Biblical Allusion in Melville's Prose

Abstract

JN A CONSIDERATION of the books which constituted Herman Melville's literary background the Bible assumes noteworthy prominence. It belongs with Plato, Rabelais, Shakespeare, the seventeenth-century mystics, and miscellaneous voyages among the books upon which he drew indiscriminately as sources. His use of it was exclusively artistic, an appropriation already in evidence in I848 when, at the age of twenty-nine, he first discovered Shakespeare: Ah, he's full of sermons-on-the-mount, and gentle, ay, almost as Jesus. I take such men to be inspired. I fancy this Mons. Shakespeare in heaven ranks with Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael. And if another Messiah ever comes he will be in Shakespeare's person.' Echoes of the books he read are recognizable in what Melville wrote by his characteristic of citation. Scattered through his pages are catalogues of, and references to, authors, books, characters, events, legends, and fables. But most distinct and most consistent, from Typee to Budd, are the Biblical allusions which occur in every novel and the greater number of his tales and sketches. In the thirteen volumes of prose there are approximately 650 references to Biblical characters, places, events, and books.2 Two thirds of these references, or some 430 of them, are to the Old Testament, 200 are to the New Testament, and about a dozen are to the Apocrypha. In this list forty-seven of the sixty-six canonical books are represented. By far the greater number of these allusions are to persons and events rather than to chapters and verses. amount of Melville's direct quotation from the Bible is slight; only about fifty passages enclosed in quotation marks occur. On the other hand, he alludes 'Lewis Mumford, Hermnan Melville (New York, I929), p. I38. 'The number of references by volumes are: Typee 6; Omoo 8; Mardi (2 vOls.) 75; Redburn 5I; White Jacket 52; Moby Dick (2 vols.) I55; Pierre 70; Piazza Tales 37; Israel Potter 3I; Confidence Man 63; Billy Budd 95. Five sketches in the Billy Budd volume alone contain no Biblical allusions: The Fiddler, The Apple-Tree Table, Jack Gentian, The Cincinnati, Fragments from a Writing Desk. All references to Melville's works are to the Constable ed. (London, 1922-1924). All references to the Bible are to the King James translation, which Melville used.