Analysis Of Herman Melville s Typee - 1850 Words

In much of what we â€Å"identify with in our everyday lives has to do with the relationships we have with one another. These relationships are ultimately embedded into our memory for basically the rest of our lives, and with some shape or form, shape us to who we are today. These relations, similarly have to do with faces, actions and personal experiences that we have never been exposed to before. This type of exposure is apparent in Herman Melville’s Typee,where â€Å"identity† is of critical importance to that of Tommo, the narrator, along with the tribe that he encounters while stranded on the island. There are numerous instance as to where Tommo questions his moral and somewhat physical ‘identity’ in Typee. These events such as Tommos decision to tattoo himself is a major identity crisis because it’s not something he, nor his Western culture is really exposed to or familiar with. The Typee practices and societal structures displayed by Melvill e in Typee allows the reader in some case, to compare and contrast how Western civilization and the â€Å"other† [Typee] reaffirm â€Å"identity.† In a sense Tommo and his decision, by the end of the novel, really allows the reader to understand what creates and helps maintain identity for ones self. Melville, in the beginning, introduces Tommo as an individual that prefers to be unidentified or wants to be invisible to others, but wants to be someone whom takes pleasure in the observation of others. Tommo, in Marquesan, does mean â€Å"toShow MoreRelatedEssay about Herman Melville: A Biography And Analysis2570 Words   |  11 Pages Herman Melville: A Biography And Analysis nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Throughout American history, very few authors have earned the right to be called â€Å"great.† Herman Melville is one of these few. His novels and poems have been enjoyed world wide for over a century, and he has earned his reputation as one of the finest American writers of all time. A man of towering talent, with intellectual and artistic brilliance, and a mind of deep insight into human motives and behavior, it is certainly