Moby-Dick did not get much attention when Herman Melville first published it in 1851. The novel was not liked by the American audience and was not a commercial success. This work began to be celebrated as ‘the Great American Novel’ only in the 20th century.
Moby-Dick is the story of a heroic voyage in which Captain Ahab tries to kill Moby-Dick, a gigantic sperm whale. Ahab is the captain of a whaling ship named Pequod and on a previous expedition, the villainous whale bites off his leg. He now walks on a prosthetic leg made of whale’s bone. The whaling voyage of the Pequod ends up as a hunt for revenge on the whale, as Ahab forces the crew members to support his fanatical mission.
When Ahab finally sights Moby-Dick, he forgets all safety precautions and goes after it. This brings his own death; the novel ends with Moby-Dick dragging him to the bottom of the sea. Captain Ahab is remembered for his mastery over the waters and his sheer willpower that finally kills him. He is indeed a symbol of courage.
It took 18 months for Melville to finish writing this masterpiece. This was a year longer than he had expected. He did tremendous amounts of research to write Moby-Dick, consulting scores of scientific sources and historical events. He also had some first-hand experience in whaling as he had spent some time aboard the Acushnet, a whaling vessel.
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