My Featured Novel

I. About the Novel: Moby Dick

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is a novel by American writer Herman Melville, published in 1851 during the period of the American Renaissance. Sailor Ishmael tells the story of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaler Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the white whale which on an earlier voyage destroyed his ship and severed his leg at the knee. The novel was a commercial failure and out of print at the time of the author's death in 1891, but during the 20th century its reputation as a Great American Novel was established. William Faulkner confessed he wished he had written it himself, and D. H. Lawrence called it "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world", and "the greatest book of the sea ever written". "Call me Ishmael" is among world literature's most famous opening sentences.

Works Cited （参考文献）

"Moby-Dick." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 May 2016.

〈https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick〉

II. Versions of the Novel in the Mass Media

A. Movie Versions

The Sea Beast（1926）

At the beginning of the story, Ahab (John Barrymore) and his half brother Derek (George O'Hara) compete for the affections of a winsome minister's daughter, Esther Wiscasset (Dolores Costello). Meanwhile, an albino whale has been eluding harpooners, and bears the scars of many failed attacks against him. The animal's fame has reached epic proportions. One day, Ahab and Derek are on the same whaler as the whale heaves into view. Ahab raises his harpoon to kill the beast, but at that moment, Derek pushes him overboard and Ahab loses a right leg to the whale. Not long after this incident, the shallow Esther rebuffs Ahab as her suitor once she catches sight of his peg leg. Heartbroken at this turn of events, Ahab blames neither Esther nor his brother; instead he transfers blame and an undying hatred onto the whale. The following saga of Ahab's pursuit of the whale takes on the aura of a super-human quest, far beyond the proportions of its first motivation.

In the Heart of the Sea（2015）

This is a 2015 American-Canadian-Spanish biographical historical disaster survival-drama thriller film based on Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 non-fiction book of the same name, about the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820, an event that inspired the novel Moby-Dick. It was directed and produced by Ron Howard and written by Charles Leavitt, the film stars Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, and Brendan Gleeson.　In 1850, author Herman Melville visits innkeeper Thomas Nickerson, the last survivor of the whaleship Essex's last voyage, offering money in return for his story. Nickerson initially refuses, but finally agrees when his wife intervenes.

The story turns to 1820: a whaling company in Nantucket has refitted the Essex to participate in the lucrative whale oil trade, and 14-year-old Nickerson signs on as a cabin boy. The owners hire veteran whaler Owen Chase as first mate, though he is disappointed not to receive a captain's commission. The captain is George Pollard, an inexperienced mariner from an established whaling family who envies Chase's skill and popularity. Chase and Pollard clash, leading Pollard to sail into a storm against Chase's advice, nearly sinking the ship. The two agree to put their differences aside rather than risking their reputations by returning to port without profit, and soon, the crew kills their first whale, a bull sperm whale.

B. Animation Version

Hakugei: Legend of the Moby Dick (白鯨伝説 Hakugei Densetsu）（1997～1999）
This is an animated Japanese television series, based on Herman Melville's original novel Moby Dick. However, this adaptation used futuristic outer space as the setting, with "whales" being large abandoned spaceships instead. It aired from 1997 to 1999, albeit with a suspension of new episodes from November 1997 to October 1998. 

Works Cited （参考文献)

"The Sea Beast." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 May 2016.〈https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sea_Beast〉

"In the Heart of the Sea (film)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 May 2016.〈https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Heart_of_the_Sea_(film)〉
"Hakugei: Legend of the Moby Dick." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 June 2016.〈https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakugei:_Legend_of_the_Moby_Dick〉

III. About the Author：Herman Melville

 Herman Melville was born in New York City in 1819. He worked as a crew member on several vessels beginning in 1839, his experiences spawning his successful early novels Typee (1846) and Omoo (1847). Subsequent books, including his masterpiece Moby-Dick (1851), sold poorly, and by the 1860s Melville had turned to poetry. Following his death in New York City in 1891, he posthumously came to be regarded as one of the great American writers.

Works Cited （参考文献)
"Herman Melville." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 01 June 2016.〈http://www.biography.com/people/herman-melville-9405239〉

IV. My Reaction

A. Reaction Point - Character
The protagonist of this story is Ishmael but there are more attractive characters.
 ・Captain Ahab:He was more impressed. He has a strong feeling of attachment to Moby       Dick, so sometimes he became too aggressive. 
 ・A first mate Starbuck:He was always calm and sometimes remonstrated against Ahab’s behaivor. He was so cool! The coffee chain Starbucks derive from his name.

B. Reaction Point - Setting

・The latter of 19th century USA:This story is set in this age when whaling prospered.  
・Where Moby Dick was found:I do not want to say that before you read this story, but I also want you know that very much. Amazingly, Moby Dick was founded in the Pacific Ocean off Japan. 　

C. Reaction Point - Appeal
・This is an adventure story and sometimes there are the scenes that whalers battle with Moby Dick,so this story will make you thrilling.

・Some episodes come from the Bible. In addition, the character’s names ’’Ahab’’ ’’Ishmael’’ also come from the Bible.

D. My General Opinion
I have never seen whale in my life and after reading this book, I have wanted to watch whale directly even more. But more manageable one is better.