Characters:
- Ishmael
- Ahab
- Quequeb
- Starbuck
- the ship Pequod
Summary:
- Ishmael and his heavily-tattooed Polynesian harpooner friend named Queequeg decide to sign on with the Pequod, a whaling ship whose captain is a man named Ahab
- Ahab reveals that the purpose of his voyage is to hunt down and kill Moby Dick, an old, albino sperm whale who crippled Ahab on his last whaling voyage
- Ahab eventually manages to harpoon the whale but he himself is dragged into the depths of the sea by the diving Moby Dick
- The Pequod, rammed by Moby Dick, sinks, and only Ishmael survives.
Billy Budd
Characters:
- Billy Budd
- HMS Bellipotent
- John Claggart
- Edward Fairfax Vere
Summary:
- Billy Budd is a seaman pressed into service aboard the HMS Bellipotent
- Although the rest of the crew adores his innocent and charming ways, he antagnoizes the ship's Master-at-Arms, John Claggart.
- Claggart brings him before Captain Edward Fairfax to answer to false charges of mutiny, but Billy, unable to find words to respond, lashes out at Claggart and kills him with a blow
- Vere believes in Budd's innocence but follows the ships rules and sentences Billy to death anyway, arguing that any appearance of weakness in the officers and failing to enforce discipline could stir more mutiny.
- Billy's final words are "God bless Captain Vere!"
"Bartleby the Scribner"
- narrator of the story is an unnamed lawyer with offices on Wall Street
- describes himself as doing "a snug business among rich men's bonds and mortgages and title deeds."
- he has three employees: Turkey, Nippers, Ginger Nut, and advertises for a fourth, which is filled by Bartleby "pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn!"
- At first Bartleby appears to be a competent worker but he later refuses to work when requested, repeatedly uttering "I would prefer not to." He is also found to be living in the lawyer's office
- Bartleby refuses to explain his behavior and also refuses to leave when dismissed.
- The lawyer moves office to avoid further confrontation and Bartleby is taken away. At the end of the story Bartleby slowly starves in prison.
"Benito Cereno"
Characters:
- Amasa Delano
- Babo
- Benito Cereno
- San Dominick
- The Bachelor's Delight
Plot summary:
- Amasa Delano, the narrator, is captain of a whaling ship, The Bachelor's Delight
- While anchored off the island of Santa Maria, Delano spots a new ship floating rather listlessly with torn sails. He sends over a boat to investigate.
- When he gets on board the strange ship, he is immediately accosted by sailors and black slaves, all begging for water and supplies. He meets the captain, Benito Cereno, who is very nervous and strangely aloof. Cereno is constantly attended by Babo, his young black servant.
- Cereno tells Delano that the ship had been struck by heavy winds and to lighten the ship they threw supplies overboard, including containers of fresh water. Delano believes that Cereno is both sick and perhaps mentally troubled.
- Delano tells Cereno he will give him some supplies, sailors and rigging to help him reach the nearest port.
- However, as Delano moves across the ship, he gets an intuitive feeling of suspicion that something is wrong. He notices a small black boy hit a white cabin boy on the head with a knife and chides Cereno for allowing this to happen.
- Delano suspects that Cereno wants to take over his ship, but he doesn't say anything because he wants to believe the best. When the wind returns, Delano anchors his ship near Cereno's so he can transfer supplies. Just as he gets into his boat to leave Cereno's ship, Cereno leaps over the side of the San Dominick and lands at Delano's feet. Babo also leaps over and attempts to attack Cereno.
- Cereno's court deposition reveals the truth about what happened on the ship - the slaves had revolted, led by Babo and Atufal, killing most of the Spanish crew. They had forced Cereno to sail toward Senegal but ran out of supplies, but Babo would not let Cereno come to a port that would put the ship in view of people. Cereno chose to sail to Santa Maria. The slaves killed their owner and master, Alexandro Aranda. When the Bachelor's Delight came near, Babo gave Cereno a story to tell and pretended to be Cereno's servant in order to keep an eye on him. In the end, Babo is executed and Cereno dies of misery a few months later.
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