Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool! and since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!”

Question

Select the phrase or sentence in the excerpt from Moby-Dick that best expresses one of the novel’s primary themes.

A.
to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.

B.
while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale!

C.
Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale;

Answer 1

The phrase that best expresses one of the novel's primary themes is:

A. to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.

This sentence encapsulates the themes of obsession, vengeance, and the struggle against a powerful adversary, which are central to the conflict between Captain Ahab and the whale, Moby Dick.