Redburn His First Voyage

by Herman Melville

Overview

Redburn: His First Voyage by Herman Melville is a coming-of-age novel that centers around a young man's first experience at sea. Set in the early 19th century, the novel tells the story of Wellingborough Redburn, a naïve and idealistic teenager from a respectable family who embarks on a voyage as a merchant sailor. Redburn's journey takes him from New York to Liverpool, and as the story unfolds, he grapples with the harsh realities of life aboard a ship. The novel explores themes of innocence vs. experience, class conflict, and disillusionment. Redburn's initial excitement about adventure and travel quickly fades as he encounters the brutality and cruelty of life on a merchant ship, including the harsh treatment of sailors by their superiors. Throughout his voyage, Redburn learns painful lessons about human nature, suffering, and the economic inequalities that define the social order. In Redburn, Melville paints a vivid portrait of a young man's journey into adulthood, examining the loss of youthful idealism and the sobering realities of the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789362532640
Publisher:	True Sign Publishing House
Publication date:	05/31/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	523 KB

About the Author

Herman Melville was an American Renaissance novelist, poet, and short story writer who lived from August 1, 1819, to September 28, 1891. His most well-known pieces are Typee (1846), a romanticized narrative of his experiences in Polynesia; Moby-Dick (1851); and Billy Budd, Sailor, a novella that was released after his death. Although Melville was no longer well-known to the general public at the time of his death, a Melville renaissance began in 1919, the year of his birth. In the end, Moby-Dick was regarded as one of the best American novels. The third child of a wealthy merchant who died in 1832, leaving the family in terrible financial shape, Melville was born in New York City. He sailed as a common sailor in 1839, first as a whaler Acushnet and subsequently as a merchant ship. However, he abandoned ship in the Marquesas Islands. His first work, Typee, and its follow-up, Omoo (1847), were travelogues inspired by his interactions with the island peoples. He was able to marry Elizabeth Shaw, the daughter of Boston lawyer Lemuel Shaw, because to their prosperity. His debut novel not drawn from personal experience, Mardi (1849), was not well received.

Date of Birth:

August 1, 1819

Date of Death:

September 28, 1891

Place of Birth:

New York, New York

Place of Death:

New York, New York

Education:

Attended the Albany Academy in Albany, New York, until age 15