Reality in Melville's stories is often tricky. There's Mariana spinning in her house, and then whoops she isn't; Babo is a good servant and then not so much; "The Encantadas" are called the Enchanted Isles, but instead of being Enchanted they're a barren hellhole. Reality is hard to find under all the different interpretations and dreams and stories. Bartleby may have seen it once, hiding in his inkstand; but then, like many another Melville protagonist, he preferred not to.
Questions About Versions of Reality
- How do the townspeople see Bannadonna? Is there vision of him accurate? Why or why not?
- In what way is Babo a dream like Marianna?
- What version of reality is the Lightning-rod man trying to sell?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
In "The Piazza", Marianna is a dream of the narrator's.
In "The Piazza", the narrator is a dream of Marianna's.