Flashcards on Major American Authors and Literary Movements
Major American Authors & Literary Movements: Roth, Potok, Glück
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19th-Century American Fiction & Realism: Melville & Moby-Dick Studies
42 cards
Card 1
Question: Who narrates the story of Moby-Dick and survives the shipwreck at the end?
Answer: Ishmael narrates the story and is the only survivor, rescued while holding Queequeg's coffin used as a life buoy.
Card 2
Question: What is Captain Ahab's secret mission revealed once the voyage starts?
Answer: Ahab's secret plan is to find and kill Moby Dick, the white whale that crippled him; he nails a doubloon to the mast as a prize for spotting the whale
Card 3
Question: Name the three mates and three harpooners aboard the Pequod.
Answer: Mates: Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask. Harpooners: Queequeg (Polynesian), Tashtego (Native American), and Daggoo (black).
Card 4
Question: How does Ahab's obsession affect the crew and who tries to resist him?
Answer: Ahab becomes completely obsessed and disregards danger; most crew comply despite fearing it will be fatal. Starbuck objects and has some strength to r
Card 5
Question: What happens to Ahab's private harpooner Fedallah during the chase?
Answer: Fedallah becomes trapped in the harpoon lines while lashed to the whale and drowns.
Card 6
Question: Describe the final encounter between Moby Dick and the Pequod.
Answer: Moby Dick attacks the Pequod; the ship breaks and sinks, creating a vortex that drowns the entire crew, including Ahab.
Card 7
Question: What unusual structural or stylistic feature does Moby-Dick have besides the central plot?
Answer: The narrative is frequently interrupted by interspersed chapters on whaling practice, scientific descriptions of whales, philosophical reflections, an
Card 8
Question: Why was Melville's inclusion of encyclopedic material in the novel considered unusual and possibly responsible for poor reception?
Answer: Because inserting scientific and industry information into a fiction disrupted the conventional novel form; Melville attempted to unite art and scienc
Card 9
Question: What symbolic object does Ahab use to motivate the crew and what is it called?
Answer: Ahab nails a golden coin, a doubloon, to the mast as a prize for the sailor who first sights Moby Dick.
Card 10
Question: What practical whaling events and incidents are mentioned among the voyage episodes?
Answer: The crew kills several whales and processes them for oil; Queequeg saves Tashtego from drowning; Queequeg becomes ill and has a coffin made which late