LIT 499-02 Melville and Disability
Professor: David Blake
Class Sessions: M/R 12:30-1:50pm
A sea captain with a whalebone for a leg, a law clerk afraid to go outside, a beggar who neither speaks nor hears, a handsome sailor with a speech impediment, these are some of Herman Melville’s most memorable characters, though readers have only recently begun to recognize that they all have some kind of disability. This seminar will explore the writings of Herman Melville from the perspective of disability studies, paying close attention to his artistry, theology, and interest in physical and psychological difference. Works will include “Bartleby the Scrivener,” Moby-Dick, The Confidence Man, Billy Budd, and selected poems.