Part one of term paper
Famous author E.B. White once offered this quote, "Advice to young writers who want to get ahead without delays: don't write about Man, write about a man." Although Herman Melville was neither young or inexperienced, in he chose to write not about Man, but about one particularly honest and handsome sailor named . Not only does Melville's ...

Part two of term paper
... characteristics of innocence and perfection were built up throughout the book with examples of how his shipmates admired him. In the following text, Billy's captain laments over losing Billy to another ship: "Lieutenant, you are going to take my best man from me, the jewel of `em" (8). Calling Billy a jewel symbolized that he was special and pure. A jewel in the midst of average seamen. He was the best. Not only was Billy the best, but he also was physically perfect. Even his shipmates h ...