Best Man “See here, now. Before I shipped that young fellow, my forecastle was a rat-pit of quarrels. It was black times, I tell you, aboard the Rights here. I was worried to that degree my pipe had no comfort for me. But Billy came; and it was like a Catholic priest striking peace in an Irish shindy. Not that he preached to them or said or did anything in particular; but virtue went out of him, sugaring the sour ones...Anybody will do anything for Billy Budd; and it’s the happy family here. But now, Lieutenant, if that young fellow goes-I know how it will be aboard the Rights. Not again very soon shall I , coming up from dinner, lean over the capstan smoking a quiet pipe-no, not very soon again, I think. Ay, Lieutenant, you are going to take away the jewel of ‘em; you are going to take away my peacemaker!” These were the words of the captain of the Rights of man merchant ship, when a Lieutenant visited his ship planning to take Billy Budd, his best man, and transfer him to the Bellipotent warship.
It is commonly known that Billy is an asset aboard the Rights of Man, valued by both his fellow sailors, and the captain
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Although an important and highly respected individual, Billy’s naivety flaws his near impeccable character. The Rights of Man, only a merchant ship, tolerated his inexperience and immaturity, serving as the ideal atmosphere for Billy to gain knowledge, maturing in his ways. The Bellipotent unlike the Rights of man was a war ship. Billy is not ready to venture into this new experience. Eventually, yes there would be an appropriate time. However, at the present, Billy must remain on the Rights of Man, increasing in understanding, learning how to deal with the matters in this world before he is thrust into a massive war ship, where the sailors fail to exhibit mercy, and the intense circumstances continually
I thought he was a very nice gentleman. Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat.” (Capote 244).
By witnessing the horrific events of war, it is likely Billy has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), which throughout the novel causes to review and repeat events through his life. Post traumatic stress disorder involves disturbance of sleep and constant
I believe that Billy was the most heroic character in “Billy Budd” than Captain Vere. He was a man that did not argue or be mad even though he was forced on a naval ship. He was generally kind and was liked by other sailors. Even when Captain Vere made him be hang, he accepted the situation, and sacrifice himself for other problems that could happen if he was not punished. While in the other hand.
For example, he never knew if he would be suffering in the POW camp in Germany, performing an eye examine on a child who recently lost his father in the war, or going on his honeymoon with his wife. By using those examples in the book, it made Billy seem like he really had no control of his time periods and was actually “unstuck in
Billy Bud Sailor Would you bash a man with your fist, if he didn’t understand you? And if so would you get the death penalty? That’s exactly what Billy Bud had to face. Everyone agrees that Billy went to court, and some believe that he shouldn’t have obtained the death penalty, while others think he should.
In Daniel Gumbiner’s “The Boatbuilder,” Garrett, like many characters in the story, is one of great complexity and his actions frequently present a conundrum on whether he just makes human mistakes or is genuinely a bad person. This discussion will clearly show with evidence why he is the latter by delving into the complexities of his actions and also his character. It is understandable why a reader could be inclined to believe that he is just a troubled individual. However, throughout the story, he displays his manipulative and harmful behavior by crossing the line from making what could be seen as simple mistakes to being actually malevolent on multiple occasions. By exploring themes of morality, personal responsibility, and the impact of
“Mildred sat across the hall from him. ‘What does it mean? It doesn't mean anything’ The Captain was right?” Page 65 Line 19.
“I’m gonna get him. I’m going for my shotgun. I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll Shoot ‘im in the guts. Come on, you guys” (Steinbeck 96).
Billy is said to become unstuck in time to different events in his life. He flashes to memories of Dresden, which is the war that he participated in. He also has episodes of his flight crash, he knows how he will die, and how his wife dies. This book is so sporadic, the audience never truly knows when this book is taking place in Billy’s life. Each page could contain three or more different events in Billy’s
This relates to a quote from The Pearl by John Steinbeck that says,
( 112) He is placed in a place where human like lifestyle is already made for him and he is forced to live. The experience of loss of free will has experienced in the war and as a child, shows how Billy turned out so helpless and unmotivated. Conclusion: Pilgrim is stuck in the same cycle, where he believes he does not have free will because he is helpless and unmotivated which leads him to have no more power over his life. He runs away to a peaceful place with unusual perspectives on life.
The protagonist in this story is Jim Hawkins, who is twelve or thirteen years old. On the beginning, he lives with his parents in a inn. He can be very courageous, like when he was gone back to the ship, when they were in Treasure Island. [quote: chapter 27, Pieces of Eight, page 250]: “I went below and did what I could for my wound; it pained me a good deal and still bled freely, but it was neither deep nor dangerous, nor did it greatly gall me when I used my arm. Then I looked around me, and as the ship was now, in a sense, my own, I began to think of clearing it from its last passenger—the dead man, O’Brien.
Steinbeck’s use of rhetorical strategies throughout the passage enables him to illustrate his message about free will, emphasizing the potential and significance of timshel and creativity in the essence of humanity and the threats against it. He utilizes diction, imagery, and rhetorical appeals to elucidate his message and persuade readers of their role in asserting their individuality. Steinbeck’s use of imagery in the first paragraph illustrates the extent of the potential of free will through his vivid description of the “glory [that] lights up the mind of a man” (Steinbeck 131) and its transformative qualities. This is significant as it delineates the role of free will in humanity, defining a “man’s importance in the world.” (Steinbeck
By using ambiguous language, Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, Sailor explains homosexuality and the issues the group had in society. It can be assumed that at least three of the Bellipotent’s crew were homosexual and other members of the crew knew this as well. Through the time period there was constant fear and persecution of homosexuals which led to the crewmen being silent in their justice just as homosexuals were silenced in their prosecutions by others. By using historical aspects, Melville has hidden under everyone’s nose the implications of homosexuality on the ship. Captain Vere is seen as a scholarly figure who keeps to himself until the end of the novella where he is forced into the conflict of a potential mutiny brewing.
Throughout the novel, Billy has specific experiences with horrific warfare