Polynesian Trilogy · Tapi

Author: Herman Melville (USA)
Translator: Ma Huiqin, Shu Cheng
United States / USA
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: "The Polynesian Trilogy" is a series of works by Melville created in the 1840s: Typee, Omoo, and Moby Dick. They appear to describe the author's journey to the South Pacific and his experiences with the cannibalistic Māori people, but a closer look reveals that Melville's early works are not merely adventure stories or biographically colored narratives. Like any other literary masterpiece, they shine with intellectual brilliance. Whether Melville's observations in the South Pacific were entirely factual or not, he at least experienced a society vastly different from his own time—the Polynesian colonial society. This book presents Typee, the novel of the "Polynesian Trilogy," which is based on the author's life in the South Pacific. It depicts the thrilling experiences of the author among the cannibalistic Typee tribe on the island of Nuku Hiva, revealing the destruction wrought by capitalist civilization on the indigenous people's simple lives, leading to condemnation from the church. The work brought a new realm and content to American literature, gained widespread popularity among American readers, and earned Melville the title of "author of maritime literature." Typee is neither strictly autobiographical nor entirely fictional; it is a "work that blends adventure, anecdotes, ethnography, and social criticism." On the surface, Typee does resemble a travelogue, narrating some unforgettable experiences of the protagonist, Tommo. Unable to endure the tedious drifting life on the ship Dolphine and the cruel commands and abuse of the captain, Tommo and his companion Toby abandon the vessel and venture into the foreign Typee Valley. They find it is not as terrifying as the legends described, though there are indeed bad people there, just as in white society—Typee is both kind and evil. Their initial impression is as follows: "I felt wonderfully! How can I describe what I saw? A long valley, winding like a huge framework of intersecting branches, beautiful in its scenery. The more I walked forward, the more enchanting the valley became. In the distance, it widened, stretching into the far-off valley." Tommo, filled with curiosity, was willing to risk his life to explore. He found everything so tempting that even if he were to be devoured by the natives, it would be worth the try. Thus, the natives' funerals, dances, religious rituals, and tattoos all became Tommo's subjects of interest and curiosity about the "other." To his surprise, he and his companion were not eaten by the natives but were instead given extraordinary "respect" and "hospitality." Tommo could row with the native beauty Feia, play freely, and live a life almost as intimate as that of a couple.