Moby Dick Further Study Questions - Macmillan Readers

Further Study Questions Answer key Upper
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
You will find notes on how to answer this question, and a sample essay in Model essays.
Macmillan Readers Moby Dick 12
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