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Moby Dick Controversy

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Herman Melville was not well-known in his day, only within certain circles was his work considered legendary. His first two publications Typee and Omoo were highly successful, they told stories of adventure, danger, and sexuality. They were published as a true story of Melville’s travels in Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas Islands and Tahiti. This claim that was later validated by his ship mate Richard Tobias Greene, causing a spike in sales along with the growth of recognition and respect for Herman Melville as an author. However, after these publications Melville’s popularity stagnated then decreased to minuscule amounts. Towards the end of his career he was forced to publish under pseudonyms including Guy Winthrop, Salvator R. Tarnmoor, and A Virginian Spending July in Vermont. …show more content…

Despite his perceived lifetime of failure, today he has one of the most well known names in American literature. Moby Dick has received highest praises and remains within the collective conscious of almost any educated citizen as a “must read.” Moby Dick is considered essential to understanding the definition and composition of classic American literature. Herman Melville captured and created an American voice because he addressed the problems of society in ingenious and sometimes indictable ways, especially to the “superficial skimmer. ” In the 1920s Melville became an important contributor to the creation of an American cannon, this quest was inspired by World Wars and the pursuit towards Americanness through literature that reproduced American values of individuality, adventure, and

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