Study Questions and Essay Topics
Study Questions
Was Maryk right to relieve Queeg of command?
Why do you think Willie joined the Navy? Why do you think he stuck with it, and even went so far as to volunteer for an assignment as dangerous as minesweeping?
Of the major influences on Willie (his mother, his father, May, Keefer, etc.), which do you think is the strongest?
Suggested Essay Topics
At the end of the novel, it is unclear whether or not May Wynn will accept Willie's marriage proposal. Do you think she will marry him? Why or why not?
Why do you think May Wynn sleeps with Willie during their vacation in Yosemite?
Discuss the ways in which Willie Keith matures over the course of the book.
Compare and contrast the line of captains of the Caine with Willie as he is at the end of the book. How does Willie integrate the various captains' traits as people and as leaders?
Does Willie Keith successfully follow the last advice of his father and the quotation from Ecclesiastes?
