FAQ About Moby Dick

There is no one clear inspiration for "Moby-Dick," but it is believed that Melville drew on his own experiences as a sailor on whaling ships, as well as his interest in the works of Shakespeare, the Bible, and the philosophy of transcendentalism. Some also speculate that the story was influenced by the real-life sinking of the whaleship Essex in 1820, which was attacked and sunk by a sperm whale.