1 Herman Melville lived primarily in nineteenth-century Britain nineteenth-century America eighteenth-century Ireland eighteenth-century America 2 Melville's novels both are highly esteemed today and failed in his own lifetime failed in his own lifetime are deeply Christian are highly esteemed today 3 Melville's masterpiece, Moby-Dick was well-regarded in his own lifetime, but his fallen in esteem recently has been blasted by most feminist scholars is often praised as the greatest novel in English was not published during Melville's lifetime 4 Billy Budd was first published in the twentieth century in the eighteenth century in the seventeenth century in the nineteenth century 5 Billy Budd was Melville's last novel Melville's first novel both Melville's last novel and found unfinished after Melville's death found unfinished after Melville's death 6 Herman Melville worked as poet laureate an engineer a doctor a sailor 7 Melville's son Malcolm killed Melville's wife enjoyed dressing in women's clothing also became a great writer committed suicide while still a teenager 8 Billy Budd is set in the late nineteenth century the early eighteenth century the late eighteenth century the late seventeenth century 9 Melville opens with a discussion of the history of American merchant ships the nature of evil the Handsome Sailor whaling 10 During the time of the story, the British Empire was menaced by Russian expansion under Catherine the Great Ottoman expansion under Suleyman the Magnificent German expansion under Bismarck French expansion under Napoleon 11 The navy was also menaced by rampant sodomy a year of unpredictable tide patterns the threat of mutiny the threat of ironclads 12 Due to short staffing, the navy often used forced conscription to get men. Such men were known as scalawags impressed men forced eagles drafted men 13 Melville digresses in chapters 3 and 4 to discuss the glorious career of Admiral Nelson General Wellington Mark Anthony Admiral Arnold 14 Billy is beautiful, save one scar across his left shoulder and chest short a foundling both a foundling and beautiful, save one scar across his left shoulder and chest 15 Billy's most serious flaw is his surliness his cynicism his stupidity a tendency to stutter when overcome by emotion 16 Billy's new nickname aboard the Bellipotent is Baby Buddy Gorgeous Bucky 17 Captain Vere's nickname is Powerhouse Starry Sandy Thunder 18 John Claggart's nickname is Red Whiskers Janus the Scorpion Jemmy Legs 19 The name of Billy's old merchant ship is the Rights-of-Man Voltaire Erebus Graveling 20 Claggart's official rank is chief of intelligence chief of security master-at-arms first officer 21 Claggart's position is something like ship's firearms instructor mascot sailing master chief of police 22 Claggart is linked to Pharaoh Ahab Pontius Pilate Satan 23 A strong allegorical tradition of reading the novella links Billy to Joseph Jesus Prometheus Moses 24 In the above-mentioned allegory, Captain Vere most closely resembles Mary Pontius Pilate God the Father Elijah 25 Part of Claggart's hatred for Billy, according to many scholars is religious bigotry unfulfilled sexual desire for Billy racism a suspicion that Billy killed his brother
