At the beginning of the story, we meet the narrator, who tells the tale of Captain Ahab and the crew of his ship, the Pequod. Ca
ptain Ahab soon reveals the purpose of this voyage, which is to hunt down a white whale that injured him. Before long, the whale is sighted. As he tries unsuccessfully to capture the whale, Ahab is killed. Those who follow Ahab meet the same fate, and the Pequod is destroyed. The conflict has been resolved and order restored — at the expense of the Pequod, its crew, and its captain. At the end of the novel, the narrator explains how he lived to tell the tale. Which sentence describes the falling action of the story?
A. Captain Ahab soon reveals the purpose of this voyage, which is to hunt down a white whale that injured him.
B. The conflict has been resolved and order restored — at the expense of the Pequod, its crew, and its captain.
C. As he tries unsuccessfully to capture the whale, Ahab is killed.
D. At the beginning of the story, we meet the narrator, who tells the tale of Captain Ahab and the crew of a ship, the Pequod.
B. The conflict has been resolved and order restored — at the expense of the Pequod, its crew, and its captain.
Explanation:
The falling action is the section of a narrative that follows the climax of a story. During the climax, the story peaks in terms of excitement. After this moment, the narrative slows down. The conflicts are resolved and the story approaches its end. This is the section of the story that describes the falling action, as it follows the death of Ahab and his crew.
B. The conflict has been resolved and order restored — at the expense of the Pequod, its crew, and its captain.
In literature, the falling action comes after the climax, when the main conflict has been reached and finds a resolution. In "Moby D*ck," by Herman Melville, the falling action occurs after Captain Ahab and his crew are killed by the whale.
The correct answer is C. Miller. This is because all of the other characters fit other classes with their looks, behavior, and stories. The miller however is just a simple worker. The miller's story however fits his social status, and is a comical tale full of inappropriate behavior.
