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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does the Town-Ho's captain have to put the ship into port?

2. What emotion does the narrator of "Cock-a-Doodle-Doo?" say he has never felt since the rooster died?

3. What is unusual about the pork at the Coulters' dinner table?

4. What human assumption does Melville say is the most preposterous?

5. What surprises the narrator of "Cock-a-Doodle-Doo?" about the owner of the rooster?

Short Essay Questions

1. What stylistic devices does Melville use to give the reader the feeling of the rooster's crow in "Cock-a-Doodle-Doo"?

2. How is the accuracy of copy verified by scriveners?

3. Why does Melville come to believe that some buccaneers on the isle of Albermarle must have been gentlemen?

4. Why does Melville believe that American poor suffer more than European poor?

5. In "The Happy Failure," what is the uncle's great invention?

6. Why does Melville call Redondo the "aviary of the ocean"?

7. What verb tenses does Melville use in "The Two Temples" to bring immediacy to the story?

8. Why is the direct route for an ocean voyage not always the fastest or best, according to Melville in "The Encantadas"?

9. How does the narrator respond the first time Bartleby answers a request with, "I would prefer not to"?

10. What does the captain decide to do with Steelkilt and those who followed him in insubordination?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Melville frequently reveals the character of a narrator through the narrator's observations and reactions to another character. "Bartleby the Scrivener" and "Benito Cereno" are examples of this technique. Select one of the stories in which the narrator reveals himself. Discuss how the character is revealed and the effectiveness of this technique for you as a reader.

Essay Topic 2

Several of the stories in this collection deal with relationships between men and women. Using at least two stories as a basis, evaluate Melville's understanding of the status of women in his society and culture. Did he agree with, condemn, or remain neutral about the rights of women?

Essay Topic 3

An allegory is a story that is in itself a symbol or represents an idea. Select one of Melville's allegories, such as "The Piazza" or "The Bell Tower" to analyze in terms of its symbolic significance.

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