White-Jacket

or The World in a Man-of-War

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In his novel White Jacket, Melville meticulously describes life on the US frigate Neversink, drawing on his own experiences. The first-person narrator encounters a wide variety of situations on the ship, which is on a long voyage home, and becomes acquainted with various characters. It is made clear that life as a sailor is not an easy one and is associated with many duties, rigid structures and draconian punishments. Through his work in the rigging, the narrator can view the world on the ship from a different, freer perspective and gain exciting insights.