ENG 304: Melville & Ellison

During the fight between the Brotherhood and the Nationalist group, Ras brings up that black men should not be fighting because they are on the same side. Ras opposes that…

In what we have read so far of Invisible Man, Ellison discusses the perceived power dynamic between blacks and whites. The Invisible Man at first feels when he is driving…

From the beginning of book there is a significant amount of foreshadowing to the fate of the Pequod. What we are hearing is Ishmael’s account of the story so we…

As with many of Melville’s stories, race plays a significant role in Moby Dick. First with the introduction of Queequeg, Ishmael is enamored by the differences of him. He behaves…

When reading Moby Dick it is not hard to see why the novel did not receive initial and commercial success. Melville’s structural style and the his jumps between narration could…

Before attending Jill Lepore’s lecture on the history of Wonder Woman, I didn’t think it would have much to do with what we discuss in class. However after the lecture,…

That I Had the Wings, along with Ellison’s other Riley and Buster stories, presents the black experience through the mundane experiences of two children. What is confusing to me in…

A central theme in Dear White People, is the identity crises of all four of the central characters. What I liked about the film was that filmmaker Justin Simien chose…

Throughout Billy Budd, Melville makes numerous biblical allusions, especially when referring to Billy. After Billy kills Claggart, Vere refers to him as the “vessel of an angel”. To Vere, the…

Much like in Typee, race is a central theme in Benito Cereno. Delano, much like Tommo does not outwardly hate other races. He is more of a benign racist. He…