Key Facts about Moby Dick
Publication Details
- Full Title: Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
- Published: 1851
- Author: Herman Melville
- Genre: Literary fiction, sea narrative, epic
Historical Context
- Written during the American Renaissance period
- Based partly on Melville's own whaling experiences
- Inspired by the true story of the whale ship Essex
- Published during the height of American whaling industry
The book was initially a commercial failure and only gained recognition after Melville's death during the "Melville Revival" of the 1920s.
Literary Significance
- Considered one of the Great American Novels
- Revolutionary in its narrative style and structure
- Combines multiple genres: adventure, scientific discourse, philosophical treatise
- Features extensive use of symbolism and metaphor
Narrative Structure
- Told primarily through first-person narrator Ishmael
- Contains various dramatic forms including:
- Soliloquies
- Stage directions
- Philosophical essays
- Scientific observations
- Sea shanties
Pay attention to how the narrative voice shifts throughout the novel, sometimes becoming omniscient despite Ishmael being the narrator.
Major Themes
- Obsession and monomania
- Man versus nature
