Billy Budd: A Story Of True Goodness

Part I of Essay
Herman Melville’s Billy Budd is a story about true goodness. It entails the conflict of good and evil, but more than that it portrays innocence in its’ most purest form. Innocence is an exploitable commodity. While this is universally recognized, there are many different ....

Part II of Essay
.... on opposite sides of the spectrum contrast one another in a plethora of ways. Where Billy is sweet, John is bitter. Where Billy is naïve, John is knowledgeable. Where Billy is content, John is jealous. Lastly, where Billy is good, John is bad. The ugliness that results in the death of both men portrays the triumph of sinister forces over the meek. John Claggart, who is a powerful and feared man aboard Bellipotent, lashes out at Billy who is for the most part defenseless. This is an injustice of biblical proportions. What could have preve ....