Melville and Repose : The Rhetoric of Humor in the American Renaissance

John Bryant's book is a strong and significant argument for the centrality of the comic and repose in Melville's novels. The purpose of Melville and Repose is dual: to ground the uses of romantic humor in Melville in sensitive readings of contemporaneous European and American writings, and to offer a definitive account of the comic as the shaping force of Melville's narrative voice throughout the major phase of his literary career. Bryant argues that Melville fused a "rhetoric of geniality" and "picturesque sensibility" adopted from the British with a "rhetoric of deceit" borrowed from the American tall tale in order to create his own amiably cosmopolitan "rhetoric of aesthetic repose." Thorough research into American culture and recent Melville manuscript findings, an engaging style, and full, scholarly readings combine to make this historicist study a welcome addition to the libraries of Americanists and Melville scholars and enthusiasts. John Bryant's Book Is A Strong And Significant Argument For The Centrality Of Humor In Melville's Novels. The Purpose Of Melville And Repose Is Dual: To Ground The Uses Of Romantic Humor In Melville In Sensitive Readings Of Contemporaneous European And American Writings, And To Offer A Definitive Account Of The Comic As The Shaping Force Of Melville's Narrative Voice Throughout The Major Phase Of His Literary Career. Arguing That Melville Saw Writing As A Series Of Attempts To Reach An Unreachable Union Of Word And Thought (voicing The Voiceless), Bryant Shows How Melville Attempted To Place The Reader In An Equivalent Condition Of Tense Repose. He Posits That Melville Incorporated Laughter Into His Writing As A Means Of Teasing The Reader Into Deeper Thought. To This End, Melville Fused A Rhetoric Of Geniality And Picturesque Sensibility Adopted From The British With A Rhetoric Of Deceit Borrowed From The American Tall Tale, Thus Creating His Own Amiably Cosmopolitan Rhetoric Of Aesthetic Repose.. Looking Closely At Typee, Moby Dick, And The Confidence-man, Bryant Offers Unique And Ground-breaking Readings Of Melville's Work - Particularly With Respect To The Rhetoric Of Humor And Repose, The Picturesque, And Cosmopolitanism. Thorough Research Into American Culture And Recent Melville Manuscript Findings, An Engaging Style, And Full, Scholarly Readings Combine To Make This Historicist Study A Welcome Addition To The Libraries Of Americanists And Melville Scholars And Enthusiasts. Abbreviations For Frequently Cited Sources -- A Great Intellect In Repose -- Humor And Being -- Melville's Aesthetics Of Repose -- Melville's Rhetoric: Voicing The Voiceless -- Melville And The Reader: Lord When Shall We Be Done Changing?, -- America's Comic Debate -- America's Repose -- Britain's Amiable Tradition -- Amiability On Native Ground -- The Example Of Irving -- Irving's Comic Debate -- Salmagundi And Some Versions Of The Bachelor -- A Rip In The Canvas: Irving's Picturesque -- Irving's Goldsmith And The Rhetoric Of Geniality -- Playing Along: America And The Rhetoric Of Deceit -- The Deep Thought Of Laughter -- A Veracious History Of Lying -- The Lie Of Our Land: Forms Of Comic Lying -- E.a. Poe And T.b. Thorpe: Two Models Of Deceit -- Poe's Humor -- Thorpe's Big Bear -- The Genial Misanthrope: Melville And The Cosmopolitan Ideal -- Melville's Cosmopolite -- Europe's Cosmopolite: At Home In Every Place, -- America's Con Man Cosmopolite: Nowhere A Stranger, -- Herman Melville: Diogenes Masquerading As A Cosmopolitan, -- Rhetoric And Repose -- Typee -- The Anxieties Of Humor -- Reliability And The Amiable Rebel -- Tommo's Picturesque -- Tommo's Amiable Eden -- Typee In Manuscript -- Drama And Restraint -- Finding Voice: Transcription, Transformation, And Translation -- Forging Ideology: Melville And Little Henry, -- Tommo's Rhetoric Of Deceit -- Tattoo, Taboo, And Cannibalism: Forms Of Conversion -- Tommo Prometheus -- Baffled Scientist And Con Man Revivalist -- Rover And Cosmopolite -- Moby Dick. John Bryant. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 0195077822......Page 1 Contents......Page 14 Abbreviations for Frequently Cited Sources......Page 18 1. A Great Intellect in Repose......Page 22 Humor and Being......Page 25 Melville's Aesthetics of Repose......Page 27 Melville's Rhetoric: Voicing the Voiceless......Page 38 Melville and the Reader: "Lord when shall we be done changing?"......Page 46 I: AMERICA'S COMIC DEBATE......Page 50 2. America's Repose......Page 52 Britain's Amiable Tradition......Page 53 Amiability on Native Ground......Page 60 3. The Example of Irving......Page 71 Irving's Comic Debate......Page 72 Salmagundi and Some Versions of the Bachelor......Page 74 A Rip in the Canvas: Irving's Picturesque......Page 82 Irving's Goldsmith and the Rhetoric of Geniality......Page 85 The Deep Thought of Laughter......Page 89 A Veracious History of Lying......Page 91 The Lie of our Land: Forms of Comic Lying......Page 101 Poe's Humor......Page 107 Thorpe's Big Bear......Page 119 6. The Genial Misanthrope: Melville and The Cosmopolitan Ideal......Page 128 Melville's Cosmopolite......Page 129 Europe's Cosmopolite: "At Home in Every Place"......Page 131 America's Con Man Cosmopolite: "Nowhere a Stranger"......Page 135 Herman Melville: "Diogenes Masquerading as a Cosmopolitan"......Page 146 II: RHETORIC AND REPOSE......Page 148 7. The Anxieties of Humor......Page 150 8. Typee in Manuscript......Page 165 9. Tommo's Rhetoric of Deceit......Page 180 10. Ishmael: Sounding the Repose of If......Page 205 11. Ahab: Personifying the Impersonal......Page 228 12. Melville's Comedy of Doubt......Page 249 13. Comic Debates: The Uses of Cosmopolite......Page 263 Coda: Something Further......Page 284 Notes......Page 288 B......Page 318 C......Page 319 E......Page 321 G......Page 322 H......Page 323 L......Page 324 M......Page 325 O......Page 326 Q......Page 327 R......Page 328 S......Page 329 T......Page 330 Y......Page 331 0195077822 1 Contents 14 Abbreviations for Frequently Cited Sources 18 1. A Great Intellect in Repose 22 Humor and Being 25 Melville's Aesthetics of Repose 27 Melville's Rhetoric: Voicing the Voiceless 38 Melville and the Reader: "Lord when shall we be done changing?" 46 I: AMERICA'S COMIC DEBATE 50 2. America's Repose 52 Britain's Amiable Tradition 53 Amiability on Native Ground 60 3. The Example of Irving 71 Irving's Comic Debate 72 Salmagundi and Some Versions of the Bachelor 74 A Rip in the Canvas: Irving's Picturesque 82 Irving's Goldsmith and the Rhetoric of Geniality 85 4. Playing Along: America and the Rhetoric of Deceit 89 The Deep Thought of Laughter 89 A Veracious History of Lying 91 The Lie of our Land: Forms of Comic Lying 101 5. E. A. Poe and T. B. Thorpe: Two Models of Deceit 107 Poe's Humor 107 Thorpe's Big Bear 119 6. The Genial Misanthrope: Melville and The Cosmopolitan Ideal 128 Melville's Cosmopolite 129 Europe's Cosmopolite: "At Home in Every Place" 131 America's Con Man Cosmopolite: "Nowhere a Stranger" 135 Herman Melville: "Diogenes Masquerading as a Cosmopolitan" 146 II: RHETORIC AND REPOSE 148 TYPEE 150 7. The Anxieties of Humor 150 8. Typee in Manuscript 165 9. Tommo's Rhetoric of Deceit 180 MOBY DICK 205 10. Ishmael: Sounding the Repose of If 205 11. Ahab: Personifying the Impersonal 228 12. Melville's Comedy of Doubt 249 THE CONFIDENCE-MAN 263 13. Comic Debates: The Uses of Cosmopolite 263 Coda: Something Further 284 Notes 288 Index 318 A 318 B 318 C 319 D 321 E 321 F 322 G 322 H 323 I 324 J 324 K 324 L 324 M 325 N 326 O 326 P 327 Q 327 R 328 S 329 T 330 U 331 V 331 W 331 Y 331 This is an extraordinary effort--one of the most thoughtful and innovative analyses of Melville's narrative guises ever published. Bryant is clearly one of the nation's best Melville scholars.