Melville's Anatomies

This text presents contextual readings of four of Herman Melville's novels - "Typee", "White-Jacket", "Moby Dick" and "Pierre".

The book explores the prose to show how Melville anatomizes ideology, making it palpable and strange.

Otter portrays Melville as deeply concerned with issues of race, the body, gender, sentiment and national identity.

In order to flesh out Melville's discursive world, a range of contemporary texts are examined.

Finally, Melville's work is presented as "inside narratives" offering material analyses of consciousness.

Chapters centre on the tattooed faces in "Typee", the flogged bodies in "White-Jacket", the scrutinized heads in "Moby Dick", and the desiring eyes and eloquent, constricted hearts of "Pierre".

Otto shows how Melville's books tell of the epic quest to know the secrets of the human body.

Rather than dismiss contemporary beliefs about race, self and nation, Melville inhabits them, acknowledging their appeal and examining their sway.