Exploring Homoeroticism In 'Herman Melville' Is Billy Budd Sailor?

Billy is a handsome, young sailor, new to the ship and eager to impress. Billy becomes very popular with the crew. When seeing Billy accepted by the crew it reminds him of the their dislike for him and he becomes jealous. The Dankster’s conversation with Claggart also shows his fear that he will lose the power he held from the fear of others

Although Washington could not describe himself as a revolutionist, his present state of external conflict forged him into the figure engraved in our minds today. Herman Melville (1819-1891), author of the literary classic Moby Dick, possessed much experience that contributed to the setting and message of his writing. Although Melville never became a midshipman, or naval sailor, he can attribute a great deal of influence for writing to his life while at sea. Melville's Billy Budd, Sailor tells the story of a young mariner and his induction on the H.M.S. Bellipotent. From unstable relationships to cabin revolt, Billy, the main character, faces a series of conflicts that ultimately creates varying images of him in the differing minds of those around him. In view of all of this, Melville, in Billy Budd, Sailor, communicates to readers the theme that “conflict, internal or external, exists as the framework of destiny,” through Billy's initial reaction to the crew as a result of enlistment on the Bellipotent, the rumor of mutiny, and his

In Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, The Scrivener,” Melville uses a range of devices in his writing that makes his style distinguishable. Although he only focuses on one major setting throughout the story, he uses it symbolically to demonstrate a developing theme. The uncommon comparisons he uses to describe the characters provides the reader with interesting imagery to interpret. The narration that he deliberately places throughout the story allows the reader to follow the narrator’s thoughts as they come. Melville’s writing style is distinguished by his limited but symbolic setting, unique comparisons that contribute to characterization, and frequent narration.

Throughout his novel, Moby Dick, Herman Melville will often devote entire chapters to the thoughts and actions of specific characters. Two specific examples of this type of chapter are Chapter 36, The Quarter-Deck, and Chapter 42, The Whiteness of the Whale. The first of these chapters depicts Ahab addressing his crew for the first time in order to convince them to hunt down Moby Dick. The second offers insight to the fear that is brought upon by the mere mention of Moby Dick The significance and effectiveness of each of these chapters are enhanced by Melville’s use of rhetoric and style respectively.

Moby Dick, a book about the voyages and pursuance of a white whale, was imagined by an incredible man. Herman Melville was a talented writer who wrote many fantasies and adventures, including Moby Dick. He’s most infamous for his work about the tale of the white whale and known less for his works of Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life and Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas. (“Herman

In most works of fiction, there are many literary themes, elements, and symbols used. The stories follow different perspectives and views ranging from the narrator to first person. In Herman Melville’s, “Bartleby, the Scrivener”, the story is presented through the eyes of Bartleby’s unnamed employer. It follows the rise and decline of Bartleby’s employment and leads to his untimely death which is caused by, and the focus of, his unexplained disorder which one would assume the mannerisms and symptoms of clinical depression. Upon further analysis, one can conclude that “Bartleby, the Scrivener” was a metaphor for Melville himself and the way his life and career was going at the time. Following Bartleby’s initial appearance, the theme is developed into his existence and is centered on his actions throughout the course of the story. These small indications of gradual depression placed by Herman Melville and his early reactions to public criticism create a foreground for Bartleby and set a tone for the rest of the story, following his dive into a deeper depression.

one did not know that he was the captain, he could easily be taken for some

Most of the sailors on the ship loved Billy Budd. However, Claggart and his sidekick Squeak, did not. Although Billy did his best to either avoid them, or on those occasions in which he did come face to face with one or the other, he did his best to be kind to them. While Billy was being as absolutely courteous as possible, that did not help the flaming hatred that was burning in their hearts. As a matter of speaking, Billy was actually feeding the rage and fury that had been smoldering there even before they knew Billy even existed. When Claggart was accusing Billy in front of Caption Veere, Billy began his stuttering cycle that only occurred when he was under stress, or being questioned about something. They were in the captions cabin during

     The narrator constantly makes allusions to the Bible and to Greek mythology, and this has the effect of elevating Billy’s story into a “symbolic drama.” The narrator also has the habit of straying, and he confesses that this weakness is a “literary sin.” One might find these acts to be distracting, but in fact when you stop to think why the narrator included them it sheds a certain light. Not only does the narrator keep changing his point of view, but he keeps changing his pace as well. Background on history (the war), a long analysis of characters, which are followed by intense dramatic action (i.e.; Billy being approached in joining a mutiny, and later killing Claggart). Through such an approach the narrator evokes the atmosphere of the story.

Although the sexual attraction described by Melville is not as strong with Captain Fairfax Vere, the attraction is still heavily within the text. Melville uses much of the same innuendo with Vere as he does with Claggart in terms of their attraction to Billy Budd. He is described as having a “dreaminess of mood” (Melville 25). Yet again there is a descriptive phrase Melville uses that makes the reader question his sexuality. Melville writes, “But between you and me, don’t you think there is a queer streak of the pedantic running through him” (28)? Although Melville may not have intended the word “queer” to have a double connotation, but with today’s reading the word ‘queer’ is an umbrella term for homosexuality. But even without the double meaning, it makes the reader pay attention to Vere and since he is an over scrupulous man, the word makes his actions to maintain order, fit him. Since Vere is out of the ordinary in some way, the reader will thus be more attentive to his behavior, just as they are with Claggart. Vere’s feelings towards Billy begin to become apparent after Claggart turns Billy in. Billy had, “naturally enough attracted the captain’s attention from the first” (Melville 63). Melville goes on to write that Vere saw Billy as, “a fine specimen of the genus homo, who in the nude might have posed for a statue of young Adam before the fall (63). Captain Vere thinks very highly of Billy, and has also imagined him nude. The handsome sailor invokes these feelings

Herman Melville was a successful author that wrote historically valued books such as “Billy Budd: Sailor”, “Omoo”, “Typee”, and “Moby Dick.”

Left unfinished at Melville’s death in1891, Billy Budd, Sailor was not published until 1921. Raymond M Weaver found it in manuscript form while

Many people know Herman Melville mainly because of his work “Moby dick or the whale“ but his books “Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life” and “Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas “ were introduced before his most popular works, however these books were a great success when they were published. The setting of these books are important aspects to the story.

The novella “Billy Budd” by Herman Melville is a 1924 ‘sea story’ that has underlying allusions to Christ and the bible as pointed out by many critics. Many have found that Billy’s life resembles the plight of Christ, as well as Adam, while Captain Vere is meant to stand as God, and Claggart is left as the role of Satan. These underlying character molds ultimately contribute to the novella as a whole and explore the dilemmas of their Bible counterparts.

Herman Melville, in his renowned novel Moby-Dick, presents the tale of the determined and insanely stubborn Captain Ahab as he leads his crew, the men of the Pequod, in revenge against the white whale. A crew mixed in age and origin, and a young, logical narrator named Ishmael sail with Ahab. Cut off from the rest of society, Ahab attempts to make justice for his personal loss of a leg to Moby Dick on a previous voyage, and fights against the injustice he perceived in the overwhelming forces that surround him. Melville uses a series of gams, social interactions or simple exchanges of information between whaling ships at sea, in order to more clearly present man’s situation as he faces an existence whose meaning he cannot fully grasp.