Background

Herman Melville Biography

Author, Poet (1819–1891)Herman Melville was an American author born on August 1, 1819 in New York, New York. The author penned many books and later in life wrote poetry. Best known for his novel Moby Dick, Melville was only heralded as one of America’s greatest writers after his death on September 28, 1891. The Library of Congress honored him as its first writer to collect and publish. 

Billy Budd

History

Herman Melville began writing Billy Budd at the ends of his life but died before finishing it in 1891. Melville's granddaughter gave the rough draft to a writer, Raymond Weaver, while he was researching a biography of Melville. After editing it, he added it in a collection, Billy Budd and Other Prose Pieces, which was published in London in 1924 by Constable and Company. However, many scholars acclaimed that Weaver  misinterpreted, misread, and omitted certain passages in the unfinished drafts. Consequently, they re-edited the manuscript and published their own editions of the novel. 

Some have seen this novel as a "testament of acceptance." Moby Dick was about a man (Ahab) who did not accept his limitations. However, Billy Budd seems to harmonize to the powers that to be. It accepts different evil and offensive situations. 

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