American Literature / Unit 8 AML 0722 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Herman Melville at Sea
Captions available
The idea
Melville's father failed in business and died when the boy was twelve, ending his schooling. He shipped out, spent time in the Pacific, and turned the voyages into early books including Typee. The sea gave him his subject.
In practice
A ruined family, a boy at sea.
Where people slip
The early books sold; the great one did not.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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