1.

The character of Moby-Dick is best described as

A) a large white ship.

B) an overwhelming need to get revenge.

C) a large white whale.

D) a large fish catch.

2.

The action in the excerpt from Moby-Dick takes place in which of the following locations?

A) A fictional port town near Boston

B) Aboard the Pequod

C) On an unnamed steamer

D) In Alaska

3.

Which of the following characters was NOT one of the harpooners in the story?

A) Stubb

B) Queequeg

C) Tashtego

D) Daggoo

4.

Who is the narrator in Moby-Dick?

A) He remains unnamed

B) Ahab

C) Starbuck

D) Ishmael

5.

What did Ahab claim Moby-Dick was responsible for doing?

A) Sinking his ship and causing him to lose his commission

B) Annoying him by being different than other whales

C) Taking Ahab’s leg

D) Causing the loss of a huge payout by breaking free from an earlier capture

6.

Which of the following is NOT an element of an allegorical novel?

A) Characters

B) Setting

C) A complete story that gets a point across

D) A single scene that teaches a lesson

7.

What is the difference between an allegory and a symbol?

A) An allegory has a changing meaning, while a symbol stays the same in every use.

B) An allegory is a story that conveys ideas to teach a lesson, while a symbol can be one element that has multiple meanings.

C) A symbol can only be a thing, whereas an allegory is only about people.

D) An allegory is a type of story used only in early American literature, but symbolism remains popular today.

8.

Which of the following best describes what Captain Ahab symbolizes in the story?

A) The principle of forgive and forget

B) The bitterness of disability

C) The fact that heavy labor, such as whaling, is a young man’s job

D) The evils of being obsessed with revenge

9.

What does Ahab offer the crew for spotting Moby-Dick?

A) Extra days off

B) The position of captain when he retires after the voyage

C) The biggest meal rations

D) A $16 gold piece

10.

Why does Ahab offer a reward for spotting Moby-Dick?

A) It was required under the crew’s contract.

B) He hoped the promise would make the men more enthusiastic.

C) He believed that people must give to receive.

D) It was a direct order from the governor before departure.

11.

Which of the following best describes the nature of the crew?

A) They were highly educated scientists.

B) They were all condemned criminals.

C) They were kidnapped and forced to work.

D) They were from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures.

12.

Which crew member challenges Ahab’s pursuit of Moby-Dick?

A) Flask

B) Starbuck

C) Daggoo

D) Stubb

13.

Toward the end of the excerpt, on p. 334 of Elements of Literature, Melville states, “Yet not so much predictions from without, as verification of the foregoing things within. For with little external to constrain us, the innermost necessities in our being, these still drive us on” (This is an example of which literary element?

A) Foreshadowing

B) Irony

C) Tragedy

D) Symbolism