3
QuizMultiple Choice

Symbols in Moby-Dick — Quiz

Question 3 • English Language Arts 11

Which excerpt from Chapter 28 of Moby-Dick best develops the theme of the novel concerning humankind’s insistence on manufacturing its own destruction?

Answer
A
Nevertheless, ere long, the warm, warbling persuasiveness of the pleasant, holiday weather we came to, seemed gradually to charm him from his mood.
B
And not only that, but moody stricken Ahab stood before them with a crucifixion in his face; in all the nameless regal overbearing dignity of some mighty woe.
C
There seemed no sign of common bodily illness about him, nor of the recovery from any.
D
Whether that mark was born with him, or whether it was the scar left by some desperate wound, no one could certainly say.

Explanation

The image of Ahab bearing “a crucifixion in his face” suggests intense suffering and a path toward destruction. In the novel, Ahab’s obsessive pursuit of the whale helps bring about that destruction, showing how people can drive themselves toward ruin. The other excerpts describe the weather, Ahab’s apparent health, or uncertainty about a scar without developing this theme as strongly.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

Previous
Next