Herman Melville was born on August 1, 1819, in New York City. He was the third of eight children in a family that experienced considerable financial difficulty after the death of his father in 1832. Seeking stability and adventure, Melville turned to the sea, a decision that eventually defined his literary career. In 1839, he secured a position on a merchant ship bound for Liverpool, an experience that ignited his passion for the maritime world. In 1841, Melville joined the whaling ship Acushnet, embarking on a voyage that took him across the Pacific Ocean and, importantly, to Polynesia.

Melville’s first significant encounter with Polynesia came when he and a fellow crew member deserted the Acushnet in 1842, seeking refuge in the Marquesas Islands. They found themselves in the Taipi Valley on the island of Nuku Hiva, among the Taipi people, who were reputed to be cannibals. This sojourn, which lasted about a month, became the basis for Melville’s first novel, Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life (1846). Typee is a semi-autobiographical account of Melville’s experiences among the Taipi (written phonetically in the novel as Typee). While the novel embellishes and romanticizes his stay, it also provides a detailed and nuanced portrayal of Polynesian life.