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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. What happens to Hendricks' boat on January 14?

2. When does Pollard avert potential disaster after crashing into the French Frigate Shoals?

3. What happens to Chase before he dies?

4. What do the men do with Cole when he begins ranting incoherently?

5. How many days has it been since Pollard and Hendricks have lost sight of Chase's boat in the beginning of Chapter 11?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Chase's boat deal with a shark attack?

2. What leads to the rescue of Chase's boat?

3. What is the difference in the way Pollard and Chase are received when they return to Nantucket?

4. How does Chase choose the events to include in a book about the Essex?

5. What happens at the end of Chapter 11 when lots are drawn in Pollard's boat?

6. What difficulties is Chase's boat having in Chapter 11?

7. What request does Joy have before dying in Chapter 10?

8. How does Lawrence repair the leak in Chase's boat?

9. What does the exhibit for the Essex at the Whaling Museum feature?

10. How has has the town of Nantucket changed since the nineteenth century?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the lives of Pollard and Chase, their experiences before and after sailing on the Essex, their leadership styles, and how they are remembered.

Essay Topic 2

The whale's attack on the Essex is the turning point of the story and the ship's voyage.

1) Describe the behavior and actions of the whale when it is first sighted along with why they are considered strange.

2) Explain how the whale attacks the ship and the response of the crew members during the attack.

3) Discuss why Philbrick states in the Preface that the whale's attack on the Essex is only the beginning of the story.

Essay Topic 3

In the Preface, a general background of whaling is provided by Philbrick.

1) Describe the purpose of the Preface and the literary reasons for the information it includes.

2) Explain why sailors from Nantucket hunted whales and how the whales are typically killed.

3) Analyze the sperm whales as they are presented in the Preface along with why they are specifically targeted by whalers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 878 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample