Herman Melville is best known for writing Moby Dick, the epic story of the great white whale. But many people don't know that Melville wrote many other books, and they all have meaning in one way or another. After reading two of these stories, "Bartleby" and Moby Dick, I have come across many different ideas that Melville portrayed in his works that I can apply in my own life. For instance, Melville once stated, "Failure is the true test of greatness." When I came across this statement in the textbook I noticed how it relates to my life now and forever.
             Melville's writings had a definite plot to each story. Most of his tales were adventurous, which appeals to me a lot more than other insightful essays. Yet Melville expressed the same kind of symbolism that Emerson and Thoreau did; but he portrayed his wisdom through his characters, which is much easier to understand and relate to. Melville wrote things in a very descriptive and blunt way, which caused his stories to come to life and portray everyday events. To elaborate on his quote of "Failure as the true test of greatness," I feel that this situation has occurred more than once in my life. Melville means that the people who fail at something and quit trying don't deserve to succeed. But the people who are destined to succeed and have the courage to try again will achieve their goal and become great. I have failed at things before, but I am a fighter and I always try again. An example of this is when I tried out for baseball at Assumption. I was cut from the team m!
             y freshmen year. Most people in my situation would have stopped the dream right there, but I knew I could do it and I worked at it twice as hard the following year. And, sure enough, I made the team the following year and started at second base. Even though Melville stated this phrase over one hundred years ago, it is still evident throughout my life today.
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