The Description of the Characters in Herman Melville's White-Jacket, or The World in a Man-of-War
Toru Nishiura
Katharine Rodier
Dolores Johnson
Many characters who have various personalities app ear in Herman Melville's White-Jacket . However, few critics have comprehensively examined the action and the characteristics of them in detail. In this thesis, I explore Melville's depiction of the battleship world in this novel by clarifying the narrator 's standard to judge ot her characters. In White-Jacket, the whole story is narrated by White-Jacket; therefore, the characteristics of his narrative clarify the theme of this novel. I start with an analysis of his narrative and examine whether he is a reliable narrator or not. Then, I explore the relationship between the battleship world and the characters. Moreover, I analyze the inclination of the narrator 's description of the other characters and confirm Melville's attitude in the narrator 's description. Specifically, I exaxine Jack Chase and Ushant who resist the evils of the battleship world and clarify Melville's skeptic alassertion toward the U.S. Navy in those days.
Melville, Herman -- 1819-1891 -- Characters.
Melville, Herman -- 1819-1891 -- White-jacket; or, The world in a man-of-war -- Characters.
Nishiura, Toru, "The Description of the Characters in Herman Melville's White-Jacket, or The World in a Man-of-War" (2005). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 739.
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