Moby-Dick discussion questions Chapter 36 “The Quarter-Deck”
This is the first of several chapters presented in dramatic (play-like) style. What does Melville accomplish by changing this way?
How does Ahab motivate the sailors? What are his tactics?
What things does Ahab say that make you realize he’s not really just chasing a whale? In other words, cite some clues that Moby-Dick is more than a mere animal in Ahab’s eyes.
What are your sentiments toward Starbuck when he speaks up against Ahab? How does Ahab get Starbuck to back down? Find the passage in a previous chapter that foreshadows this.
In what ways is the ceremony at the end of the chapter quasi-religious? How would Bildad and Peleg have reacted to it? Why?
