By: Herman Melville
Herman Melville • Herman Melville is considered to be one of the best American writers of all time. His best novel, Moby Dick, is a masterpiece. Billy Budd was published after his death.
Melville Biography Timeline • 1819 born New York, family went bankrupt and fell apart, leading Melville to drop out of school • 1839 1 st voyage at sea • 1841 -1848 experiences at sea=37 books about it – At first popular reading & commercial success – But wanted to change writing, wanted meaning; wanted to rebel, write banned books
Timeline cont. • 1850 develops relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne – Returns to “popular fiction” but hates it – Melville to Hawthorne (while working on Moby Dick): “Dollars damn me. [What I feel] most moved to write, that is banned—it will not pay. Yet altogether, write the other way I cannot. So the product is a final hash, all my books are botches. ”
Timeline cont. • 1851 Moby Dick – Topic: 800 pages about guy trying to find whale and get back at it – Not successful; received little notice – Wanted to write novels written at two different levels • Said to Hawthorne: “secret motto that few would discern” • Said about Hawthorne’s books: “are superficially calculated to deceive— egregiously deceived, the superficial skimmer of books”
Timeline cont. • 1852 -1867 Pierre, Israel Potter, trip to Europe, edits Hawthorne’s works, The Confidence Man • 1867 abandons fiction – Magazine writing to make $ – Publishes short stories in Europe – Emotionally wrung out from failures, careful of issues of offensiveness, still trying out technique of writing for two audiences at once • Melville’s work rediscovered in 1920
Brief Summary • Billy Budd is about a sailor that is very strong. His nickname is the “Handsome Sailor. ” • When he comes on board he is well liked among all the other sailors. • The Master-of-Arms Claggart, is the only one that doesn’t like him. • Once Billy is accused of treason, he must defend himself.
Main Characters • • Billy Budd- Handsome sailor The Captain- Captain of H. M. S. Bellipotent John Claggart - The Master-of-arms The Dansker- Billy’s friend
Setting The book takes place on the H. M. S. Bellipotent in the year of 1797 in the Atlantic Ocean.
Theme Herman Melville uses a theme Good vs. Evil in the book. To find out who wins the battle you must read the book. The ending might be surprising to some people.
Publication The papers of Billy Budd were found in a tin can and was published in 1924!!
Billy Budd, beyond the book Billy Budd has been produced into a film, opera and a play.
Questions to Consider… • Will Billy clear his name? • Will Claggart get punishment? • What will happen?
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