Question

read the excerpt from chapter 41 of moby-dick.
the white whale swam before him as the monomaniac incarnation of all those malicious agencies which some deep men feel eating in them, till they are left living on with half a heart and half a lung.
what theme of the novel does this excerpt best address?
○ nature’s indifference to humankind
○ humankind’s indifference to nature
○ the self-destructive nature of obsession
○ the personal empowerment that comes from obsession

Explanation:

The excerpt describes the White Whale as a “monomaniac incarnation” of malicious agencies that make men live with “half a heart and half a lung”. This shows that the obsession (with the whale, as seen in Ahab's quest) is self - destructive, harming the people who are obsessed. The other options don't fit: “nature’s indifference” and “humankind’s indifference” are not addressed here, and obsession is shown as destructive, not empowering.

Answer:

C. the self - destructive nature of obsession