Billy Budd Character Analysis - 1565 Words

Similarly, Herman Melville’s novel Billy Budd’s male narrator utilizes the language of sculptures as a vessel to illustrate his attraction to the titular character. In the second chapter, the story’s narrator spends a great deal of time characterizing Billy Budd by providing detail to each feature of his body. Before delving into this act, the narrator evokes the world of art by saying Billy was â€Å"cast in a mould peculiar to the finest physical examples† that possessed â€Å"that humane look of reposeful good nature which the Greek sculptor in some instances gave to his heroic strong man, Hercules† (Melville 10). In order to mythologize Billy’s creation, the narrator elevates Billy’s looks to have been brought into being by a sculptor, which is†¦show more content†¦As the story progresses in Billy Budd, the narrator once again uses the language of art in order to describe and characterize Billy Budd, this time borrowing fr om the Judeo-Christian image of Adam. The narrator describes Billy as being a â€Å"fine specimen of genus homo, who in the nude might have posed for a statue of young Adam before the Fall† (Melville 66). The narrator reveals his admiration for Billy through this comparison to a perfect model for statues, specifically of Adam from the Judeo-Christian faiths. This evocation of Adam firstly emphasizes Billy’s bodily perfection since Adam was the first human created, according to Book of Genesis. Seeing Adam is the first of his kind indicates a sense of uniqueness and special quality to his character, therefore the narrator transfers this one-of-a-kind nature to Billy. Not only is Billy’s body great but with the comparison to Adam, the narrator suggests that it is a rare sight to come across. To further this comparison, Adam’s creation is highly divine considering that â€Å"God created man in His own image† (BibleGateway 1:27). Taking this bit of inf ormation and applying it to how the narrator views Billy, one could interpret that the narrator expresses desire for him by the way in which Billy is painted in such a pristine position. Lastly, the narratorShow MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis Of Billy Budd1632 Words   |  7 PagesIn Melville’s â€Å"Billy Budd,† the contemptuous presentation of Christianity emphasizes an intrinsic flaw in the narrator; his unverified convictions and ambiguous moral code. Billy Budd characterizes a very pious and innocent form, like Adam before the Fall or Christ, to emphasize the narrator’s romanticized perception of him. Likewise, Claggart’s portrayal as the villainous snake from the Fall epitomizes the narrator’s conception of evil. While Melville may seem to mock religion, he mocks the narrator’sRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Billy Budd987 Words   |  4 PagesIn Melville’s â€Å"Billy Budd,† the contemptuous presentation of Christianity e mphasizes an intrinsic flaw in the narrator; his unverified convictions and ambiguous moral code. Billy Budd characterizes a very pious and innocent form, like Adam before the Fall or Christ, to emphasize the narrator’s romanticized perception of him. Likewise, Claggart’s portrayal as the villainous snake from the Fall epitomizes the narrator’s belief (conception) of evil. While Melville may seem to mock religion, he mocksRead MoreAnalysis Of Herman Melvilles Billy Budd736 Words   |  3 Pages Herman Melville wrote Billy Budd, Sailor, before his death in 1891 and it remained unfinished until the early 1960s, after countless hands had been involved in the writing and editing process. 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