Moby Dick Further Study Questions - Macmillan Readers

Further Study Questions Answer key Upper 

Moby Dick 

Further Study Questions 

Plot 

1 Chronology of events in the story 

1 Ishmael decides to go to sea. 

2 Ishmael meets Queeqeg. 

3 A man warns Ishmael against joining the crew of the Pequod. 

4 Ishmael sees a group of mysterious men join the ship. 

5 The Pequod meets a ship (the Rachel) that has lost a boat during the hunt for the white whale. 

6 Ahab sees Moby Dick for the first time. 

7 The Pequod is struck by an electrical storm. 

8 Fedallah is pulled from his whaling boat by Moby Dick . 

9 Moby Dick attacks the Pequod. 

10 Queeqeg’s coffin floats to the surface of the sea. 

2 Importance of events in developing the story 

1 Ishmael decides to go to sea 

This is the beginning of the story, our introduction to a new world, which is also a new world for 

the narrator and guide. 

2 Ishmael meets Queeqeg 

Queeqeg represents Ishmael’s ideas about life on a whaling ship. Queeqeg is larger than life, 

frightening and fascinating, and that is how Ishmael feels about life at sea. Queeqeg also 

introduces us to the superstitions that surround this new life. 

3 A man warns Ishmael against joining the crew of the Pequod 

Ishmael meets Elijah on a foggy morning. The fog adds to the atmosphere of mystery. His warnings 

are the first sign that the journey will not be straightforward. He is the first person to speak about 

the myths surrounding Captain Ahab. 

Macmillan Readers Moby Dick 1 

This page has been downloaded from www.macmillanenglish.com. It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. 

© Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009. Published by Macmillan Heinemann ELT. Heinemann is a registered trademark of Pearson Education, used under licence.


4 Ishmael sees a group of mysterious men join the ship 

These ghostly figures also add to the atmosphere of mystery and of supernatural forces surrounding 

the Pequod. 

5 The Pequod meets a ship (the Rachel) that has lost a boat during the hunt for the white whale 

The boat is a reminder of the dangers of hunting Moby Dick. But Ahab is too obsessed to pay any 

attention to the warnings or to stop and help the captain find his missing son. 

6 Ahab sees Moby Dick for the first time 

The captain had offered a reward to the first seaman to see Moby Dick, but Ahab sees him first. This 

seems right because the hunt for the great white whale is very personal to Ahab, it is about one 

man’s search for revenge. 

7 The Pequod is struck by an electrical storm 

The crew of the Pequod are terrified by the storm. They see it as a sign that the journey is cursed. 

The storm is coming from the east, where Moby Dick is. The men want to turn round and go home 

but Captain Ahab stands up to the storm. His crew do not know who they are more afraid of, Ahab 

or the storm. But Ahab beats the storm. From this point there is no turning back. Ahab has shown 

how determined he is. 

8 Fedallah is pulled from his whaling boat by Moby Dick 

In their second attempt to catch Moby Dick, Fedallah was caught up in Ahab’s line and pulled out of 

his boat and to his death. So the first part of Fedallah’s prophecy came true. He had said he would 

die before Ahab. 

9 Moby Dick attacks the Pequod 

Ahab’s whaling boat is the only one left in the water, but instead of attacking Ahab, Moby Dick 

attacks the Pequod. He breaks a hole in its side and the ship sinks with the whole crew. The current 

created by the ship as it sinks pulls the last whale boat and the rowers down under the water with 

it. Only Ishmael survived. 

10 Queeqeg’s coffin floats to the surface of the sea 

The only thing that remains of the ship once it has sunk is Queeqeg’s coffin. Ironically, the coffin 

saves Ishmael from the sharks until he is eventually picked up by the Rachel as she continues her 

search for her missing whaling boat. 

3 The role of prophecies in Moby Dick 

1 “Any man who sails on that ship will never return.” (p 20) 

Elijah: This prophecy almost comes true; Ishmael is the only man to survive the voyage. 

2 “Beware of the white whale! … Think of your whaleboats, holed and sunk! Think about 

your men, lost or drowned!” (p 37l) 





Gabriel: This prophecy is fulfilled. By the end of the journey all the whaleboats will have been holed 

and/or sunk; most of the men will have been lost or drowned. 

3 “You won’t die until you have seen two hearses on the sea …the first hearse will not be made by 

human hands. The second will be made from a tree that was grown in America.” (p65) 

Fedallah: This prophecy is fulfilled. The first hearse is a prophecy of his own death; the second 

hearse will be the Pequod when it sinks and takes the crew with it. 

4 “I shall die first and show you the way.” (p65) 

Fedallah: This prophecy is also fulfilled – Fedallah dies before Ahab. 

5 “I shall not die before I kill Moby Dick!” (p65) 

Ahab: His prophecy does not come true as Ahab dies and the whale lives. 

6 “And only rope can kill you old man.” (p 65) 

Fedallah: This prophecy also comes true. Ahab dies when his harpoon rope wraps around his neck 

and pulls him into the sea. 

4 Ships’ importance in telling us about the business of whaling and the hunt for Moby Dick 

The Albatross 

Unlike the Pequod, which is just setting out on its journey, the Albatross had been at sea for a long 

time and is on its way home. The condition of the ship and the seamen give an idea of what lies ahead. 

a The Albatross makes clear the hardship of life aboard a whaling ship. 

b The two ships do not communicate with each other and no information is exchanged about 

Moby Dick. 

The Jeroboam 

The crew and captain of the Jeroboam are superstitious. Gabriel, an old seaman who seems to have 

lost his mind, never leaves the ship as the captain thinks that would bring bad luck. 

a The Jeroboam highlights the superstitious nature of sailors, and illustrates another danger of life at 

sea: illness and the quick spread of diseases. 

b The captain tells a tale about how Moby Dick singled out and attacked a whaler, hitting him 

with his tail and sending him flying to his death. The story helps to add to the myth and legend 

surrounding the whale. 

The Jungfrau 

The German ship has had no luck on its journey so far. It has caught no whales and it has run out of oil. 

a The encounter shows that the whaling ships had a strange relationship. They were quick to help 

each other in trouble, but were also competing for the same whales. In the description of the race 

for the old blind whale, many details of the mechanics of whaling are described, as is the fact that 

the whalers often worked hard to catch a whale only to find themselves having to let it go to save 

their ship. 

b The German ship had not heard about Moby Dick and no information is exchanged about the 

whale. 





The Rose-bud 

The captain of the Rose-bud is inexperienced and doesn’t realise that dead whales don’t contain any 

useful supplies of oil. He is insisting that the men put up with the terrible smell and try to extract oil 

just the same. The seamen are sick of the smell and want to get rid of the whale, but the captain will 

not listen to reason (in this way he is similar to Ahab, an unreasonable captain that pushes his crew 

into suffering conditions they are not happy with). 

a The encounter teaches us a lot about the products of whaling, about the competitive nature of the 

job and about how important experience is. 

b The French sailors have not heard of Moby Dick and no information is exchanged. 

The Samuel Enderby 

The captain of the Samuel Enderby contrasts strongly with Ahab. Both men have lost limbs because of 

the white whale, but their attitude to their loss is completely different. The Englishman doesn’t want 

revenge, he is glad that he escaped with his life and is not interested in hunting Moby Dick any more. 

He thinks that Ahab is mad to go after him. 

a The encounter doesn’t really teach us anything new about whaling ships, except that it is a hard 

life, with ships’ doctors treating patients in extreme circumstances. 

b The English captain describes Moby Dick as an enormous whale, bigger than any other whale he’s 

ever seen, strong and impossible to catch as well as dangerous to hunt. He says that Moby Dick 

plans his attacks on ships. The story adds to the myth growing around the figure of the whale. 

The Bachelor 

The crew of the Bachelor, including the captain, are all celebrating their good luck. They are singing 

and dancing and drinking. Their journey has been very successful and they will soon be home. This is 

how life could be for the seamen on the Pequod if their captain was not so obsessed with chasing the 

white whale. This is the happy return home that they will never see. 

a We learn about the importance of taking home as much sperm oil as possible, the custom of picking 

up islanders from Polynesia and the festive atmosphere of a successful journey. 

b The captain has heard of the white whale but he has not seen him, and doesn’t want to. This 

attitude may be part of the ship’s good luck. They are not interested in myth or superstition, only in 

finishing their job and getting home to celebrate. 

The Rachel 

The Rachel has seen Moby Dick the day before. The crew need Ahab’s help, but he is too obsessed with 

the idea of chasing Moby Dick to stop. 

a More details about the dangerous work of whaling, of how ships get lost and the story of the 

captain’s boy shows us how this hard, dangerous life is shared by boys as young as 12 years old. 

b The whale is getting nearer and more real, and so is the danger. The boat that chased Moby Dick 

has been lost. There’s no clue as to what might have happened to it. The suspense and thrill of the 

chase, and the general sense of urgency, is growing. 





The Delight 

As the Pequod gets nearer to the whale they see more evidence of its destructive power. But the 

warnings just make Ahab more anxious to catch up with Moby Dick. 

a The burial at sea is yet another example of the hard reality of life at sea. 

b The captain’s tale is very simple; the broken whale boat and the burial show how powerful the 

whale is. 

Essay question 

u 

See ANSWER KEY – p108 OF READER 

Moby Dick is a sea adventure. Discuss how prophecies, superstition (a belief in the 

power of magic and luck) and stories told by other whalers add to the mystery and 

suspense of the plot. 

Sample essay 

You will find notes on how to answer this question, and a sample essay in Model essays. 

ChArACTErS 

1 Analysis of three main characters 

Ahab’s driving obsession with the white whale and his willingness to sacrifice everything in order to kill 

it, his ability to motivate his whalers to join the hunt with enthusiasm and the glimpses of his quieter, 

sadder side make Ahab a fascinating character. 

Ishmael is interesting because he provides us with a way in to this strange world. He is a bridge 

between the ‘real world’ and the world of the whaling ships. He sees things with new eyes and 

explains the routines and rituals to us. This makes him interesting. 

Moby Dick is most interesting because of the questions he raises. Is he really seeking revenge? Or is 

this just a projection of human motives on to an animal? What does Moby Dick represent? Does he 

represent the power of nature? Is he evil, is he good? Is he beyond good and evil because these are 

human concepts? All these questions make Moby Dick a very interesting character and help us explore 

the layers of meaning in the novel. 

It is up to you to decide which character you find most interesting – choose a character and 

then explain why you have made that choice. 





Ahab 

2 Describing Ahab 

Mad: Ahab is not clinically insane. He is fully aware of the consequences of his decisions, but he is 

driven. Sometimes he seems to want to stop the hunt but can’t. However, he is lucid and intelligent, 

although his decisions may be described as ‘crazy’. 

Superstitious: Ahab shows his superstition on more than one occasion, especially surrounding 

his harpoon: he asks his harpooners to cool the harpoon with their blood; he baptises it with fire 

during the typhoon; he insists on choosing his own team for his whaling boat and listens carefully to 

Fedallah’s prophecies. 

Charismatic: Ahab is very charismatic. He succeeds in filling his crew with enthusiasm for the hunt. 

Even though they think he is crazy, they are willing to follow him. At one point he realises that he 

could damage his relationships with the crew if he pushes them too far. They want to stop to repair 

the oil barrels; he wants to continue the hunt. He senses the danger of insisting on having his own 

way, and, for once, puts the crew’s feelings before his own. 

Obsessed: He only thinks about the whale. Every conversation he has with every passing ship is about 

Moby Dick. During these conversations he is only interested in finding out where the whale is and 

where he’s heading. He does not stop to help the Rachel even though he knows the captain personally. 

He dreams about the whale, but he also dreams about his own death. Hunting the whale is more 

important to him than anything else in his life, more important than his own life. 

Other possible adjectives to describe Ahab: stubborn, selfish, tortured, revengeful, destructive, 

single-minded, strong-willed. 

3 Ahab’s character within the book 

Is Ahab a good captain? Does he look after his boat and crew? Does he think about the needs of 

other boats at sea? 

He is an efficient and effective captain. His crew obey and respect him. The whaling boat functions 

efficiently and the crew seem content. In this way he is a good captain. But he is willing to put his 

men and his boat in danger in order to get his revenge on the whale. Even when Fedallah is killed in 

the hunt, he does not stop. On more than one occasion he is asked to help other ships, but he refuses, 

because he can only think about Moby Dick. In this way, he is not a good captain. 

Is he a good leader of men? How does he persuade the whalers to help him hunt down Moby Dick? 

Think about how he uses the sailors’ fears and superstitions. 

Ahab knows how to motivate his crew. Early in the voyage he calls all the crew on deck and he explains 

the purpose of the voyage. He first uses competition to motivate and get them interested in Moby 

Dick. He hammers a gold coin to the mast. The first sailor to see the white whale will win the coin. He 

then explains the reason for the hunt and calls on his crew to support him: 

‘To chase that white whale all over the earth until he spouts black blood and dies. Will you do 

that?’ 

‘Yes, yes,’ shouted the harpooners. ‘Death to Moby Dick! Death to Moby Dick!’ 





Later he plays on their superstitions and fears. When the ship is caught in a typhoon, Starbuck thinks 

the ship is cursed and wants to turn for home. But Ahab quickly takes control of the situation. He 

shows the men that he is stronger than the storm, and the men’s fear is turned from the storm to him. 

They quickly and quietly go back to their positions. 

Does Ahab have to die? What would he have done with the rest of his life if he had succeeded in 

killing Moby Dick? 

Ahab’s need for revenge is his fatal flaw, the weakness in his character that will eventually destroy 

him. Whether we believe in the superstitions or not, the logic and rhythm of the story, powered by 

Fedallah’s prophecies, seem to make Ahab’s death inevitable. As each part of Fedallah’s prophecy, 

including his own death, comes true, the feeling that Ahab cannot survive the chase becomes stronger. 

It is almost impossible to imagine what Ahab would have done if he had killed Moby Dick. Would he 

have been able to sail quietly home to Nantucket and live a quiet life without the excitement and 

the obsession of the chase? Maybe he would have retired, spent some time with his family, telling his 

stories of the great white whale until he grew old and grey. 

Why is killing Moby Dick so important to Ahab? 

We aren’t given an answer to this question. We only know that killing Moby Dick is more important to 

him than anything else: 

‘I’ll kill you, even if it takes the last breath in my body!’ 

It is as if Moby Dick has challenged him by taking his leg, and he cannot ignore the challenge. It is also 

part of Ahab’s character, he ‘can’t stop until it’s finished’. 

Moby Dick 

4 More than just a whale 

What do we know about the great white whale? 

He is infamous amongst whalers and there are many stories told about him, ‘some true and some 

imagined’. Some say that he is the biggest sperm whale they’ve ever seen. 

He isn’t actually all white, only his hump and his head are white. And he’s got ‘a great white spout that 

sends water high into the sky’. There are three or more harpoons stuck in him. Ahab claims that they 

are his. Many men died trying to catch him and various stories tell how he attacked whaling boats and 

harpooners that were chasing him, using his tail, biting and surfacing under boats. 

Moby Dick bit off Ahab’s leg in a previous meeting, when the captain jumped on the whale’s back and 

attacked him with a knife. Moby Dick also once knocked a harpooner who was shouting wildly at him 

out of his ship with his tail. The harpooner was never seen again. 

Who gives us the information? 

The crew of the Pequod, Captain Ahab, other whalers, the crew and captains of whaling ships the 

Pequod meets on her voyage, both directly and through Ishmael’s narration. 

Is the whale trying to kill Ahab? 

Many of the stories describe how Moby Dick turns back to attack the ships and boats that are chasing 

him. It is not unusual for a hunted animal to defend itself by attacking and, when they attack, they are 

dangerous and ready to kill. 





I would argue that Moby Dick is not deliberately setting out to kill Ahab. We see evidence of this in 

the final three-day battle. Although on the first day the whale does attack Ahab’s boat, he does not 

attack the captain once he is in the water, but swims away. On the second day of the final battle when 

Fedallah is killed, Moby Dick again sends Ahab and his whaling boat crashing into the water. Ahab is 

left floating in the water for some time, but Moby Dick does not attack him. 

On the third day, Moby Dick first attacks the other two whaling boats, but leaves Ahab’s alone. 

Starbuck begs Ahab to give up the hunt: 

“It’s not too late to stop the hunt! Look how Moby Dick swims away from you. It is you who 

look for him, not he who looks for you. Let him go, sir!” 

What does the whale represent? 

It has been suggested that Moby Dick represents God, evil, fate and the power of nature. He is seen 

as all-powerful and god-like. He is described as destructive and aggressive, attacking whaling boats 

and killing whalers, and so he might be seen to represent evil. If we see Ahab’s death as inevitable, 

then Moby Dick is a symbol of Ahab’s tragic fate: to die at his own hands (or by his own rope) killed by 

his obsessive need for revenge. Moby Dick can also be seen as a symbol of the power of nature, and 

Ahab’s hunt as man’s obsessive need to control and overcome the powers of nature. 

Ishmael 

5 Ishmael’s character 

What do we know about Ishmael and his past life? Why does he decide to go whaling? 

We know very little about Ishmael’s past life. We know that he has been to sea before and that he 

chooses to go to sea when he is feeling irritable and bad-tempered and because there is nothing on 

shore to interest him. He chooses to be a sailor because he cannot afford to be a passenger, but he 

doesn’t want to be a captain because ‘I do not want to be responsible for other men’. He is fascinated 

by whales and whaling ships and it is his dream to hunt and catch a whale. 

Ishmael tells the story of Moby Dick. Can we trust his descriptions of events and people? Why/why 

not? 

On the surface, Ishmael seems to be a fairly reliable narrator. He describes scenes and actions in 

detail and does not pass judgement on the characters he describes. But his narration is a first person 

narrative, and therefore is subjective. 

As a character in the novel, he is simply one of the crew, yet he escapes the common fate that awaits 

the whole crew, the ship and its captain. He is the only survivor and this affects his narration. He 

is telling the story with hindsight. He knows what happens at the end of the hunt, and the whole 

rhythm, pace and shape of his narrative is influenced by this. 

We have to question his reliability when he narrates events that he never actually witnessed, for 

example, when Starbuck picks up Ahab’s gun and considers the possibility of killing the captain and 

rescuing the crew from their fate. 





Imagine Ahab is the survivor, not Ishmael. In what way would the story be different? 

If Ahab were the narrator, there would be much less information about the day-to-day life on board 

the ship, about the sailors’ thoughts and fears about the mechanics of whaling. His narration would be 

about Moby Dick, about the whale’s habits, where he usually swam, what he ate, what signs showed 

him that he was getting nearer. It might also include details about his dreams of coffins and hearses, 

his thoughts on Fedallah and his prophecies and his ideas about how to motivate his crew. From a 

practical point of view, it would have to be told in the form of a ship’s log, or a journal, to be found 

floating on the sea by the Rachel, once the Pequod had sunk. 

Essay question 

Discuss the character of Ahab. He is stubborn, selfish, revengeful and 

destructive, but there are times when we feel pity for him. Explore both 

sides of the man, his obsession and his humanity. 

Sample essay 


Themes 

The whaling industry 

1 What we learn from the novel 

Sperm whales 

We learn that sperm whales at the time were plentiful, and that they often swam together in great 

schools in the Pacific Ocean and the waters around Japan. Their oil was very valuable and there was a 

strong sense of competition between the whaling ships. 

Sperm oil 

We do not learn a lot about sperm oil, but it was obviously a very valuable commodity and would earn 

the crew a lot of money once on shore. 

Ambergris 

Ambergris is very valuable because it is very rare. It is a thick white substance which is found in the 

stomachs of sick whales. It is not known whether ambergris causes – or is caused by – that sickness. It is 

used to make perfumes and candles and can also be used for cooking. 

The process of hunting a whale 

We learn that the whaling ships carried smaller boats that were lowered from the ship to chase the 

whales. The harpooners travelled on these boats and threw their harpoons at the whales. There was a 

rope at the end of the harpoon and the whalers used this to pull in the whale, and once it was within 

reach they killed it. The whale was then dragged to the ship and lifted onto the side. 





The crew of a whaling ship and their various tasks 

The crew of a whaling ship was made up of a number of different members. Some crew members were 

responsible for sailing the ship; some also rowed the smaller whaling boats. Each whaling boat had its 

own crew, with its own captain and a harpooner. There were carpenters to repair any damage to the 

boats and to build barrels to hold the oil as well as other wooden objects, and there were blacksmiths 

who made the harpoons and the other weapons. Although there were many levels of command – chief 

mates, second mates, third mates, and so on – the whole crew worked closely together, sharing the 

tasks and living together in very close quarters (close together). One of the most important tasks was 

that of the lookouts who climbed the ship’s masts to keep a lookout for whales. The same men who 

hunted the whales were responsible for collecting and storing the oil. 

2 Working on a whaling ship in the 19 th century 

This is a subjective question and there is no right or wrong answer. Here is an example of what you 

might write in answer to this question. 

It would have been a very hard life. Ships would set sail on three-year voyages, making only very 

brief stops to restock. Life onboard was uncomfortable and dangerous. Crews sailed in all kinds of 

conditions, and faced storms and pirates as well as the dangers of whaling. Men and whaling boats 

were often lost in the hunt and if you didn’t die in an accident there was the possibility of dying of a 

tropical disease. However, it could be very profitable if the whaling went well. 

revenge 

3 Ahab’s lust for revenge 

Do you think it is understandable for Ahab to want revenge? 

Considering the loss of his leg, it is possible to argue that Ahab’s desire for revenge on Moby Dick is 

understandable. However, whilst this may be a reason for his revenge, it is not an excuse. We would 

never consider the idea of revenge on an animal to be reasonable, as his lust for retribution is not 

justifiable or rational – even if Moby Dick were a human being, the fact is that Ahab has hunted him, 

several times, and that the whale is acting to defend itself, not to punish its hunters. Ahab himself 

does not explain the reasons for his feelings so we can only speculate as to his reasoning. Perhaps it is 

Ahab’s pride that has been wounded; Ahab tells Starbuck that he has been whaling for 40 years – we 

can speculate that this may be the first whale that had succeeded in fighting back? 

What price does Ahab pay for his revenge? 

His own death, the death of his crew and the sinking of his ship. 

What does Ahab’s obsession with Moby Dick tell us about the nature of revenge? 

That it is destructive and that we can never know what the consequences might be. 





Superstition 

4 The great squid 

“The dead body of a great squid,” said Starbuck. “Very few whaling ships see one and return 

home to tell anyone about it.” 

“When you see a squid,” he told me as he pointed his harpoon toward the sea, “you’ll soon 

see a sperm whale.” 

The first statement is based on superstition, the second on fact, as sperm whales are known to feed on 

giant squid. 

5 ‘Signs’ 

The typhoon (pp66–69) 

When the typhoon first hits the ship and damages Ahab’s whaling boat, Starbuck blames the storm on 

Moby Dick. Then, when the masts light up with ‘flames’, Starbuck sees another bad omen, while Stubb 

tries to fight his fear and claims that it is a good sign, but Ahab claims that the ‘white flame lights the 

way to the white whale’. 

When Ahab’s harpoon lights up with the strange white flames, Starbuck sees this as a sign that the 

voyage is cursed. He calls to the captain and the crew to put up new sails and head for home. The crew 

are ready to follow his orders but Ahab picks up the harpoon and blows away the flame, trying, at the 

same time, to blow away his crew’s fears. 

The crew are not happy but they return to their work, Ishmael speaks for the whole crew as he sums 

up their horror and amazement at what they have just seen: 

‘For a moment, we could not move. Then with terror in our eyes, we quickly went away from 

him. We could not believe what we had seen.’ 

The sound of seals calling to their young (pp70–72) 

Some of the crew say that they are mermaids; the oldest member of the crew says that they are the 

voices of the ghosts of newly-drowned sailors. They do not look for a rational explanation. Ahab 

explains that they were probably the sound of seals calling their young. This doesn’t help. The sailors 

believe that seals bring bad luck and blame them when a lookout falls from the mast and dies. Ishmael 

also believes in the superstitions: 

‘It was the seals that had brought us this piece of bad luck, not Moby Dick—that’s what we 

told each other.’ 





6 The power of superstitions 

As the ship gets close to Moby Dick, superstitions seem to become more important to Ishmael and 

the other sailors than fact. Discuss why this happens and what it tells us about the sailors and their 

feelings about the hunt. 

In the first part of the voyage, Ishmael is fascinated by all the details of life aboard a whaling ship. He 

describes the first chases and the process of whaling in detail. He brings the strange world of the ship 

to life for us, and creates a solid background for the story to come. But, once the hunt is announced, 

and as Ahab becomes more and more anxious in his search for the whale, so the narration begins to 

focus more on the suspense. The superstitions promise bad luck, but Ahab pushes the ship forward. 

He no longer has time for anything but the hunt. His obsession is infectious, and the crew get caught 

up in his enthusiasm. But the stories they hear from other ships warn of the dangers ahead, and this 

is magnified by the sailors’ superstitions. Ishmael no longer describes the routine aboard ship; he 

concentrates wholly on the hunt. 

Essay questions 

As well as an amazing story about an amazing adventure, Moby Dick is also a 

record of life aboard a whaling ship in the mid 19 th century. What do we learn 

about the whaling industry from the novel? 

Discuss how Ishmael gradually introduces us to the world of Captain Ahab 

and the great white whale. How are other people’s descriptions and 

stories are used to introduce the characters long before they make a direct 

appearance? 

Discuss the great white whale. What does Moby Dick represent? In what 

ways does the whale represent different things to different people? Think 

about the crew of the Pequod, and the captains and crews of other ships 

they meet on their voyage. 

Sample essay

Moby Dick Further Study Questions - Macmillan Readers

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?