Hostile Interpretation Than Herman Melvilles Billy Budd The Sailor Essay Example

ain Vere's actions for their liberal stance against both authority and capital punishment. Posner contends that we should not judge a century-old story based on contemporary attitudes towards capital punishment. However, it is worth noting that when Melville wrote the story between 1886 and 1891, there was significant attention given to the ongoing debate on capital punishment in New York State, where Melville resided.

Is it possible that we have overlooked something obvious by ignoring the history of 19th-century capital punishment, which greatly influenced American culture? Alternatively, could those of us analyzing this narrative in the post-World War II era of the late 20th century have become desensitized to its consequences?