Melville's Other Lives: Bodies on Trial in The Piazza Tales

Melville's Other Lives is the first book-length study on The Piazza Tales, exploring the rich and varied subject of embodiment in any published collection of Melville's stories. It focuses on the trials of the human body, its pain and trauma, struggles, and frustrations, and looks forward to the work of Michel Foucault and Raymond Williams.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 19 July 2022
Publisher: University of Virginia Press

Melville's Other Lives is a groundbreaking exploration of Herman Melville's renowned collection of short stories, The Piazza Tales. This book stands as the first comprehensive study of this collection and the first to delve into the diverse and intricate realm of embodiment in Melville's storytelling. Through the insightful analysis of Christopher Sten, it becomes evident that all the stories within The Piazza Tales revolve around encounters between established white male figures, including writers, lawyers, ship captains, homeowners, architects, world travelers, and characters who represent marginalized groups, such as seamstresses, office drudges, enslaved Africans, traveling salesmen, island castaways, and the impoverished.

Melville's central focus in these tales lies in the profound examination of the human body, encompassing its pain, trauma, struggles, and frustrations. He delves into the ordinary trials of illness, office work, and door-to-door salesmen, as well as the extraordinary challenges posed by rebellion on a slave ship, survival on a wasteland archipelago, and the creation of a monstrous man-machine. Melville's stories exhibit a deep concern for the cultural meanings embedded within these trials, drawing inspiration from the works of cultural materialists like Michel Foucault and Raymond Williams. These scholars have demonstrated how cultures define, control, and oppress bodies based on their perceived otherness.

As a storyteller, Melville possessed a keen understanding of the dynamics at play within cultural systems. He capitalized on our collective fascination with the human body, employing it as a subject, symbol, and vehicle to bring his tales to life. Through his narratives, Melville sought to expose the complexities and contradictions of human existence, challenging societal norms and exploring the darker aspects of the human psyche.

Other Lives offers a valuable contribution to Melville scholarship, shedding light on the author's exploration of embodiment and his nuanced understanding of cultural dynamics. It provides a fresh perspective on Melville's storytelling, highlighting his ability to blend historical, social, and psychological elements to create compelling and thought-provoking narratives. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Melville's work, as well as in the broader field of literary studies that examines the intersection of body, culture, and identity.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813945439