HERMAN MELVILLE

Herman Melville

Herman Melville

Effects of Past Experience on Writing of Melville

After his father's death, Melville became, successively, a bank clerk and accountant, a farm-worker, a schoolteacher, and, after another economic failure, this time his brother Gansevoort's fur business, an unemployed, but genteel, young man seeking a job in New York City. With the aid of his brothers, Melville secured a berth on a Liverpool packet and thus launched his sea career and, indirectly, his literary fortunes. After one cruise, however, Melville returned to teaching. When the school closed for lack of funds, he and a friend determined to go west to visit Melville's uncle in Illinois, hoping to find some type of financially satisfying arrangement there. Failing to find work, Melville returned to New York City and signed aboard the Acushnet, a new whaler making its maiden voyage. From 1841 to 1844, Melville was to participate in seafaring adventures that would change American literature.

On his return to New York in 1844, Melville found his family's fortunes somewhat improved. He also found that the stories he had to tell of his travels were enthusiastically received by his friends and relatives. Finally persuaded to write them, he produced Typee and published it in 1846. The immediate success and acclaim that followed the publication assured Melville that he had finally found his place in life. He followed Typee with its sequel, Omoo, which achieved a similar success, and resolutely set out to make his living by his pen. He found the financial return of two popular novels was not sufficient to support him, however, and he applied for a government position and was rejected. Melville married Elizabeth Shaw, moved to New York City with most of his family, and started a third novel that became Mardi, and a Voyage Thither.

The visionary and allegorical structure ...