Melville's first three novels, Typee (1846), Omoo (1847) and Mardi (1849), were very well received and won the writer fans in the U.S. and elsewhere. However, his popularity was not to last. In fact, after the sucess he experienced during the 1840s, Melville's popularity quickly declined and did not recover during the author's lifetime.
Melville's Sixth Novel
Moby Dick, also called The Whale, was first published in 1851. At the time, critics felt that the novel was too long and that the character of Ahab was unrealistic. The book was not a commercial success either. Many readers were put off by the long, heavily descriptive passages.
It is now widely espoused as being ‘ahead of its time’, and it was not until after Melville’s death that the book began to receive recognition for its brilliance. Moby Dick is an epic tale. Viewed in its simplest form it is a story of one man’s singular obsession.
Melville and Whaling
Melville had a long standing fascination with whaling, and had even been a sailor aboard whaling ships. While there, he had heard many tales of ferocious whales and one particular famous harpooning sometime in the 1830s, when a whale named Mocha Dick was killed. Clearly, Melville was captivated by life on the sea and the mysticism of the creatures which inhabited it. Many of his longer passages are focused on descriptions of ship equipment and of the whales themselves.
Synopsis of Moby Dick
The novel is told from the point of view of Ishmael, a sailor who is on his way to Nantucket to join the crew of a whaling ship. On the way he meets Queequeg, a harpooner. The pair both decided to join a ship called Pequod, which is captained by the eccentric Ahab. It soon becomes clear that Captain Ahab is only interested in perusing one particular whale: Moby Dick.
Moby Dick is a large fierce white whale which once destroyed Ahab’s craft and bit of his leg, which is now replaced by an ivory one. However, as with many literary cases of revenge Ahab’s obsession becomes insane and dangerous.
Melville chooses to write this novel in the first person, using Ishmael as his narrator. This is perhaps an interesting choice as it is seemingly Ahab who is the protagonist. However, this literary device allows the reader to only examine Ahab through another’s eyes. This in turn makes for a more mysterious character, because Ishmael does not know all there is to know about Captain Ahab, neither does the reader. This creates more suspense and drama within the novel.
A Novel of Epic Proportions
The novel is truly of epic proportions. Melville does not sacrifice description in order to focus tightly on the plot. This, although it can be off-putting to some, immerses the reader in the world of whaling and allows them to fully experience and understand what life was like on one of these ships. And to this end, it is obvious that Melville’s own experiences have been extremely valuable.
Samantha Markham - Samantha Markham is a professional freelance writer with a particular passion for literary and theatrical subjects.
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