What reason might Melville have for including this meeting in the novel? How does it affect your perception of Ahab …

Explain what Ahab means when he says, “I am impatient of all misery in others that is not mad.” How …

In what ways does Ishmael describe the Pacific with images and references to center, or centrality? How might that connect …

“Top-heavy was the ship as a dinnerless student with all Aristotle in his head.” Is this anti-transcendental, or not? Explain. …

Explain what Ahab means when he says he’s “all aleak” himself. In that same paragraph, Ahab compares life to a …

In the first paragraph Ishmael makes  an observation about people, in general. Summarize it. Do you agree? Explain. In what …

What idea about whales does Ishmael attempt to convey here? Historically, is Ishmael right? Describe Ahab’s accident before the Pequod …

Why does Ishmael suggest that the whale’s skeleton gives an inaccurate sense of the whale? Explain the philosophical implications of …

Compare the passage in this chapter about weaving with the one in chapter 47. How do they differ? How is …

Captain Boomer is another foil for Ahab. What does this encounter add to the ideas you have about Ahab? What …