Moby-Dick, or The Whale by Herman Melville (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of Moby-Dick, or The Whale by Herman Melville. It provides a thorough exploration of the novel’s plot, characters and main themes, as well as its symbolism and Melville’s use of a range of stylistic devices.  The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 33-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Herman Melville
• Presentation of Moby-Dick, or The Whale
• Summary of Moby-Dick, or The Whale
• Character study
  • Main characters
  • The officers and harpooners
• Analysis of Moby-Dick, or The Whale
  • Polyphonic narration
  • Religious symbolism
  • A maiden voyage
  • Ahab, the other Odysseus

About Moby-Dick, or The Whale

Moby-Dick, or The Whale is a novel which tells the story of the sailor Captain Ahab and his obsessive quest to catch the white whale Moby Dick, which previously tore off his leg. In spite of this seemingly simple and conventional plot, the book is actually highly original because it spans several genres and features a wide range of literary and stylistic devices. Although the book is now considered a classic and its opening line, “Call me Ishmael”, is one of the most famous first lines in literature, it received little critical and popular recognition during the author’s lifetime.

About Herman Melville

Herman Melville was an American author. He was born in 1819, and joined a whaling crew in 1841. After 18 months of sailing, he left the rest of the crew during a stopover on the Marquesas Islands, where he lived with a tribe of cannibals for several months. He managed to escape and sailed on several whalers, before boarding an American military ship and finally reaching Boston in 1844. This experience provided him with a great deal of inspiration for his novels, including in particular Typee and Moby-Dick, or The Whale.