thinking chapter.
Questions Answer two of the following questions after you have
finished the reading.
1. Why does the color of Moby appall Ishmael?
2. What two "ideas" are in this hue?
Following the logic, then, how is whiteness
"sublime"?
3. In the end, how does whiteness mean the absence
of all meaning?
Hark
Introduction After two heavy lifting chapters, here is a light
one.
Questions Answer one of the following questions.
1. What does Archy hear?
What mystery do those noises connect to?
2. Why does that chapter come here?
The Chart
Introduction Ahab checks out the maps, looking for the white
whale.
Questions Answer two of the following questions.
1. What is Ahab doing to the chart and what is the
chart doing to Ahab?
What is the symbolism working here?
2. How is this plotting and mapping a perfect activity
for Ahab (shows his character?
3. How is fire used metaphorically at the end of this
chapter
The Affidavit
Introduction This is one of Melville’s lecture chapters.
Questions Answer two of the following questions.
• What is Melville attempting to prove in these
chapters?
What does that reveal about his audience?
• Does Melville believe whales are intelligent?
Explain.
• Does this chapter show whales as evil?
Explain.
Surmises
Introduction Ahab thinks it all out.
Questions Answer one of the following questions.
• Wat strength does Starbuck have?
Why is the metaphor of magnatism apt?
• What is Ahab going to do, in order to prevent
mutiny?
• How does Ahab show the captain as the servant of
his men?
The Mat-maker
Introduction Action....Thar she blows!!!
Questions Answer the following questions.
1. What is the mood of the ship at the beginning of
the chapter?
What are Queegueg and Ishmael doing?
What does he think they are doing?
How is all this dreaminess reminiscent of the
masthead?
What does Ishmael say of his free will (when the
whale is spotted)
How does this reflect on Emerson?
2. Why does ahab call for the time?
3. Who are the sailers with Ahab?
The First Lowering
Introduction The new crew goes a-whaling.
Questions Answer one of the following questions.
1. Melville makes pains to describe this new crew as
infernal. What words do this?
Why would Ahab have a devil crew?
Why shouldn’t the captain go in a whale boat?
2. What is the tone Stubb takes with his whalers?
Why is that effective?
3. What does Starbuck mean by duty?
4. What makes the sight of Dagoo and Stubb so odd?
How might that scene be read in 1850 America?
5. What happens as Queequeg throws the harpoon?
What happens to the boat?
Queequeg becomes a symbol. What is he a symbol of?
The Hyena
Introduction This is a short and strangely named chapter.
Questions Answer one of the following questions.
• What is Stubb’s reaction to Ishmael? What does
that tell you about our narrator?
• What mood hs overtaken Ishmael and buddies?
Why?
• What does Queequeg and Ishmael do at the end of
the chapter? Why is this a little silly for Ishmael?
Ahab’s Boat and Crew
Introduction We learn more about these strange new crewmen,
Questions Answer two of the following questions.
• What is wrong with the captain going whaling? On
the other hand, what is good about it?
• How had the crew explained his earlier
preparations?
• Where does Fedallah come from? Who is impled to
be his father?
How do these religious passages square with the
pursuit of the white whale?
The Spirit Spout
Introduction More mysticism and ambiguity.
Questions Pick one of the following questions
Ahab is said to walk on both life and death. How is
this so?
How is the spirit spout described? is it like all of
nature (or the sea from chapter 1? Explain.
How does Ishmael personify the sea near the Cape of
Good Hope?
The Albatross
Introduction A strange chapter, as two boats pass each other
Questions Answer one of the following questions
•What does the ship look like as it passes?
•Why doesn’t Ishmael look forward to going around
the world? Why has his opinion changed?
The Gam
Introduction This is a great old word, looking for a use in the
nineties.
Questions Answer one of the following questions
•What is a Gam? Why should Ahab stop?
•Why don’t other ships do it? Why do Whaleships?
•Why won’t the captain sit or stagger?
The Town-Ho’s Story
Introduction This is a long and very strange tale in the center of
the story. It is almost a joke Melville is playing.
Questions Answer one of the following questions
•How are the two men’s (Steelkit and Radney)
appearances different from their natures?
•What should the Captain have done with the
mutineers?
• What is the point of this story? Why is it included?
•Why might the church be accented so clearly? Does
Ishmael have religion?
Of the Monstrous Pictures of Whales
Introduction This chapter also goes off on a tangent, but it has
a clear focus by the end.
Questions Answer one of the following questions
•Why are the pictures of the whales wrong?
•How does the chapter support the idea that whales
are "inscrutable"?