All these pieces were of the heavier caliber of that period. On the starboard side of the Bellipotent's upper gun deck, behold Billy Budd under sentry lying prone in irons in one of the bays formed by the regular spacing of the guns comprising the batteries on either side. Under the tutelage of Hawthorne, Melville developed the metaphysical elements of his work, often to the detriment of clarity of diction and flow of language. The gems hidden among lengthy, digressive passages required more concentrated effort than readers were capable of or willing to put forth. His readers, accustomed to the satisfying rough and tumble of his sea yarns, were unable to make the leap from straightforward adventure tale to probing fiction. Pierre, his first published work after Moby-Dick, with its emphasis on incest and moral corruption, exemplifies his decision to change direction. Like his letters, Melville's literary style became torturous and demanding his themes questioned the nature of good and evil and what he perceived as upheaval in universal order. Instead, he cultivated a more spiritual language to express the darker, enigmatic side of the soul.
With the publication of Moby-Dick, he grew disenchanted with his attempt to please the general reader. The turning point of his career came in 1851.
Like many artists, Melville felt constrained to choose between art and money.
0 kommentar(er)
