Alcohol in the Writings of Herman Melville

Download or read book Alcohol in the Writings of Herman Melville written by Corey Evan Thompson and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-10-14 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In early to mid-19th century America, there were growing debates concerning the social acceptability of alcohol and its consumption. Temperance reformers publicly decried the evils of liquor, and America's greatest authors began to write works of temperance fiction, stories that urged Americans to refrain from imbibing. Herman Melville was born in an era when drunkenness was part of daily life for American men but came of age at a time when the temperance movement had gained social and literary momentum. This first full-length analysis of alcohol and intoxication in Melville's novels, short fiction and poetry shows how he entered the debate in the latter half of the 19th century. Throughout his work he cautions readers to avoid alcohol and consistently illustrates negative outcomes of drinking.