BILLY BUDD AN OTHER STORIES

Herman Melville was born in New York in 1819. He was a passionate and excellent writer, but during his lifetime, he did not achieve literary success beyond the few echoes made by his early adventure novels and autobiographical works. His most extensive and well-known work, Moby Dick (1851), went unnoticed. Almost a century after his death, avant-garde American and European writers rescued him as a cult author. Among his lesser-known works or those published in short story collections, we highlight Bartleby, the Scrivener (1853), and what we consider to be his masterpiece, Benito Cereno (1855).

Billy Budd and Other Stories is a collection of six stories by Herman Melville. Melville wrote these stories during the last years of his life, and most of them were published posthumously in 1924, some seventy-odd years after their writing. The collection includes Billy Budd, Sailor, Bartleby, the Scrivener, The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles, Benito Cereno, The Piazza, and The Lightning-Rod Man.

Billy Budd, Sailor

Billy Budd, Sailor, is the most famous and celebrated story in the collection. The plot takes place during the Napoleonic Wars on board a British naval vessel. Billy Budd, a handsome and kind-hearted sailor, is falsely accused of planning to incite a mutiny by John Claggart, the ship’s master-at-arms. Captain Vere, the ship’s captain, convenes a court-martial, and Billy is sentenced to death. The story is a study of innocence confronting evil and the corrupting influence of power.

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Bartleby, the Scrivener, is a story with a more domestic setting. The plot takes place in a New York law office, where Bartleby, a strange and introverted clerk, is hired to copy legal documents. Bartleby becomes increasingly passive and starts responding to requests with the phrase: “I would prefer not to.” The story is an excellent example of the themes of alienation and the dehumanizing effects of modern society.

The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles

The Encantadas is a story consisting of ten sketches that are a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. The sketches describe the Galapagos Islands, which Melville visited during his travels as a sailor. The Encantadas is considered by many critics as one of Melville’s most poetic and lyrical works.

Benito Cereno

Benito Cereno is a novella that tells the story of a slave revolt on board a Spanish vessel. The plot takes place in the late eighteenth century. The story deals with themes such as slavery, imperialism, and power. Benito Cereno is famous for its ambiguous characterization and the complexity of its narrative structure.

The Piazza

The Piazza is a semi-autobiographical story set in the Berkshires, in western Massachusetts. The narrator describes his search for a house in the countryside and his encounters with the locals. The Piazza is a charming and poetic story that deals with themes such as nostalgia and the attraction of the countryside.

The Lightning-Rod Man

The Lightning-Rod Man is a satirical story about a salesman who sells lightning rods to protect houses from lightning strikes. The story is a parody of the American obsession with self-help books and quack medicine. The Lightning-Rod Man is a witty and humorous story that showcases Melville’s talent for satire.

Conclusion

Billy Budd and Other Stories is a diverse collection of works by Herman Melville that showcases his range as a writer. The stories deal with themes that are still relevant today, such as power, corruption, and the dehumanizing effects of modern society. Billy Budd, Sailor, and Bartleby, the Scrivener, are Melville’s most famous works, but the other stories in the collection are equally compelling and worth reading.