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Quiz: Shadows of the Imagination III
HS: English 3B [M] (Prescriptive) (GP) / 6:American Renaissance Literature
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6.
Read the passage.

“Aye, Starbuck; aye, my hearties all round; it was Moby-Dick that dismasted me; Moby-Dick that brought me to this dead stump I stand on now. Aye, aye,” he shouted with a terrific, loud, animal sob, like that of a heartstricken moose; “Aye, aye! it was that accursed white whale that razeed me; made a poor pegging lubber for me forever and a day!” Then tossing both arms, with measureless imprecations he shouted out: “Aye, aye! and I’ll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition’s flames before I give him up. And this is what ye have shipped for, men! to chase that white whale on both sides of land, and over all sides of earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out.”
What message, or theme, is Melville developing in this passage from Moby-Dick?


Sacrifice in the line of duty is noble.

Commitment to a cause is admirable.

Heartache is an unavoidable part of life.

Vengeance can become obsessive.
6 of 10

Answer 1

In the passage from Moby-Dick, the theme that Herman Melville is developing relates to the idea that **vengeance can become obsessive**. The character expresses a deep, relentless desire to pursue Moby-Dick, the white whale, to the point of showcasing a possible fixation that drives him to chase the whale across vast and treacherous waters. This obsession reflects how vengeance can consume an individual, blinding them to the consequences of their pursuit.