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[[File:Moby Dick one.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Herman Melville]]__NOTOC__Herman Melville's <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393285006/ref=as_li_tl?ie=IntroductionUTF8&camp=1789&creative=There are many candidates for the title of the ‘Great American Novel’. One of the book’s that is often cited as the greatest American novel of all time is ‘Moby Dick’ 9325&creativeASIN=0393285006&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=b4c55d8d7996ba589e02a187eb6e441a Moby Dick]</i> (1851). This is perhaps not only one of the best-known novel in the English language and has been translated into almost every language. It is perhaps not only the most famous novel about whaling but also the most famous novel about the sea that was ever written. A popular Hollywood movie, starring Gregory Peck, based on the novel was made important works of fiction in 1967 and the work also inspired a mini-series, starring Ethan Hawke (2011)United States history. The story of the obsessive Captain Ahab and his pursuit of the White Whale have entered the popular imagination. This article will discuss if the novel While Melville's book is based on a real-life historical event and figures. ==The author of Moby Dick==Herman Melville, the author of the novel (1819-1892) was born in New York, into an affluent familyundoubtedly fiction, his father a merchant died when he was quite young. This left Melville and drew widely from his family in experiences as a precarious financial position whaler and dependent on relatives. The young man signed up to serve on a whaling ship and went to sea in 1840 onsome incredible stories of remarkably dangerous 19th-board a whaling ship. In the 19th century, whales were hunted for their oil. While at sea the young Melville had many adventures <ref> Delbanco, Andrew, Melville: His World and Work (New York: Knopf, 2005), p 23</ref>. In 1841 he jumped ship in Tahiti and later joined another whaler. He became involved in a mutiny on board this ship and was briefly jailed. Melville served as an ordinary seaman on a US Navy frigate before he eventually returned home. Soon he became a full-time writer and had great success with his first novel Typee, based on his own adventures<ref>Delbanco, p 145</ref>. His later works were not commercially successful and the book that he is best known for, Moby Dick was a complete failure. Melville was obliged to work as a custom’s official and continued to write poetry and prose, but they were largely ignored. He died penniless and forgotten in 1891 in New York. Since then his fame has grown and his novels, short stories, and poems are regarded not only as classics an extraordinarily accurate depiction of American literature but of World literature<ref>Delbanco, p 112</ref>. [[File:Moby Dick onelife at sea.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Herman Melville]]

Unsurprisingly for work as prominent as Moby Dick, it has been turned into a movie, starring Gregory Peck and a mini-series, starring Ethan Hawke (2011). Recently, even one of the stories that inspired the novel was turned into the movie In the Heart of the Sea (2015) starring Chris Hemsworth and directed by Ron Howard. So what real events and experiences inspired Melville to write <i>Moby Dick</i>? ====The plot author of the novelMoby Dick====The Herman Melville, the author of the novel opens with the narrator Ishmael looking for (1819-1892), was born in New York, into an affluent family, his father a ship, merchant died when he is was quite young. His father's death left Melville and his family in a precarious financial position and dependent on relatives. The young man who is seeking a purpose in life. He signs signed up to serve on a whaling ship and went to sea in 1840 on-board a whaling ship. Throughout the Pequod ,in Nantucket19th century,whales were hunted for their valuable oil. The captain of  While at sea the young Melville had many adventures.<ref>Delbanco, Andrew, Melville: His World and Work (New York: Knopf, 2005), p 23</ref> In 1841, he jumped ship is Ahab, who over the course of the novel is shown to be unstable in Tahiti and man possessedlater joined another whaler. Ishmael meets He became involved in a host of colorful characters mutiny on-board the this ship including Queequeg, and Fedallah, both harpoonerswas briefly jailed. Captain Ahab has lost his leg in  Melville served as an encounter with ordinary seaman on a gigantic white sperm whale and US Navy frigate before he is consumed by a desire for revengeeventually returned home. He nails Soon he became a gold coin to the mast full-time writer and states that he will give it to the had great success with his first man who sees the whalenovel Typee, based on his own adventures.<ref>Delbanco, p 145</ref> His later works were not commercially successful and the legendary Moby Dick. Ishmael soon realizes book that this he is not a typical whaling mission but a revenge mission. The Pequod sails around the globebest known for, hunting whales, but Ahab is only interested in finding Moby Dickwas a complete failure. The ships have a number of adventures including being battered by  Melville was obliged to work as a typhoon in the Pacific. One of the crew members prophesized that the whale will kill Ahab, this does not deter the one-legged captain custom’s official and he continues continued to pursue his vendetta. During the searchwrite poetry and prose, but they hear tales of the great white whale were largely ignored. He died penniless and forgotten in one instance they learn that it has recently sunk a ship1891 in New York. Finally, the Captain himself sees the whale and there begins a brutal three-day encounter between Ahab, Since then his men, and Moby Dickfame has grown. On the first dayHis novels, the captain and his crew attack the whale with harpoons from small boatsshort stories, but the white whale smashes the boat and nearly kills Ahab. Several sailors poems are lost that day. The following day Ahab and his crew again try and slaughter the whale regarded not only as classics of American literature but again it sinks the boats. On the third day, the captain once again, engages with Moby Dick, during this the whale is killed and Ahab also diesof World literature. The Pequod is badly damaged and sinks, and the only survivor is Ishmael, he floats in a wooden coffin until he is rescued<ref>Melville, Herman, Moby-Dick (London, Penguin BooksDelbanco, 2012)p 112</ref>.  ====The plot of the novel====

==The adventures Ishmael meets a host of Herman Melville==Melville was at sea for several years colorful characters on-board the ship including Queequeg, and had served on two whalersFedallah, both harpooners. During the mid-19th centuryCaptain Ahab has lost his leg in an encounter with a gigantic white sperm whale, whaling was and his desire for revenge consumes him. He nails a huge industry gold coin to the mast and states that he will give it employed tens of thousands of American sailors and was critical to the economy of first man who sees the North-East of whale, the United Stateslegendary Moby Dick. Melville’s description of life aboard Ishmael soon realizes that this is not a typical whaling ship mission but a revenge mission.  The Pequod sails around the globe, hunting whales, but Ahab is very accurate as a resultonly interested in finding Moby Dick. The manner ships have several adventures including being battered by a typhoon in which the sailors lived Pacific. One of the crew members prophesized that the whale will kill Ahab, this does not deter the one-legged captain, and he continues to pursue his vendetta.  During the difficult conditions that search, they endured are all very realistic. Many hear tales of the details of great white whale, and in one instance, they learn that it has recently sunk a ship. Finally, the Pequod are based on Melville’s own time spend on Captain himself sees the whaler Acushnetwhale, and there begins a brutal three-day encounter between Ahab, his men, and Moby Dick. This ship was owned by a Quaker who may have been On the first day, the captain and his crew attack the whale with harpoons from small boats, but the model for white whale smashes the character Bildadship and nearly kills Ahab. Several sailors are lost that day.  The following day Ahab and his crew of again try and slaughter the whale but again it sinks the boats. On the third day, the ship that Melville served on was very diversecaptain, they included Africansonce again, Europeansengages with Moby Dick. During this encounter, both the whale is killed and AmericansAhab are killed. As a result of the fight, Pequod is badly damaged and sinks, and many may have served as models for some of his most memorable creations. Some critics believe that the diverse crew served only survivor is Ishmael as he floats in a symbol for America and its many different ethnicities and groupswooden coffin until he is rescued.<ref> TalleyMelville, Sharon. Student Companion to Herman Melville. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood PressMoby-Dick (London, Penguin Books, 20072012), p 19</ref>.  ====The adventures of Herman Melville====

Melville was at sea for several years and had served on two whalers. During the mid-19th century, whaling was a huge industry and it employed tens of thousands of American sailors and was critical to the economy of the North-East of the United States. Melville’s description of life aboard a whaling ship is very accurate as a result.  How the sailors lived and the difficult conditions that they endured are all very realistic. Many of the details of the Pequod are based on Melville’s own time spend on the whaler Acushnet. This ship was owned by a Quaker who may have been the model for the character Bildad. The crew of the ship that Melville served on was very diverse. It included Africans, Europeans, and Americans. Many of his shipmates may have served as models for some of his most memorable creations. Some critics have argued that the diverse crew was a symbol for America and its many different ethnicities and groups.<ref> Talley, Sharon. Student Companion to Herman Melville. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2007), p 19</ref> ====The literary tradition====Melville was a great creative writer and was a voracious reader , and like every other author, he was part of a literary tradition. His imagination and his literary influences included Shakespeare, Homer , and the Bible. Much of the work is based on the imagination of the author and his preoccupations. Moby Dick is a work that is very symbolic and one of its main themes according to many critics is the search for God .<ref>Sten, Christopher. <i>Sounding the Whale: Moby-Dick as Epic Novel </i> (Ohio, New Kent State University Press, 1996), p 115</ref>. Ahab is possibly passed on the Israelite king who led the Hebrews away from the Lord. He was a worshipper of idols and many, readers in the 19th century would have, interpreted Ahab’s obsession with the whale as a form of idolatry worship and sinful. It is important to note that Melville was brought up in a strict Calvinist household .</ref> Delbanco, Andrew. Melville: His World and Work. New York: Knopf, 2005), p 113</ref> This interpretation is only one of the readings of the booksbook, which is remarkably complex. Another influence on the work is Shakespeare, many . Many believe that Ahab was based on great tragic heroes such as King Lear and Macbeth .<ref> Brodhead, Richard H., ed. New Essays on Moby-Dick (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1986), p 118</ref>. Another possible model for the one-legged captain was the character of Satan, in Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost. Melville was also greatly influenced by non-fiction works, ; these included the famous Two Years Before the Mast.  ====Sinking of the Essex====Many historians and Melville scholars believe that the main model for the Pequod and the story of Moby Dick was the tragic fate of the Essex. This was an American whaler, from Nantucket, Massachusetts. It was a very successful whaler and it was owned by a number of local citizens, which was the custom of the time. In 1820 , the ship was hunting whales in the South Pacific , and it was under the command of a Captain George Pollard.  While hunting , a huge sperm whale, it turned and attacked the vessel .<ref> Severin, Timothy, and Tim Serverin. In search of Moby Dick: Quest for the white whale (London, Little, Brown, 1999), p. 18</ref>. The Essex was so badly damaged by the mammal that it could not sail. The 20 men on board had little food and even less water and . They forced to leave the sinking ship in small boats in the hope of reaching land, but they were thousands of miles for the coast of South America.  The crew had no food and began to starve , and in desperation, they began to eat the bodies of those who died in the boat. When there were no more corpses to eat, the crew drew lots as to who would be killed and cannibalized. In total, the records differ, some seven or eight men were eaten by their crewmates. They were eventually rescued by a passing British ship. Only eight men, out of the original crew of twenty, survived <ref> Severein, p. 121</ref>. Some of the survivors left an account of the sinking of the Essex and their privations. The most popular account was written by Owen Chase, who was the first mate on the doomed ship. It appears that Melville read this work, Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex and even met Chase’ son. There are striking similarities between the fate of the Essex and the Pequod. They were both, whalers, attacked by huge sperm whales which led to the loss of life. However, there are some differences, the chief one is that there is no cannibalism in the 1851 book. In 2015 a movie ‘In the heart of the Sea’, was made based on the crew of the Essex. ==Mocha Dick==In the work, the gigantic whale attacked the Pequod and sank it, killing all the crew, except Ishmael. In the 19th century, there were several instances of, mainly sperm whales attacking whalers, but they were very rare. However, more ships were damaged or sank after collisions with the mammals. Among one of the well-known examples of this whale, attacks were the Essex. One possible model for the white whale was Mocha Dick <ref>Severein, p.99</ref>. This was an albino sperm whale who was described as gigantic and coated with barnacles and was very aggressive. He lived in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Chile, and was often seen near the Island of Mocha. This was how he came to be named as Mocha Dick and he was an astonishing 100 feet long. The whale had possibly up to 100 encounters with whalers and he survived them all <ref>Severein, p 118</ref>. Sometimes if he did not feel threatened he would meekly swim net to a ship. If he was threatened by a harpooner he would strike boats with his massive fluke (at the end of his tail) or leap from the water and fall on the vessel. The whale became something of a legend, especially among mariners in Massachusetts. It was claimed that he was killed in 1838 and that it took twenty harpoons to kill him. However, it was also reported that he was seen in the Arctic. There were many reports of huge white sperm whales in the 19th century and Mocha Dick was not unique. There are undoubted similarities between this whale and Moby Dick, such as its color, size, and aggression. It seems that Melville was aware of the story and it inspired him when he was writing his most memorable novel. ==Conclusion==Moby Dick is an amazing read and its plot and language make it a unique piece of art. One of the reasons why the book is so memorable was its detail and its realistic depictions of life on a whaling ship and the dangers of whaling in the 19th century. Melville’s great work is so powerful because it is in large part based on actual historical events that the author actually experiences and witnesses. Moby Dick offers great insight into the whaling industry in the 19th century. Melville appears to have based many of the characters he created on his old shipmates. It also seems that he was greatly influenced by the tragic fate of the Essex and its crew. However, he only used elements of the story. Then it is almost certain that he had heard of the remarkable Mocha Dick and other huge white sperm whales. The tales of Mocha Dick no doubt, inspired the American writer in the creation of perhaps the most famous novel of the sea. However, the story of Moby Dick was also greatly influenced by the literary tradition, especially Shakespeare. The magnum opus of the New York-born author was also inspired by the bible, evident in its symbolism. The reader should see Moby Dick as a composite, of real historical events and the imagination of its author.

They were eventually rescued by a passing British ship. Only eight men, out of the original crew of twenty, survived.<ref> Severein, p. 121</ref> Some of the survivors left an account of the sinking of the Essex and their privations. The most famous account was written by Owen Chase, who was the first mate on the doomed ship. It appears that Melville read this work, <i>Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex</i> and even met Chase’ son. There are striking similarities between the fate of the Essex and the Pequod. In both, whalers were attacked by a colossal sperm whales which led to the loss of life. However, there are some differences, the chief one is that there is no cannibalism in the 1851 book. In 2015 a movie ‘In the heart of the Sea’ was made based on the crew of the Essex.  ====Mocha Dick====In the book, a gigantic white whale attacked the Pequod and sank it, killing all the crew, except Ishmael. In the 19th century, there were several instances of, mainly sperm whales attacking whalers, but they were very rare. However, more ships were damaged or sank after collisions with the mammals. Among one of the well-known examples of this whale, attacks were the Essex. Another possible model for the white whale was Mocha Dick.<ref>Severein, p.99</ref> This was an albino sperm whale who was described as an extraordinarily aggressive giant (over 100 ft.) who was coated with barnacles. He lived in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Chile, and was often seen near the Island of Mocha. This why he was named as Mocha Dick.  The whale had possibly up to 100 encounters with whalers, and he may have survived all of them. <ref>Severein, p 118</ref> Sometimes, if he did not feel threatened he would meekly swim net to a ship. If he was threatened by a harpooner, he would strike boats with his massive fluke (at the end of his tail) or leap from the water and fall on the vessel. The whale became something of a legend, especially among mariners in Massachusetts. It was claimed that he was killed in 1838 and that it took twenty harpoons to kill him.  However, it was also reported that he was seen in the Arctic. There were many reports of huge white sperm whales in the 19th century, and Mocha Dick was not unique. There are certain similarities between this whale and Moby Dick, such as its color, size, and aggression. It seems that Melville was aware of the story, and it inspired him when he was writing his most memorable novel. ====Conclusion====Moby Dick is an amazing read, and its plot and language make it a unique piece of art. One of the reasons why the book is so memorable was its detail and both its realistic depictions of life on a whaling ship and the dangers of whaling in the 19th century. Melville’s great work is so powerful because it is in large part based on actual historical events that the author's actual experiences. Moby Dick offered great insight into the whaling industry in the 19th century. Melville appears to have based many of the characters he created on his old shipmates. It also seems that he was greatly influenced by the tragic fate of the Essex and its crew. However, he only used elements of the story.  It is almost certain that he had heard of the remarkable Mocha Dick and other huge white sperm whales. The tales of Mocha Dick, no doubt, inspired the American writer in the creation of perhaps the most famous novel of the sea. However, the story of Moby Dick was also greatly influenced by the literary tradition, especially Shakespeare. The magnum opus of the New York-born author was also inspired by the bible, evident in its symbolism. The reader should see Moby Dick as a composite of real historical events and the imagination of its author.{{Mediawiki:AmNative}} ====Further Reading====Bercaw, Mary K. , [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0810107341/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0810107341&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=dc3db1116c1e7b86db26367ed922fdd7 Melville's Sources ] (Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 1987).

Kelley, Wyn (, ed.)[https://www. (2006)amazon. com/gp/product/1119045274/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1119045274&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=77bdeb3c685406e3e3495d4410123a23 A Companion to Herman Melville]. (Blackwell Publishing, 2006) ====References====<references/>[[Category:Wikis]][[Category:United States History]] [[Category: Historically Accurate]] [[Category:19th Century History]]