English 3349F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Fire People, Spermicide, Typee
4 Jan 2021
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Born in 1819 in good circumstances parents" fortunes fell when he was young. Father died in raving state and in debt when melville was a young man. Melville has a lot of father figures who go insane. Money problems prevented him from going to school. First ship voyage 1839, first whaling voyage 1841. More famous and predates house of the seven gables and the scarlet letter. Melville published the confidence man widespread belief that he"d lost his mind and died in obscurity (completely forgot by death in 1890s) Most people are afraid to read melville moby is long book and it"s hard, read anyway. Whaling was big business, whale oil was valuable because it burned clean and bright. Used for lights, mechanisms, bristles was used for brooms, candles and perfume. Strong and flexible material not many materials which cold be substituted for it. Spermicide viscous white fluid that looked like semen. Right whales were white whales and sperm whales.
