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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. According to the Preface, what is the primary reason for whale hunting?

2. How many men are in the small boat when it is first mentioned in the preface?

3. In what direction does the wind shift, allowing the boats to sail towards Peru?

4. What do Pollard and Daniel Russell, the captain of the Aurora, discuss in Chapter 4?

5. Where is the first whale spotted in Chapter 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What modifications are made to the whale boats in the beginning of Chapter 6?

2. How is Nantucket described in Chapter 1?

3. What is used to determine the wages of sailors that participate in whaling trips, and how will Nickerson be paid?

4. What are the first difficulties that the Essex experiences at the end of Chapter 2?

5. What well known island is part of the Society Islands and why should the crew have been aware of it?

6. How does Pollard's boat respond to being attacked by a whale in Chapter 7?

7. What does the Dauphin find in the Preface?

8. How is a whale killed by sailors?

9. How is the Essex described in Chapter 1?

10. What happens when the Essex meets the Aurora?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Before the Essex leaves Nantucket, a detailed account of its age, history, and condition is provided.

1) Explain the modifications and repairs that are done to the Essex before it leaves.

2) Describe the history of the ship, including its background, condition, and why it is considered to be lucky.

3) Analyze the connections between the condition of the Essex and its sinking.

4) Analyze Philbrick's style of writing in delivering the information about the Essex.

Essay Topic 2

Philbrick chooses to begin the story with the Dauphin's rescue of Pollard's boat. Use the book as a reference to discuss the reasons why he selects this particular event as the starting point. Also, include a description of the rescue and an analysis of the other facts about the upcoming tragedy that Philbrick discloses in the Preface.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze three possible theories about why the whale might have attacked the Essex. Use the book to reference the sources of these theories and the reasons behind them. Also, explain which one you think is the most logical and why.

(see the answer keys)

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