While many intriguing hypotheses have been offered over the years, no single interpretation dominates critical opinion or seems to fully explain the author's intention. ... Melville refused to change his message despite the consequences, as he complained to author Nathaniel Hawthorne: "Dollars damn me...what I feel most moved to write, that is banned "it will not pay. ...

• Word Count: 2093
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate