Question

i was struck with the singular posture he maintained. upon each side of the pequod’s quarterdeck, and pretty close to the mizzen shrouds, there was an auger hole, bored about half an inch or so into the plank. his bone leg steadied in that hole, one arm elevated and holding by a shroud, captain ahab stood erect, looking straight out beyond the ship’s ever - pitching prow. there was an infinity of firmest fortitude, a determinate, unsurrenderable willfulness in the fixed and fearless forward dedication of that glance. not a word he spoke, nor did his officers say aught to him. though by all their minutest gestures and expressions, they plainly showed the uneasy, if not painful, consciousness of being under a troubled master - eye. not only that, but moody, stricken ahab stood before them with a crucifixion in his face in all the nameless, regal, overbearing dignity of some mighty woe. (source) 1. when the sailor mentions that captain ahab was \dismasted\ in line 18, to what is he referring? (a) someone in ahab’s family had died. (b) captain ahab has only one leg. (c) the boat ahab was taking crashed. (d) none of the crew knew why ahab was so gloomy. 2. the narrator’s description of captain ahab suggests that ahab is (a) stubborn (b) vengeful (c) weak (d) corrupt

Explanation:

Question 1

To solve this, we analyze the passage and options. The passage describes Ahab's "bone leg" (a prosthetic), so "dismasted" here likely refers to losing a leg (like a ship losing a mast). Option A is about family death (not supported), C is about a boat crash (not in passage), D is about crew not knowing his gloom (not related to "dismasted"). Option B matches the bone leg detail.

The passage says Ahab has "a determinate, unsurrenderable willfulness" and "firmest fortitude" in his gaze, and "unsurrenderable" suggests stubbornness. Vengeful (B) isn't directly shown here, weak (C) contradicts "firmest fortitude", corrupt (D) has no support. So A (stubborn) fits.

Answer:

B. Captain Ahab has only one leg.

Question 2