{"id":4189,"date":"2016-01-07T02:13:44","date_gmt":"2016-01-07T09:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.litquotes.com\/blog\/?p=4189"},"modified":"2016-01-07T10:21:48","modified_gmt":"2016-01-07T17:21:48","slug":"moby-dick-by-herman-melville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.litquotes.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/moby-dick-by-herman-melville\/","title":{"rendered":"Moby Dick by Herman Melville"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Moby<\/a>Moby Dick<\/em> was written by Herman Melville. The work was first published as The Whale<\/em> in London in October 1851. \u00a0 The next month New York publishers issued the novel as\u00a0Moby-Dick<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Moby Dick<\/em> is based in part on Melville’s experience on a whaler. On December 30, 1840, he signed on as a green hand on\u00a0the Acushnet<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0sinking of the Nantucket ship Essex<\/em> in 1820 was another inspiration for the novel. \u00a0The ship sank after it was rammed by an enraged sperm whale.<\/p>\n

Melville also drew on one other true-life event for the tale. An article in the May 1839 issue of The Knickerbocker<\/em>\u00a0told about an albino whale known as\u00a0Mocha Dick. \u00a0The whale was rumored to have 20 or so harpoons in his back from other whalers, and appeared to attack ships with premeditated ferocity.<\/p>\n

Despite the popularity of the novel today, only about 3,200 copies were sold during the Melville’s\u00a0life. \u00a0He earned a little more than $1,200 for writing the book.<\/p>\n

Though amid all the smoking horror and diabolism of a sea-fight, sharks will be seen longingly gazing up to the ship’s decks, like hungry dogs round a table where red meat is being carved, ready to bolt down every killed man that is tossed to them.<\/b>\u00a0~\u00a0Moby Dick<\/a><\/i>\u00a0by\u00a0Herman Melville<\/a><\/p>\n

Learn More about Moby Dick<\/h2>\n