This program explores Melville’s intentions in writing Moby Dick. This classic sea tale of revenge and spiritual depravity is arguably one of the most studied works in American literature. Divided into five chapters, James H. Bride, the host, establishes Melville’s formative years, his whaling experiences in the South Pacific and then to Arrowsmith Farm in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where Melville wrote his masterpiece. Additionally, leading Melville scholars to analyze Melville’s truth-seeking and literary back-story while discussing Melville’s references to Shakespeare, Hawthorne, Emerson, and the Bible. These Melville scholars include Laurie Laurent-Lorent, Walter Bezanson, Martin Bickman, Merton Sealts, and John Bryant.