White Jacket (1850)

For “Moby Dick” fans and foes alike, “White Jacket” marks quite a departure —stylistically — from the dense, symbolic tale of Capt. Ahab and co.

“White Jacket” is a loosely fictionalized account of the year or so Melville spent on a U.S. Navy frigate in the 1840s. In fact, as noted in the introduction, the book is “chiefly documentary and descriptive; most of it is clearly fact rather than fiction.” So, while the reader won’t find much of a plot here, he or she will get a relatively in-depth look at what it was like to be a “common sailor” on a Navy ship at that time. Which wasn’t too much fun.

Even to Melville, writing from 160 years ago, the rules under which the Navy was being run were appallingly primitive, with complete lack of respect for the regular sailors’ humanity. Lack of privacy, terrible working conditions, and abuse of authority were rampant. Of course, the worst was the fact that flogging was still a common occurrence, often for petty infractions.

But all this is just a bonus for the “Aubrey/Maturin” set. For me, what makes the book worth reading are Melville’s insights into the world at large. This is where his strengths really shine, as he uses life on the ship to illustrate life in general, in ways that are still applicable today:

For example, after discussing a Native American who others derided for taking pride in having red hand prints painted on his blanket to commemorate the men he scalped:

“And yet, fellow-Christians, what is the American frigate Macedonian, or the English frigate, President, but as two bloody hands painted on this poor savage’s blanket?

Are there no Moravians on the Moon, that not a missionary has visited this poor pagan planet of ours, to civilize civilization and christianise Christendom?”

Unfortunately for us all, we can now definitely answer that question in the negative.

I highly recommend this book. ( )

This was a fascinating book. Mr. Melville has a way of making even the most mundane events interesting to read about. His "white jacket" virtually came to life with a personality of its own. If you are interested in sea adventures, this, along with Two Years Before the Mast, by Charles Dana, are essential. Do you know where the word "scuttlebutt" came from? ( )