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Melville's maritime politics : enlightenment at sea / David Mence.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Mence, David, Author.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Melville, Herman, 1819-1891--Political and social views.
- Melville, Herman.
- Politics and literature--United States--History--19th century.
- Politics and literature.
- Politics and literature--History.
- United States.
- Genre:
- Electronic books.
- Literary criticism.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (245 pages)
- Place of Publication:
- New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2025]
- Summary:
- "This book gives a new account of the political thought of Herman Melville (1819-1891). Reading him in dialogue with Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Kant, it shows how his works spoke back to the Founders' competing visions of America, as well as to the more immediate and pressing concerns of his own period (especially the slavery crisis and the Civil War). Tracing the ship of state metaphor throughout Melville's oeuvre, it charts the evolution of his views on the theory and practice of American democracy, beginning with the Romantic Federalism of Typee and Omoo and ending in the "tragic pragmatism" of Battle-Pieces and Billy Budd, Sailor. The goal of Melville's politics can be defined as "perpetual upkeep at sea": the ship of state must be sailed and repaired on the open ocean even as, to borrow from Moby-Dick, the "wildest winds of heaven and earth conspire to cast her on the treacherous, slavish shore.""-- Provided by publisher.
- Contents:
- Introduction: Melville’s maritime politics
- Melville’s state of nature in the South Seas
- White-Jacket and the Neversink as floating polis
- Shipwreck of state, Moby-Dick as political philosophy
- Melancholy masquerades: “Benito Cereno” and The Confidence-Man
- Battle-Pieces and tragic pragmatism
- Enlightenment at sea, Billy Budd, sailor
- Conclusion: Melville’s second sailing
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on November 14, 2025).
- Other Format:
- Print version: Mence, David Melville's maritime politics
- ISBN:
- 9780197811832
- 0197811833
- 9780197811856
- 019781185X
- OCLC:
- 1528580502
- Access Restriction:
- Restricted for use by site license
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