Short Fiction · Question
How does Short Fiction develop the theme of The Individual vs. Society?
Answer
Short Fiction by Herman Melville develops The Individual vs. Society across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Characters like Bartleby and Billy Budd stand in stark opposition to the demands of their social or institutional environments, highlighting the conflict between personal integrity or natural goodness and the conformist, often oppressive, expectations of the collective.
Bartleby's nonconformity and the narrator's struggle to deal with him reflect the tension between individual will and social/economic norms.
The narrator's defiance against his creditors and the industrial world mirrors a personal rebellion against societal pressures.
The Creole adventurer's individual ambition to create a personal kingdom clashes with the collective will of the settlers and deserters, leading to societal collapse.
Evidence in the book
- Bartleby
Bartleby's nonconformity and the narrator's struggle to deal with him reflect the tension between individual will and social/economic norms.
- Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!
The narrator's defiance against his creditors and the industrial world mirrors a personal rebellion against societal pressures.
- Sketch Seventh: Charles's Isle and the Dog-King
The Creole adventurer's individual ambition to create a personal kingdom clashes with the collective will of the settlers and deserters, leading to societal collapse.
- Picture First: Poor Man's Pudding
The Coulter family's struggle against societal indifference and the narrator's personal confrontation with the gap between ideal and real.
- Picture Second: Rich Man's Crumbs
The narrator, an individual observer, is overwhelmed and nearly crushed by the mob, symbolizing the conflict between personal dignity and the dehumanizing forces of society.
- The Fiddler
The narrator's struggle for artistic recognition contrasts with Hautboy's contentment in obscurity, highlighting the tension between personal ambition and societal validation.
- III
Billy Budd's individual story is set against the backdrop of the fleet's collective mutiny and the broader societal and political forces at play.
