In Philip Hoare’s article, “What ‘Moby-Dick’ Means to Me”, he reflects on how his relationship with “Moby-Dick” has transformed over time and explains how a “difficult” text can transform into different meanings when approached at various periods of your life; he suggests that classic literature has less of a fixed meaning but instead has an evolving relationship between the text and reader. He admits, “I didn’t know then what I do now: that ‘Moby-Dick’ can be whatever you want it to be. It took me thirty years to discover what the book was – or what it was not.” (Para. 2) That is the beauty of literature; while words remain the same, how you perceive and interpret the text can change every time you read it, since you are constantly evolving. Hoare once dismissed “Moby-Dick” as “wordy worthiness” (Para. 2) compared to John Huston’s film, but later came to describe it as“an act of transference…a sui-generis creation, one that came into the world as an unnatural, immaculate conception.” (Para. 4) His transformation shows that the perception of the book can change depending on where you are in life. This is relatable to me. If you asked me to read “Moby-Dick” 5 years ago, I probably would not have batted an eye, but I feel like a different person than I was 5 years ago. I am more open to change and welcome new experiences and perspectives on life. Our life experiences are constantly changing us; classic literature has gained its enduring relevance by being able to be rediscovered at different times, offering a fresh meaning each time we reread it. As Hoare observes, “oceanic reach and perverse digression provide endless sources of inspiration and interpretation” (Para. 10) and that “Moby-Dick” “reads like something that was written before books were invented, yet it is utterly modern.” (Para. 9) As long as we constantly evolving as individuals, we will continue to gain new experiences and inspiration. This can be from nature or from the different forms of media that we are consuming. Like him, I see that great works are not static texts but companions that grow alongside us.