This novel mainly appears as a whaler. Ahab, the captain of the whaling ship Pelend, was bitten off by Moby Dick, a clever white whale, during the ocean whaling, so his heart was full of revenge. He thought that one day he would hunt the white whale and let it fall into his own hands. So he thought like this every day, and one day he lost his mind and became a paranoid person who didn't listen to advice. His ship went to almost every corner of the world, but after a long time, he didn't find Moby Dick.
One day by chance, the captain finally met Moby Dick. He fought Modibik for three days. In the past three days, he once hit Moby Dick with a harpoon, but his boat was also smashed by Moby Dick. Ahab was also entangled in the rope on the harpoon and fell into the sea. In this way, after three days of tracking, the whole ship sank to the bottom of the sea, leaving only one person, Ishmael the sailor, who was rescued. The story creates a feeling that people are sailing in the sea, and because of the unknown fear and the threat of death at sea, this novel has gained high appreciation.
The background of this novel is Melville's sailing life. He works as a bodyguard on a ship. Two years later, he worked as a sailor on a whaling ship and began his whaling life in the South Pacific. A few years later, he followed the ship to Honolulu. Soon after, he was hired as a sailor on American warships, cruising in the Pacific Ocean and other marine areas. He has been cruising for many years, so the author takes what he saw and heard in his sailing career and some dangers he encountered as the main material of his works.
The above story only represents my personal opinion. Please forgive me if there is any mistake.