Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, Chapter 66 - The Shark Massacre quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Why does the crew delay cutting-in the whale when it is captured late at night?

   • The captain insists on a religious ceremony before any whale is processed aboard ship
   • Correct answer: The cutting-in is exceedingly laborious, requires all hands, and cannot be quickly completed
   • The whale must soak in seawater for several hours to soften the blubber before cutting
   • The ship's try-works must cool down fully from the previous whale before processing a new one

   Ishmael explains that cutting-in "is an exceedingly laborious one; is not very soon completed; and requires all hands to set about it," so the crew waits for daylight.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What is an anchor-watch as described in this chapter?

   • A special lookout posted at the bow to watch for approaching whales during the night
   • A device attached to the anchor chain that alerts the crew if the ship begins to drift
   • Correct answer: A rotation of two-man pairs who mount the deck for an hour each to ensure all goes well
   • A single experienced officer who remains on deck throughout the entire night shift

   Ishmael describes "anchor-watches" as "two and two for an hour, each couple, the crew in rotation shall mount the deck to see that all goes well."

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3. 3

   Question 3. Why is the standard overnight plan particularly dangerous in the Pacific on the Line?

   • Tropical storms can arise suddenly and tear the whale carcass free from the ship
   • Rival whaling ships may steal the captured whale under cover of darkness at night
   • Correct answer: Incalculable hosts of sharks would reduce the whale to a skeleton by morning if left unguarded
   • Strong ocean currents on the equator can drag the moored whale beneath the ship's hull

   Ishmael warns that "such incalculable hosts of sharks gather round the moored carcase, that were he left so for six hours, say, on a stretch, little more than the skeleton would be visible by morning."

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4. 4

   Question 4. What is the ironic result of stirring sharks with whaling-spades in some instances?

   • The sharks scatter temporarily but then return in much greater numbers than before
   • Correct answer: The procedure only seems to "tickle them into still greater activity" and increased aggression
   • The blood from wounded sharks attracts even more predators from distant waters
   • The noise of the spades striking the water drives the sharks deeper beneath the whale

   Ishmael notes that vigorously stirring the sharks with spades, "in some instances, only seems to tickle them into still greater activity."

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5. 5

   Question 5. What vivid simile does Ishmael use to describe the sea swarming with sharks?

   • He compares the sea to a battlefield strewn with soldiers fighting over the spoils of war
   • He likens the scene to a pack of wolves circling a fallen deer on a frozen winter lake
   • Correct answer: He compares the whole round sea to "one huge cheese, and those sharks the maggots in it"
   • He describes the ocean as a boiling cauldron with the sharks as bubbles rising to the surface

   Ishmael writes that "any man unaccustomed to such sights...would have almost thought the whole round sea was one huge cheese, and those sharks the maggots in it."

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6. 6

   Question 6. Who takes the anchor-watch after Stubb's supper and fights the sharks?

   • Starbuck and Flask, the first and third mates of the Pequod, armed with harpoons
   • Tashtego and Daggoo, the experienced harpooneers from the second and third whale-boats
   • Correct answer: Queequeg and a forecastle seaman, who lower cutting stages and lanterns over the side
   • Ishmael and Pip, the narrator and the cabin boy, standing watch with long poles

   The text states that "Queequeg and a forecastle seaman came on deck" and immediately began fighting the sharks from cutting stages.

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7. 7

   Question 7. Where on the sharks' bodies do the mariners aim their whaling-spades?

   • They strike at the sharks' dorsal fins to immobilize them and prevent further feeding
   • They aim for the sharks' gills, which are the most exposed and vulnerable area
   • Correct answer: They strike deep into the sharks' skulls, which are seemingly their only vital part
   • They target the sharks' bellies, slicing upward from the cutting stages below

   Ishmael describes the mariners "striking the keen steel deep into their skulls, seemingly their only vital part."

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8. 8

   Question 8. What grotesque behavior do the wounded sharks exhibit?

   • They leap out of the water and crash against the hull of the ship in blind fury
   • Correct answer: They snap at each other's disembowelments and bend round to bite their own entrails
   • They form a tight circle around the whale carcass and refuse to let any others approach
   • They ram the cutting stages repeatedly, nearly knocking the sailors into the water

   The text describes how "They viciously snapped, not only at each other's disembowelments, but like flexible bows, bent round, and bit their own."

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9. 9

   Question 9. What phrase does Ishmael use to describe the life force that persists in dead sharks?

   • "An unholy spark of Satan's own fire" that smolders in the bones of every shark
   • "A demonic willfulness" that keeps the body animated well beyond natural death
   • Correct answer: "A sort of generic or Pantheistic vitality" lurking in their very joints and bones
   • "An infernal mechanism of nature" designed to make the shark dangerous even in death

   Ishmael writes: "A sort of generic or Pantheistic vitality seemed to lurk in their very joints and bones, after what might be called the individual life had departed."

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10. 10

    Question 10. What happens when Queequeg tries to handle a dead shark hoisted on deck?

    • The shark's tail thrashes and knocks Queequeg across the deck into the scuppers
    • Correct answer: The shark's dead jaw almost takes Queequeg's hand off when he tries to shut it
    • The shark's skin cuts Queequeg's palms because its hide is as rough as sandpaper
    • The shark suddenly rolls over, pinning Queequeg beneath its considerable weight

    The text states that "one of these sharks almost took poor Queequeg's hand off, when he tried to shut down the dead lid of his murderous jaw."

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does Queequeg say about the god who created sharks?

    • "Queequeg think shark no have god—shark be his own god, eat everything, fear nothing at all"
    • Correct answer: "De god wat made shark must be one dam Ingin"—meaning the creator must be savage or cruel
    • "Shark him belong to Fejee devil—no good god make creature dat bite after him dead already"
    • "Nantucket god him make whale—but shark, him come from dark place under the sea bottom"

    Queequeg declares: "wedder Fejee god or Nantucket god; but de god wat made shark must be one dam Ingin," suggesting the creator of such a vicious animal must be malicious.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What is the whaling-spade made of and how is it maintained, according to the chapter's footnote?

    • Cast iron shaped in a mold, sharpened once before each voyage on a grinding wheel
    • Correct answer: The very best steel, always kept as sharp as possible and occasionally honed like a razor
    • Hammered copper reinforced with brass rivets, polished daily to prevent saltwater corrosion
    • Hardwood tipped with a forged blade, replaced after each whale because it dulls so quickly

    The footnote states the whaling-spade "is made of the very best steel" and "This weapon is always kept as sharp as possible; and when being used is occasionally honed, just like a razor."

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13. 13

    Question 13. What does the word "voracity" mean as used in this chapter?

    • The ability to move swiftly and silently through the water when hunting prey
    • A tendency to attack in large coordinated groups rather than as individual predators
    • Correct answer: Extreme greediness or ravenous hunger—an insatiable appetite for consuming food
    • The instinct to defend territory aggressively against all intruders and rivals

    Ishmael writes of the sharks' "wondrous voracity," meaning their extreme, ravenous hunger that drives them to devour the whale carcass.

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