Innocence vs. Evil

The book contrasts pure, natural innocence (embodied by Billy Budd and Bartleby) with inherent, subtle depravity (embodied by Claggart), exploring how untainted goodness is vulnerable to and often destroyed by the machinations of evil in a complex world.

The daughters' innocent fears of the table's cloven feet and the narrator's initial skepticism highlight the tension between innocence and perceived evil.

Marianna's innocent longing for happiness contrasts with the wearying reality of her existence, and the narrator's initial romantic view of the mountain house is dispelled by the truth of her suffering.

Billy's innocent, cheerful nature is contrasted with the harsh reality of impressment and the potential for malice in others.

Billy's pristine, Adam-like innocence is contrasted with the moral obliquities of civilized society, and his stutter is presented as a mark of the Edenic marplot.