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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Slavery
Good and surprising narrative about a (self-statsfiededly) ethical Yankee captain helping another ship adrift at sea, off the coast of Peru in 1799.
On its face the novalla is out of date in its racial politics. But I think there is a surprisingly modern reading underneath. The Yankee captain, though styling himself clever, good and 'saved' routinely fails to understand the situation he is entering. While certainly well intentioned, he is blind to issues that are outside his narrow range of ethical concerns (i.e. that slavery is bad). With Yankee forthrightness and a can-do attitude, he insinuates himself into the situation, (overcoming anxieties he labels as supernatural, romantic or paranoid) mucking things up further. The complex knot thrown at the captain by a Spanish sailor (and immediately ignored by the Yankee captain) could just as well represent the moral complexity of the situation as the practical mystery.
A great novella about blind-spots, both practical and ethical.
On its face the novalla is out of date in its racial politics. But I think there is a surprisingly modern reading underneath. The Yankee captain, though styling himself clever, good and 'saved' routinely fails to understand the situation he is entering. While certainly well intentioned, he is blind to issues that are outside his narrow range of ethical concerns (i.e. that slavery is bad). With Yankee forthrightness and a can-do attitude, he insinuates himself into the situation, (overcoming anxieties he labels as supernatural, romantic or paranoid) mucking things up further. The complex knot thrown at the captain by a Spanish sailor (and immediately ignored by the Yankee captain) could just as well represent the moral complexity of the situation as the practical mystery.
A great novella about blind-spots, both practical and ethical.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ah, Melville. I've not read the other one about being on a boat but I'm okay with that. This story is one of my favourites. It's got everything: an exploration of the human psyche, a totally idiotic character, and a decisive ending that still gives you a lot to think about.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
“funny” being at 4% is a crime
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes