Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, published on November 14, 1851, by Herman Melville, is a foundational American romantic/epic novel detailing Captain Ahab’s obsessive quest for revenge against the titular white sperm whale. Inspired by the sinking of the Essex and the real-life whale "Mocha Dick," seen near Chili’s Mocha Island in the 19th Century. The narrative explores themes of fate, obsession, and humanity's relationship with nature through the perspective of narrator Ishmael.
