Melville and the theme of boredom
"Boredom is a prevalent theme in Herman Melville's works. The author contends that in Melville's mature work, especially Moby Dick, boredom presents itself as an insidious presence in the lives of Melville's characters, until it matures from being a mere killer of time into a killer of souls"--Provided by publisher
Criticism, interpretation, etc
1 online resource (ix, 237 pages)
9780786457021, 0786457023
593239846
Introduction: Herman Melville's noontide demons
Typee and Omoo: body here, mind over there
Omoo and Mardi: searching for a theme
White-jacket: the devil loves idle hands
Moby-Dick: God or the devil
"Bartleby, the Scrivener": not quite the last word
Clarel: the noontide demon can quote Scripture, too
Billy Budd: Ode to joy
Conclusion