Herman MelvilleHerman Melville

Biography and Themes Biography and Themes

““Bartleby, the Scrivener” Bartleby, the Scrivener”

““Tartarus of Maids” Tartarus of Maids”

Melville Biography TimelineMelville Biography Timeline

1819 b. New York1819 b. New York 1830 family bankrupt1830 family bankrupt 1832-3 family falls apart; H.M. drops 1832-3 family falls apart; H.M. drops

out of school out of school 1839 11839 1stst voyage at sea voyage at sea

Timeline cont.Timeline cont. 1841-1848 experiences at sea=37 books 1841-1848 experiences at sea=37 books

about itabout it– At first popular reading & commercial At first popular reading & commercial

successsuccess1841-1844 on ships Acushnet and Lucy Ann1841-1844 on ships Acushnet and Lucy Ann1844 Typee1844 Typee1847 Marries Elizabeth Shaw; 1847 Marries Elizabeth Shaw; OmooOmoo

– But wants to change writing, wants meaning; But wants to change writing, wants meaning; wants to rebel, write banned books wants to rebel, write banned books

1849 1849 MardiMardi and and RedburnRedburn—failures critically and —failures critically and financially financially

Timeline cont.Timeline cont.

1850 1850 White JacketWhite Jacket; develops ; develops relationship with Nathaniel relationship with Nathaniel HawthorneHawthorne– Returns to “popular fiction” but hates it Returns to “popular fiction” but hates it – Melville to Hawthorne (while working on Melville to Hawthorne (while working on

Moby DickMoby Dick): “Dollars damn me. [What I ): “Dollars damn me. [What I feel] most moved to write, that is feel] most moved to write, that is banned—it will not pay. Yet altogether, banned—it will not pay. Yet altogether, write the other way I cannot. So the write the other way I cannot. So the product is a final hash, all my books are product is a final hash, all my books are botches.” botches.”

Timeline cont. Timeline cont.

1851 1851 Moby DickMoby Dick– Topic: 800 pages about guy trying to Topic: 800 pages about guy trying to

find whale and get back at it find whale and get back at it – Not as much of failure as Not as much of failure as MardiMardi, but not , but not

successful; received little noticesuccessful; received little notice– Wants to write novels written at two Wants to write novels written at two

different levelsdifferent levels Said to Hawthorne: “secret motto that few Said to Hawthorne: “secret motto that few

would discern” would discern” Said about Hawthorne’s books: “are Said about Hawthorne’s books: “are

superficially calculated to deceive—superficially calculated to deceive—egregiously deceived, the superficial egregiously deceived, the superficial skimmer of books” skimmer of books”

Timeline cont.Timeline cont.

1852-1867 1852-1867 PierrePierre, , Israel PotterIsrael Potter, trip , trip to Europe, edits Hawthorne’s works, to Europe, edits Hawthorne’s works, The Confidence Man The Confidence Man

1867 abandons fiction 1867 abandons fiction – Magazine writing to make $ Magazine writing to make $ – Publishes short stories in Europe Publishes short stories in Europe

(including “Bartleby”) (including “Bartleby”) – Emotionally wrung out from failures, Emotionally wrung out from failures,

careful of issues of offensiveness, still careful of issues of offensiveness, still trying out technique of writing for two trying out technique of writing for two audiences at once audiences at once

Timeline cont.Timeline cont.

1866-1886 Job in Custom House; 1866-1886 Job in Custom House; sons diesons die

1886 Inheritance1886 Inheritance 1891 H.M. dies 1891 H.M. dies 1920 H.M. rediscovered as an author1920 H.M. rediscovered as an author

Themes in Hawthorne and MelvilleThemes in Hawthorne and Melville

Romantic concern with good and evilRomantic concern with good and evil– Hawthorne: Puritan ancestry Hawthorne: Puritan ancestry – Melville: ships Melville: ships

Responded differentlyResponded differently– Hawthorne: positiveHawthorne: positive– Melville: negativeMelville: negative

The Chart: Darker RomanticsThe Chart: Darker Romantics

**D.R. shares characteristics with other **D.R. shares characteristics with other Romantics but more pessimistic viewRomantics but more pessimistic view

Authors: (Hawthorne), Melville, Edgar Allan Authors: (Hawthorne), Melville, Edgar Allan Poe Poe

View of Man: moral struggle with evil; View of Man: moral struggle with evil; feelings and intuition; dark interiorfeelings and intuition; dark interior

View of God: good v. evil; sin and its View of God: good v. evil; sin and its psychological effects on people psychological effects on people

View of Nature: evil found in setting and View of Nature: evil found in setting and symbol; often the supernatural symbol; often the supernatural

View of Society: must be reformedView of Society: must be reformed

AllegoryAllegory

Objects and persons equated with Objects and persons equated with meanings outside of the narrativemeanings outside of the narrative

Characters personify abstract Characters personify abstract qualitiesqualities

Evokes dual interestEvokes dual interest Religious, moral, political, personal, Religious, moral, political, personal,

satiricsatiric

ThemesThemes

Power of presence of evilPower of presence of evil No logic in society or nature; man No logic in society or nature; man

depend on self depend on self No dogma can teach; man learn it on No dogma can teach; man learn it on

ownown Man must fight society and natureMan must fight society and nature Life is mask of appearanceLife is mask of appearance Battles of conscienceBattles of conscience Redemption in human love for fellow Redemption in human love for fellow

manman

Themes cont. Themes cont.

Man=maker of own identityMan=maker of own identity– must accept inability to fully know must accept inability to fully know

power of universepower of universe– must know own mortalitymust know own mortality– must know need for fellow man and must know need for fellow man and

capacity for love of humankindcapacity for love of humankind

Themes cont. Themes cont.

Man is not equal to GodMan is not equal to God Love=only element of innocence that Love=only element of innocence that

enduresendures Can result in isolation or “hell”Can result in isolation or “hell” Responsible for other human beingsResponsible for other human beings

““Bartleby” Bartleby”

Dickens qualityDickens quality Some readers: about Melville’s own Some readers: about Melville’s own

struggles as writer struggles as writer – Bartleby paid as copier (scrivener) to Bartleby paid as copier (scrivener) to

write what everyone else is writing—write what everyone else is writing—Melville’s own feelings?Melville’s own feelings?

Mythological Allusions in Mythological Allusions in “Tartarus of Maids” “Tartarus of Maids”

Tartarus Tartarus Greek version of hell/underworld Greek version of hell/underworld Bacchus (Old Bach)Bacchus (Old Bach) God of wine; often had a harem of women called God of wine; often had a harem of women called

Bacchantes: “[Bacchus] was accompanied, as was his Bacchantes: “[Bacchus] was accompanied, as was his custom, by a train of women dancing and singing exultant custom, by a train of women dancing and singing exultant songs, wearing fawn skins over their robes, waving ivy-songs, wearing fawn skins over their robes, waving ivy-wreathed wands. They seemed mad with joy.” wreathed wands. They seemed mad with joy.”

(Edith Hamilton’s (Edith Hamilton’s MythologyMythology 68-9). 68-9). CupidCupid ““[Venus’s] son, that beautiful winged youth whom some call [Venus’s] son, that beautiful winged youth whom some call

Cupid and others call Love, against whose arrows there is Cupid and others call Love, against whose arrows there is no defense” (Hamilton 122). no defense” (Hamilton 122).

ActaeonActaeon the hunter who accidentally witnessed the goddess Artemis the hunter who accidentally witnessed the goddess Artemis

bathing and “was changed into a stag…His dogs saw him bathing and “was changed into a stag…His dogs saw him running and chased him…They fell upon him, his own running and chased him…They fell upon him, his own faithful hounds, and killed him” (Hamilton 374). faithful hounds, and killed him” (Hamilton 374).