474 Herman Melville
The History of Literature
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Herman Ganz of Ortt
Melville had a strong classical education with a lot of Greek, Roman and English history. He loved literature and the classics and he began to do better in school but with his family's financial collapse he had to go to work. Herman signed up as a green hand on a trip from New York to Liverpool when he was 19 years old. After that he went with his brother to New Bedford this may sound familiar to readers of Moby Dick. The crew took off in the whale boats where they soon ran out of food and water and eventually had to eat one another to survive. It was a harrowing story for a young man who would sacrifice their bodies for others it was an unforgettable time
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