Typee Tribe Characters

In Herman Melville’s Typee we are introduced to the leaders of the tribe, Mow-Mow and Mehevi. Through both characters Melville gives us the two possible nature of the Typee tribe, one being good and the other bad. But because both leaders possess the title “savage”, it is impossible to truly pinpoint one of them and say he’s less savage or a better savage. Throughout the story we are given perspective to both characters in the eyes of the main character Tommo. Through the simple minded eyes of the “civilized” people, tribes who live within forests and live off natural land are nothing but wild animals. And because they don’t follow the familiar lifestyles of the majority of people in the world, they’re defined as savages. So when we think of the chief or the leader of these people, we don’t think of someone like the character Mehevi. Mehevi is the most important chief of the Typee. He is respectful to his own people and to outsiders as well, as we saw his welcoming of Tommo and Toby. “Regarding the chief attentively, I thought his lineaments appeared familiar to me. As soon as his full face was turned upon me, and I again beheld its extraordinary embellishment, and met the strange gaze to …show more content…
But because he lives closer to nature he possess superiority to any leaders from the modern world. Mehevi plays a part of what a king would be in the European society. But he appears to sound more nobel than most civilized leader of the modern world. His nobility drives from not only his kind appearance but his role as a leader. Like most European kings, Mehevi doesn’t use oppression or violence to lead his people. Which goes back to the argument of who’s really the savage? But because of his unfailing respect for his people, the people respect him just as well. Because they follow his lead the Typees are not as violent as Tommo and Toby expected when they first entered the