An Analysis Of Billy As A Christ-Figure In The Great Gatsby By Herman Melville

Melville portrays Billy as a Christ-figure because he was innocence, young, handsome sailor who has only recently entered into the naval forces. When he go back to the British Isles on board the ship Rights-of-Man, he is impressed into duty by the H.M.S. Bellipotent, a warship was looking for extra sailors. Billy is the only member of Rights-of-Man selected to change ranks by the representative of the Bellipotent, Lieutenant Ratcliffe. Without complaint, Billy accepts his reassignment, much to Ratcliffe’s satisfaction. Also, it was hot and his face, lustrous with perspiration, beamed with barbaric good humor. “The Red Whiskers,” the only member of the crew who disliked Billy, tried to bully him because he was young. He forgot the hospitalities on an occasion so unwelcome to Billy, an omission simply caused by preoccupation of thought, unceremoniously invited himself into the cabin. The Red Whiskers punched Billy. Billy responded with a forceful blow of his own. Liutenant took away the jewel of ‘em, took away from his peacemaker. To the surprise of all, …show more content…
Graveling details the love felt by all for Billy the peacekeeper and dreads the encroaching discord that will doubtlessly return to the Rights-of-Man upon Billy’s departure.
“Habitually living with the elements and knowing little more of the land than as a beach, or rather, that portion . . . set apart for dance-houses, doxies, and tapsters, in short what sailors call a “fiddler’s green,” his simple nature remained unsophisticated by those moral obliquities which are not in every case incompatible with that manufactural thing known as respectability. But are sailors, frequenters