Herman Melville is one of the most important writers in American literature. His reputation is based largely on one book, Moby Dick, now considered a great American classic novel. He also wrote two successful books, Typee and Omoo.
Early Life of Herman Melville
Herman Melville, the son of a wealthy import merchant, was born in New York City on August 1, 1819. His father died when Melville was 13 years old, leaving the family in poverty. He left school to support his family, working at various jobs as a clerk, farmhand, and teacher. At 20, he worked as a cabin boy on a ship that went to Liverpool back and forth, his first voyage experience.
Two years later, he joined the crew of the whaler Acushnet which sailed around Cape Horn and became a seaman bound for the Pacific. Melville then deserted the ship on the Marquesas Islands and lived with the islanders called the Typee people, a tribe of cannibals who treated him well until another ship rescued him and took him to Tahiti. He eventually landed in Honolulu, Hawaii and enlisted in the US Navy.
Melville's Works Inspired by Sea Experiences
After he left the navy at age 25 and inspired by his adventures at sea, Melville wrote novels based on his experiences. He returned to live in his mother's house in New York to write about his travels. He wrote his first book Typee but it was rejected by a Boston publisher so he published it in London, where it took off as a bestseller. He wrote Omoo, a sequel; this too was a success. His third book, Mardi and a Voyage Thither, a psychological and less romantic novel, did not make waves with the readers. He continued writing.
Something about Moby Dick
At 31, Melville moved to Pittsfield, Masachusettts. There he became a close friend of novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, famous for Scarlet Letter. Melville had almost completed Moby Dick when Hawthorne encouraged him to change it from a simple book about whaling to an allegorical and philosophical novel. On one hand, Moby Dick is the story of Captain Ahab's search for the fierce white whale known as Moby Dick. On the other hand, it is a story of a man's search for meaning in his life and a story of good against evil. He published Moby Dick in 1851 when he was 32.
Last Years of Herman Melville
Moby Dick was not an instant success but was only recognized as a masterpiece 30 years after his death. The manuscript of his final work, Billy Budd, was found in his desk after he died. Melville died on September 28, 1891, at the age of 72.
In Moby Dick, Melville wrote:"Methinks that what they call my shadow here in earth is my try substance. Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air."
Books by Herman Melville
- Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life, 1846
- Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas, 1847
- Mardi and a Voyage Thither, 1849
- Moby Dick, 1851
- The Piazza Tales, 1856
- The Confidence Man, 1857
- Billy Budd, 1924, published after his death
Sources:
Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una McGovern, Chambers, 2002
Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring, Larousse, 1994
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