Hey you guys! This is Cristy. I hope everyone had an awesome time at prom and is enjoying the long weekend. I just thought I'd jot down some notes I had on Billy Bud. Mr. Lazaro mentioned that the name of the ship, im guessing, "the rights of man" had been changed from in the book? So maybe this was done to make a theme more obvious to the viewers. Billy Bud is taken from "the rights of man" onto a ship where the rights of man are almost non-existent under the tyranny of Claggert. This fact becomes obvious almost as soon as Billy steps foot on the ship, when a man is flogged in front of the entire crew. No one knows why the man is being punished. The only answer Billy receives is - well, maybe it was just "his turn". One of the crew speculates that even the man who is being flogged probably doesnt even know what his crime was. This gives the impression of opression and injustice. (it also reminds me of 1984, when people would just dissapear at any time, for the slightest reasons.) Mr. Claggert is almost omniscent on the ship, always just a few steps away at any time. He is always lurking in the shadows, ready to step in and deliver discipline. Mr. Claggert's authority on the ship seems endless and he almost seems to take on a god-like role (or more like devil) on the ship, controlling the fates of the lower crew members. He ends up killing one of the main characters. Billy's character, on the other hand, seems to portray innocence, goodness, and generosity as he quickly becomes very popular with his shipmates. He seems very pure, like he has nothing to hide.
The question comes up as to wether Bud's goodness is a result of wisdom or of ignorance. Mr. Claggert cannot believe that Billy could be that kind to him unless it was in irony or in ignorance. It seems like an analysis of human nature. Myself, I also find it hard to believe that Billy can keep neutral feelings toward Mr. Claggert after he caused the death of his friend. The devil believes that man is innately evil and is always there to tempt man and bring out the worst in him. Mr. Claggert is always trying to find out the men in the middle of a mutiny. He even dares them to murder him. all in all, Mr Claggert seems mad. Then when Billy is tempted to join in as part of a mutiny, he refuses. Mr. Claggert hears of his loyalty and instead of being grateful for his loyalty, he frames Billy for a crime that would have the penalty of death.
As we more recently saw, Billy ends up killing Mr. Claggert (when emotion overcomes reason), a triumph of good over evil. But as the trial plays out, Billy might not be exalted as a hero who has vanquished the devil but instead end up receiving an unfair punishment. If he is found guilty i would believe that he would accept his punishment and become a jesus-like figure, sacrificing himself for the rest of the shipmates. But i can only guess, I guess we will see Tuesday! Let me know what your predictions are?! Okay see you guys later.
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7 comments:
Cristy, I know that you mentioned that Claggart's murder was a triumph of good over evil, but I thought it could also be representative of a victory of emotion over logic. I forget exactly when, but at one point Claggart mentions to the captain that he is a product of his environment. This idea seems to come from the ideologies of the Neoclassic period. Melville was a Romantic writer, so it would not be surprising to find that he would want to criticize the Enlightenment's ideals. As he shows, even Claggart shows that he is susceptible to being taken over by emotion because of his unjust punishments and his desire to bring pain to other people.
Hey, it's Erin.
I think that besides goodness Billy also represents innocence or naivety. He gets into trouble for saying goodbye to the "Rights of Man" for expressing a sentiment that could be construed as - mutinuous (that might not be the right word). When Claggart knocks over Billy's bowl and makes Jenkins pick it up, Billy tries to instead. And when they talk about Jenkins' death, Billy outright contradicts Claggart, thinking that Claggart simply "forgot" how things happened. Billy is innocent because he believes that truth is best. But his inability to see others for what they are,his belief that everyone is innately good and just need a friend, both helps and hurts him. He makes friends fast but is unable to fear Claggart because he can't believe that causing others harm could really bring anyone pleasure. He sort of sees the world, and the people in it, from his own perspective.
Conversely, Claggart can be seen as representing experience. As Ian pointed out, Claggart claims his environment made him. When he and Billy talk at night on the ship deck, Claggart likens the world to an ocean, where everyone is in some sort of competition for survival: big fish eating the little fish. His view is the opposite of Billy's: people do not care about each other - they simply look out for themselves. His experience with the world renders him incapable of believing that Billy is not afraid of him or does not hate him. Instead, he sees Billy as ignorant of the world they live in. In a way, both Billy and Claggart are unable to understand the other's view of the world.
At the same time, one could say that in the end, experience won or that innocence can only last so long, before something happens to make a person "grow up." When Claggart accuses Billy of attempting to lead a mutiny, Billy is so shocked and unable to comprehend how Claggart could tell such a lie that he is unable to speak. In the end, he acts out of instinct and anger, killing Claggart. Later they mention that if Billy had not struck and killed Claggart, Claggart would had been executed for false testimony. In the end, innocence had lost and instinct had triumphed. What I thought was interesting was how the captain of the ship, who was always in Billy's corner, seemed to reject Billy after he killed Claggart, refusing to look at him when Billy was called in for the trial.
ian and cristy-
and hey to everyone else-
i do not think that budd represents goodness, but moreso innocence. Cristy, you even mentioned yourself: "he's seems very pure, as if he had nothing to hide..."
although budd is a hero, he does not display strength or cunning to perform his deeds, but naivete. claggert, on the other hand, represents not evil but corruption and awareness of selfishness.
sorry, the above comment is stephanie
Yes I agree with you steph, that Billy seems incredibly naive. He is definitely innocent in that he is shocked by the assumption that he would hate Mr. Claggert. He seems even more shocked by the invitation to join in a mutiny against Claggert. I guess the debate comes in, on whether goodness is distinct from innocence. Perhaps it is not that Billy had good morals in his heart, but rather that he was just ignorant. This is the same question Mr. Claggert poses to Billy are you in irony or ignorance? I guess Steph thinks it is ignorance. I definitely don't believe it was irony but I don't think it was complete ignorance either. I think Billy is well aware of the fact that Mr. Claggert caused the death of his friend, yet he seems to forgive him? Does anyone else feel that Billy's actions are more than just ignorance?
Yes I agree with you steph, that Billy seems incredibly naive. He is definitely innocent in that he is shocked by the assumption that he would hate Mr. Claggert. He seems even more shocked by the invitation to join in a mutiny against Claggert. I guess the debate comes in, on whether goodness is distinct from innocence. Perhaps it is not that Billy had good morals in his heart, but rather that he was just ignorant. This is the same question Mr. Claggert poses to Billy are you in irony or ignorance? I guess Steph thinks it is ignorance. I definitely don't believe it was irony but I don't think it was complete ignorance either. I think Billy is well aware of the fact that Mr. Claggert caused the death of his friend, yet he seems to forgive him? Does anyone else feel that Billy's actions are more than just ignorance?
oops. Srry that was Cristy. :)
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