While Moby Dick is Herman Melville's best known book Billy Budd, Sailor is considered by many to be his greatest work. Billy, a foundling from Bristol, has an innocence, good looks and a natural charisma that make him popular with the crew. His only physical defect is a stutter which grows worse when under intense emotion. He arouses the antagonism of the ship's master-at-arms, John Claggart. Claggart, while not unattractive, seems somehow defective or abnormal next to Billy. Despite Claggart's animosity towards him, Billy saves Claggart's life further infuriating the man. Claggart then accuses Billy of conspiring to mutiny. Billy, dumfounded by the accusation, becomes unable to defend himself against Claggart's words because of his stuttering and in frustration strikes the lying Claggart with a blow so powerful that it kills the man instantly. In the ensuing trial Melville explores good and evil, justices and mercy, right and wrong, and natural law verses man's law. A Masterpiece for the Ages!
Herman Melville
Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer best known for his novel "Moby-Dick," a complex and symbolic work that explores themes of obsession, fate, and the struggle between good and evil. Melville's writing style is characterized by its rich symbolism, philosophical depth, and exploration of existential themes. His other notable works include "Typee," "Billy Budd," and "Bartleby, the Scrivener." Melville's contributions to literature have had a lasting impact on the development of American literature, particularly in the genre of the novel.
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