Herman Melville wrote some of the most widely read works in the history of literature during the late nineteenth century. He has become a writer with whom the romantic era is associated and a man whose works have become a standard by which modern literature is judged. One of his most well-known and widely studied short pieces of fiction is a story entitled, simply, Billy Budd. In this short story, Melville tells the tale of Billy Budd, a somewhat out-of-place stuttering sailor who is too innocent for his own good. This enchanting tale, while inevitably entertaining, holds beneath it many layers of interpretive depth and among these layers of interpretation, an idea that has been entertained in the literature of many other romantic writers. Melville uses a literary technique of developing two characters that are complete opposites in all aspects and contrasting them throughout the narrative, thus allowing their own personalities to adversely compliment each other. Melville also uses this tactic in another well-known short story, Bartleby the Scrivener. Much like Melville's two stories, another romantic writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses this tactic in his short story, The Artist of the Beautiful when he creates two completely different characters who vie for the same woman's love. Both writers use the contrary characters to represent the different facets of the human personality. Using this idea and many others, these romantic writers, Melville and Hawthorne, created works with depth of meaning that were both interesting to read and even more intriguing to interpret.
In his short story, Billy Budd, Melville uses this romantically based idea of characteristic opposites in two of his main characters, Billy Budd and Claggart. To give the comparison even more strength, Melville also puts these two characters in virtually opposing roles in the story. Billy represents the good that is present in humans and Claggart represents the bad. Similarly, Claggart takes on an intelligent persona while Billy appears to be a bit innocent and uneducated in the ways of the ship. These two men are essentially at odds and appear to represent the dueling facets of the human conscience, the sort of angel and devil on the shoulder. Claggart wishes to rid the ship of Billy and eventually, the captain of the ship is forced to hang Billy because of Claggart's malice.
In conclusion, this essay analyzes the similarities and differences of the two stories written by Herman Melville, Billy Budd and Bartleby. The settings, characters, and endings in the two stories reveal very interesting comparisons and contrasts. The comparison and contrast also includes the interpretation of the symbolism that Melville used in his two stories. The characters, Billy and Bartleby, could even be considered autobiographical representatives of Herman Melville.
World War II was a critical period for America, not to mention the world as well. Throughout all the fighting and bloodshed, Americans returned home successful. Over 700,000 soldiers were disabled after the war, thankful for their lives. All the success and happiness of this country wouldn’t have been possible if not for the bravery, courage, and strategies of our U.S. Generals. They provided the smarts, the morale, and motivation for our soldiers, navy, and airforce to come out victorious and recognized as the best in world history. The five major generals (George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, Omar Bradley, and Douglas MacArthur) shall never be forgotten as the best generals America has ever had.
Early in his career, Douglas Macarthur was sent to the Philippines and Panama, and was promoted to the position of first lieutenant. In 1906, he joined his father and served under President Theodore Roosevelt. Later, he joined the mission of US occupation of Veracruz, Mexico. In World War 1, he prevailed as the commander of 42nd Division and by the end of the war, he was promoted to brigadier general. From 1919 to 1922, he became the youngest superintendent for West Point Military Aca...
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, was close to not achieving commander status. If this had happened, a different person would have taken control over Operations Torch, Avalanche, and Overlord. Eisenhower, in fact, was the key component in the victory for the Allies. Had he not been assigned by George Marshall to a planning officer in Washington D.C., President Harry Truman might not have saw Eisenhower’s potential. Eisenhower’s past 30 years of military experience, his strong mental and social stature, and his ideas and tactics were all key factors for his triumphant victory in World War II.
One of the literary elements that Melville uses that convey the narrator's attitude towards Bartleby is diction. The author's diction in this short story is very descriptive and is also slightly comical. One of the ways this is used is when the author gently mocks the narrator by having him expose his flaws through his own words. For example, when the narrator talks of John Jacob Astor, a well respected man who complemented him, we find out how full of himself he is and how highly he thinks of himself. "The late John Jacob Astor, a parsonage little given to poetic enthusiasm, had no hesitation in pronouncing my first grand point…I will freely add, that I was not insensible to the late John Jacob Astor's good opinion." (Page 122, Paragraph2) Another example of the author's use of diction appears on page 127 in paragraph 2; "At first, Bartleby did an extraordinary quantity of writing. As if long famished for something to copy, he seemed to gorge himself on my documents. There was no pause for digestion. He ran a day and night line, copying by sunlight and by candle-light. I should have been quite delighted with his application, had he been cheerfully industrious. But he wrote on silently, palely, mechanically." Here the narrator's description of Bartleby's writing habits in the office, at first, tell us that he is very pleased with his progress and the work he has done but then it tells us that he is not very enthusiastic but...
Douglas Francis MacArthur was born on January 26, 1880, at the Arkansas Barracks in Little Rock, Arkansas. His parents were Arthur MacArthur Jr. and Mary Pinkney Hardy MacArthur. His mother was often called by her nickname “Pinky”. Since her brothers both fought for the South in the Civil War, they refused to attend her wedding, which made her upset. Douglas was raised in a military family in the American Old West. He had two brothers: Arthur III and Malcolm. Even after Malcolm died of the measles in 1883, when Douglas was just 3 years old, the family succeeded to maintain a healthy relationship even though things wouldn’t be the same without Malcolm.
...here are similar aspects to each writer's experience. Engaging the imagination, Ramond, Wordsworth and Shelley have experienced a kind of unity; conscious of the self as the soul they are simultaneously aware of 'freedoms of other men'. I suggested in the introduction that the imagination is a transition place wherein words often fail but the experience is intensified, even understood by the traveler. For all three writers the nature of the imagination has, amazingly, been communicable. Ramond and Wordsworth are able to come to an articulate conclusion about the effects imagination has on their perceptions of nature. Shelley, however, remains skeptical about the power of the imaginative process. Nonetheless, Shelley's experience is as real, as intense as that of Ramond and Wordsworth.
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s strong and experienced leadership in the United States military was the main contribution of him becoming one of the greatest and mot successful presidents. Born on October 14, 1890, Dwight D. Eisenhower had a role of leadership. During his high school career he was a leader on the baseball and football field. Once he graduated high school he took off from school for to years to go work with his uncle and father at the Bell Springs Creamery and worked as a fire fighter. He acted as a leader by using his money to help pay for his brothers tuition for college. In 1911, Dwight was accepted into West Point Academy, this was the start of his military career that would take him far in his life.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in Texas in 1890 into a family of seven sons (American Decades). He was a bright man all throughout his life and achieved many goals that would be impossible for any ordinary person. World War II gave him a chance to use his talent for organization to lead the United States to victory (American Decades). He is famously known for his courageous acts during the invasion of North Africa, D-Day, and for his great communication skills.
After two years of working odd jobs after he got out of highschool, he was appointed to the Naval Academy, but was too old to attend. In 1910, he went to an appointment to West Point. Eisenhower was not a good student but not a bad student, he was an average student at the academy, when he went to the military community he surprised them with exceptionals ability. he got hurt a lot during sports, so he was going to have to quit the military due to injuries. Ike ranked 61st out of 164 in his class in the class of 1915. During World War I , he was a training instructor and commander of a training center. After the war Ei...
Drugs have been influencing the ideas, culture, and music of America for ages. Illicit narcotics have left the Union in a state of immense debt. Anti-drug policies have been dumping billions upon billions of dollars in prevention, punishment, and rehabilitation. From the roaring twenties, to the prohibition, drugs have always been fought (Bailey). Most times, the drugs start off as medicines and end up being harmful (Morris). Perhaps, the most prominent and influential eras of drug use in America are the two decades of the 60’s and twenty years later, the 80’s. It may very well be that these two decades molded America into what it is now.
Billy, who cannot understand ambiguity, who takes pleasant words at face value and then obliterates Claggart for suggesting that one could do otherwise, whose sudden blow is a violent denial of any discrepancy between his being and his doing, ends up radically illustrating the very discrepancy he denies.
Herman Melville’s stories of Moby Dick and Bartleby share a stark number of similarities and differences. Certain aspects of each piece seem to compliment each other, giving the reader insight to the underlying themes and images. There are three concepts that pervade the two stories making them build upon each other. In both Moby Dick and Bartleby the main characters must learn how to deal with an antagonist, decide how involved they are in their professions, and come to terms with a lack of resolution.
Of the Romantic Movement, two of the most well-known Gothic literature writers were Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. Gothic writers mainly wrote about themes that showed that they did not believe that people were ‘good’ by nature and the stories they wrote focused on the evils and flaws of mankind. These two authors presented their respective stories “Bartleby the Scrivener” and “The Minister’s Black Veil” as novels that explore the lives and behaviors of other human characters. Although the stories have different perspectives and settings, they both reveal more about how the other human characters are and what dark or unusual traits and motives they have.
The class first started out by teaching us the history of 3D modeling and how it was first used in movies such as "Superman" and "Terminator 2". This definitely had my attention, considering I wanted to do exactly what we were talking about, or I did. We then moved into actually modeling things in the 3Ds Max program. Talking about such things as making basic shapes like circles and squares. We also learned how they were polygons, and how each object can be changed by adjusting the smaller polys within it. All this was so new to me and frankly quite boring. I mean making circles and squares were cool to me when I was in first grade, but being reintroduced to them while in college just didn't have enough going for it to keep my interest. Thus my attention span started to decrease a tad. But then we went into one of the subjects that I did find to be very interesting indeed.