A Model Of Christian Charity, By Herman Melville - 1659 Words

In 1855, Herman Melville published his short novel Benito Cereno. The novel was based in part on true events. Melville referenced the memoir of the real Captain Amasa Delano and his ships, the Perseverance, encounter with the Spanish vessel Tryal in 1805. In his novel, Melville depicts Delano as the protagonist and follows his ship’s encounter with a Spanish vessel where the slaves have overthrown the Spanish sailors. The protagonist Captain Amasa Delano, often referred to as the â€Å"good captain,† closely embodies the ideals that not only John Winthrop illustrates in his 1630 sermon, â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity,† but Benjamin Franklin describes in his 1784 essay, â€Å"Information to Those Who Would Remove to America.† Delano hails from the city of Duxbury in Massachusetts and in 1799, he sets out with his crew on another voyage where they encounter a Spanish vessel that has been seized by the negro slaves on board (Melville 35). Delano is a hard working, self-made man who believes in Christian charity. The ideals Melville wrote about, such as hard work, honesty and Christian charity, mirror the ideas of the perfect American ideal portrayed to the rest of the world. In John Winthrop’s sermon â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity,† he tells the Puritans of their goal of one day becoming â€Å"a city upon a hill† (Winthrop 177). The Puritans wished to be a beacon of light in the fight for, not only the ideal self-made man, but for the salvation of all of humanity as well. Captain Delano,Show MoreRelated Bartleby, the Villain in Bartleby, the Scrivener Essay2873 Words   |  12 PagesBartleby, the Villian in  Bartleby, the Scrivener      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Herman Melvilles short story, Bartleby, the Scrivener, poses many moral questions, but refuses to answer them nicely and neatly. Unfortunately, Melvilles ambiguities have lead to some unusual interpretations concerning the ethics of the unnamed lawyer who narrates the story.   While it may seem perfectly obvious to most of us that he goes out of his way to be sensitive to Bartlebys needs, beginning with the narrators allowingRead MoreBrief Survey of American Literature3339 Words   |  14 Pagescreation storiesï ¼Ë†Ã¨ µ ·Ã¦ º Ã§ ¥Å¾Ã¨ ¯ Ã¯ ¼â€° trickster talesï ¼Ë†Ã¦  ¶Ã¤ ½Å"å‰ §Ã¨â‚¬â€¦Ã¤ ¼  Ã¥ ¥â€¡Ã¯ ¼â€° rituals / ceremoniesï ¼Ë†Ã¥â€¦ ¸Ã¤ » ªÃ¯ ¼â€° songs / chantsï ¼Ë†Ã¦â€º ²Ã¨ ¯ Ã¯ ¼â€° Anglo Settlers’ Writings Highly religious and pragmatic - John Smith, founder of Jamestown, Virginia; Pocahontas - John Winthrop, â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity†: â€Å"†¦ We shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  - William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation (1630-50, pub. 1856) - Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), The Tenth Muse (1650), the first volume of poems published