The Seafaring Theme in Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" and "Billy Budd, Sailor"

An analysis

Hausarbeit , 2012 , 13 Seiten , Note: 1,3

Amerikanistik - Literatur

Herman Melville's work is characterized by a dominant overarching theme in most cases. One of the strongest motives is that of seamanship. Be it in "Moby Dick", "Billy
Budd, Sailor" or "Benito Cerino". But how great is the impact of those themes on the overall plot or story and, in conjunction, would they play out the same in a land-based setting?
To explore the psychological effects of isolation and confinement on the characters, this essay will mostly rely on studies by Jack Stuster. His work mainly deals with
extreme isolation in arctic or space missions, but the same circumstances apply to life aboard a seagoing vessel, though to a lesser degree. In addition, the author draws on three
years of personal experience working in a maritime setting, one year of which was spent on a civilian ship and two years of military service aboard navy vessels.
The first chapter will define the distinctive features of Melville's chosen setting and seperate it from a dry land theme. In the second chapter, the essay will apply those features to
the novel "Moby Dick" and the short story "Billy Budd, Sailor" in order to analyze their impact on the plot development.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• I. Peculiarities of naval settings
• 1. Leadership and personnel selection criteria
• 2. Group interaction
• 3. Outside communications
• II. The impact of setting on Melville's plot development
• 1. Leadership and personnel selection
• 2. Group interaction
• 3. Outside communications
• III. Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This study aims to explore the impact of naval settings on the plot development in Herman Melville's works, specifically "Moby Dick" and "Billy Budd, Sailor." By analyzing the unique features of a maritime environment and their influence on leadership, personnel selection, group interaction, and outside communications, the study seeks to understand how these factors contribute to the psychological and behavioral dynamics of the characters.

• The impact of isolation and confinement on characters in a naval setting.
• The role of leadership and personnel selection criteria in shaping the conflicts and dynamics within the crew.
• The influence of group interaction and its challenges in a confined environment.
• The limitations and consequences of limited outside communications for the crew.
• The differences and similarities in the application of these factors in "Moby Dick" and "Billy Budd, Sailor."

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The first chapter delves into the specific characteristics of naval settings and their distinct differences from land-based environments. It highlights the importance of leadership, personnel selection, group interaction, and outside communications as key factors influencing behavior in these isolated and confined settings, drawing on research by Jack Stuster.

The second chapter applies these factors to the novels "Moby Dick" and "Billy Budd, Sailor," analyzing their impact on plot development. It examines how leadership styles, personnel selection, group dynamics, and communication limitations contribute to the conflicts and themes in each story.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key themes and concepts explored in this study include naval settings, leadership, personnel selection, group interaction, outside communications, isolation, confinement, psychological effects, plot development, Herman Melville, "Moby Dick," "Billy Budd, Sailor," Jack Stuster.

• Hochschule: Universität Rostock (Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik)
• Veranstaltung: "No! In Thunder!" Herman Melville's Short Fiction
• Note: 1,3
• Autor: Markus Jack Dijkgraaf (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2012
• Seiten: 13
• Katalognummer: V307390
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668056787
• ISBN (Buch): 9783668056794
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Herman Melville, Seafaring, Theme, Literary Analysis, setting, moby dick, billy budd sailor, influence plot