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Article: Melville's 'Billy Budd.' (Herman Melville)
- Article from:
- The Explicator
- Article date:
- March 22, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Heldref Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Since its publication in 1924, Billy Budd has been the subject of countless articles. Although the interpretations of Melville's last gift to American literature have been diverse, one element is common: It is difficult to find a study that does not make at least a passing reference to Billy Budd's connection to the story of Jesus.
That the reader associates Billy with Jesus and sees Billy's function as a sacrificial deliverer may be in part due to the role of John Claggart, Billy's enemy. Thompson calls Claggart "a sinister character who has much in common with Satan" (360). Wright considers him "the spiritual antithesis of Billy" (129). Several points suggest these ...