Herman Melville 英语专业教学课件.pptVIP

Herman Melville (1819-1891) Works 1. Redburn 1849 2. Typee 1846 3. Omoo 1874 4. Moby Dick 1851 5. Mardi 1849 6. White Jacket 1850 7. Pierre 1852 8. Billy Budd 1924 Life Melville was born in New York City. Both his parents came from well-to-do families, but later their family business failed. Melville’s childhood was happy to the age of 11, when his father died in debt. Herman Melville was born August 19, 1819 into a slightly eccentric, established New England family. His father Alan imported clothes and other goods from France, providing Herman with a comfortable and happy childhood in New York. After Hermans father died in 1832, the family relied on financial assistance from his mothers wealthy family and Herman left school to go to work. Herman educated himself while working a variety of jobs throughout teens. In 1839, Melville began his affair with sea when he joined the crew of the St. Lawrence and set sail for Liverpool England. In 1840, Melville set sail aboard the Acushnet, a whaling ship headed for the South Pacific. The rough conditions of the sea toughened the romantic New Englander and he took such a liking to sea life that he sailed around the globe four years aboard various ships. Melville was welcomed home by his family who was entertained by his tales of the high seas and encouraged him to write them down. Herman wrote Typee quickly in 1845, and published it the next year. Typee became a critical and financial success In 1847, Melville married Elizabeth Shaw, daughter of the Chief Justice of Massachusetts. To make himself more financially stable for his impending marriage, Melville sought a position with the U.S. Treasury and took on extra work writing book reviews. Moby Dick published in November 1851, received poor reviews and did not sell. Despite this continued output and