Billy Budd, By Herman Melville

To quote Doug Horton, “The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity.” The two words “Simplicity” and “Complexity” are complete opposites in meaning; the first meaning “the quality or condition of being plain or natural” while the latter is defined as “the state or quality of being intricate or complicated”. In spite of this, these two words are intertwined in the short novel “Billy Budd”, written by Herman Melville. The author of Complexity wrote, “the purest spring water is a downright frightening mixture”. In other words, sometimes, there is no clear distinction on whether something is simple or complex. In some sections, the story devolves into the basic human instincts used by our ancestors, and is “simple”. However, in other sections,
From the beginning of the novel, Melville starts the building up of essential elements that makes Billy who he is. The first time Billy is mentioned in this book, the nickname “Baby Budd” is used, emphasizing Billy’s young innocence compared to the hardened, sailors of the warship, Bellipotent. Unlike the other sailors, Billy is not jaded, but rather unmindful of the atmosphere surrounding his transfer. The narrator says, “Of self-consciousness he seemed to have little or none, or about as much as we may reasonably impute to a dog of Saint Bernard’s breed.”[pg 14] A comparison between a human and a dog brings an effect to the reader that Billy Budd must not be very intelligent. Much like a dog, Billy Budd cannot understand the intricacies of human expression, like mixed signals or sarcasm. When asked about his birth and the identity of his father, Billy responds, “God knows, sir.”[pg 14] Being an orphan can be tough to express to others, and not knowing who your father can be embarrassing. However, Billy, without stuttering or hesitating, delivers this simple, frank response. His disregard of the social norm even astounds the officer who asks the question. This directness coincides with an idea presented in the “Simplicity” article. In it, the author writes, “Simplicity also suggests a concept that is understood.” Billy is simple in that he is completely transparent, and completely understood by the reader. Through Billy’s babyish, handsome appearance, the narrator seems to link that to Billy’s inner qualities. When Billy’s face is visualized, so is his virtue. He does not have a “deep, mysterious inside,” that authors often generate to add depth, or create an interesting element to a character. What Billy says is a direct translation of his mind. Billy reaffirms this in his actions too. Onboard the Rights of Man, a sailor by the nickname Red Whiskers tries