Alcohol in the Writings of Herman Melville

"The Ever-Devilish God of Grog"

Häftad, Engelska, 2015

669 kr

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In early to mid-19th century America, there were growing debates concerning the social acceptability of alcohol and its consumption. Temperance reformers publicly decried the evils of liquor, and America's greatest authors began to write works of temperance fiction, stories that urged Americans to refrain from imbibing.Herman Melville was born in an era when drunkenness was part of daily life for American men but came of age at a time when the temperance movement had gained social and literary momentum.This first full-length analysis of alcohol and intoxication in Melville's novels, short fiction and poetry shows how he entered the debate in the latter half of the 19th century. Throughout his work he cautions readers to avoid alcohol and consistently illustrates negative outcomes of drinking.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2015-05-11
Mått152 x 229 x 11 mm
Vikt299 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor216
FörlagMcFarland & Co Inc
ISBN9780786499601

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Litteraturvetenskap inom Skönlitteratur

Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPreface Introduction 1. Melville’s Temperance Fiction2. The Prodromal Phase of Alcoholism3. Melville’s Supposedly Social Drinkers4. Unscrupulous Sippers, Smugglers and Servers5. Alcohol, Deception and Melville’s Confidence Men6. Loss of Rank, Loss of Reputation7. Alcohol, Ill Health and Penury8. Of Grog and Monsters: Melville’s Addiction Narratives9. Melville’s Dark TemperanceConclusionAfterword: Melville and the BottleAppendix: A Concordance of Melville’s Characters and AlcoholChapter Notes Bibliography Index

“Thompson’s Alcohol in the Writings of Herman Melville stands as a fascinating and thorough treatment of one of the most neglected subjects in Melville criticism. Thompson makes a powerful case for the ubiquity of alcohol in Melville’s writing and life. With indefatigable research and a sharp critical eye, Thompson has tracked down seemingly every reference and innuendo to alcohol and its social, cultural, and literary effects in Melville. Particularly impressive is his wise approach to “The Melville Question”...whether or not Melville was an alcoholic...by way of focusing on the function of alcohol and alcoholics within his writings, a far more interesting endeavor than engaging it directly and venturing forth a tentative answer. Instead Thompson immerses us in the materials readily available and abundant, yet surprisingly under discussed, of Melville’s own texts. Herein, we discover a richly nuanced study that refuses easy answers to the complex place of alcohol within his writings.”—David Dowling, University of Iowa.