American literature | Criticism

This literature criticism consists of approximately 4 pages of analysis & critique of American literature.

American literature | Criticism

This literature criticism consists of approximately 4 pages of analysis & critique of American literature.
This section contains 1,040 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Critical Essay by James S. Leonard

SOURCE: “The Presence of Death in Typee,” in Melville Society Extracts, No. 58, May, 1984, pp. 15-16.

In the following essay, Leonard examines Tommo's attitude toward the Typees in Melville's novel, noting that his escape from Typee Valley signals Tommo's coming to terms with the reality of death.

During the course of Tommo's stay in the Typee Valley, the problematical reality of death seems to intrude scarcely at all into the consciousness of the savages. When Tommo encounters the effigy of a dead chief “paddling his way to the realms of bliss, and bread-fruit,” he relates a native companion's reaction: “‘A very pleasant place,’ Kory-Kory said it was; ‘but after all, not much pleasanter, he thought, than Typee.’ ‘Did he not then,’ I asked him, ‘wish to accompany the warrior?’ ‘Oh, no: he was very happy where he was; but supposed that some time or other he would go in...

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This section contains 1,040 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Critical Essay by James S. Leonard
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