"Cliff Notes - Billy Budd" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cliff Notes)

he convinces himself that to do so would cause the crew to mutiny,
and he uses this lame argument to convince the other judges to go
along with him. It's the typical second-guessing of a nervous coward.
Vere might read a lot of books, but all they do is fossilize his
already settled opinions. Like so many intellectuals, he totally
separates his feelings from his thoughts, and assumes that his gut
reaction is wrong, because it comes from his gut.

Would you want a man like this to be your judge? Vere's total lack
of imagination wouldn't be so bad if he were only a private
gentleman, reading and smoking his pipe in the seclusion of his own
library. But since he's a captain in the navy, in a position of key
responsibility, it's an unforgivable flaw with fatal consequences
for Billy.

3. VERE AS A WELL-ROUNDED MAN IN A TOUGH SPOT

If you've ever had to make a really difficult decision, you know how
tough things must have been for Captain Vere. What makes it even
worse for Vere is that he's a highly intelligent, complex person who
understands all the implications of Billy's case. He's a leader and
a thinker, a man of deep feeling but also a stickler for detail, a
man with strong personal opinions but with an even stronger sense of
duty. There's no simple right or wrong in this case; Vere knows this
and suffers for it. Don't you find making some decisions to be
torturous? Vere has to weigh human nature, the mood of his crew, the
political situation, the law, and the ultimate right and wrong of
the case. Because of his training, education, and disposition, Vere
is uniquely qualified to grapple with Billy's plight. He does the
best that he can. You have to respect him for this and feel for him.


BILLY BUDD: THE DANSKER

Though Billy has many friends among the crew of the Bellipotent, the
Dansker is the only one whose character Melville fills out
completely. Wrinkled, cynical, tight-lipped, and wise in the crooked
ways of the world, the Dansker offers quite a contrast to the
handsome young sailor whom he dubs "Baby Budd." Melville compares
the old Dansker to the oracle at Delphi, a kind of religious fortune-
teller whom the ancient Greeks would consult for advice about the
future. Like this oracle, the Dansker likes making short, cryptic
pronouncements, and once he speaks, he refuses to explain what he's
said. Billy, for one, can't understand half of his utterances, and
what he understands he refuses to believe. You might get frustrated
with the Dansker because, while he cares for Billy, he refuses to
take a stand and speak up for him.


BILLY BUDD: THE SHIP'S SURGEON