“WHAT REDBURN SAW IN LAUNCELOTT’S-HEY” by Herman Melville NAME _________________ “When romantics looked at the individual, they saw hope; but when Gothic writers looked at the individual, they saw potential evil.” Anti-Transcendentalists “examined the human heart under various conditions of fear, greed, vanity, mistrust, and betrayal.” 1. What remarks in the first three paragraphs express Redburn’s feelings for the unfortunate family? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 2. List the people to whom he turns for help and the way in which each responds. Person Response A. B. C. D. E. F. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 3. Why does Redburn regret giving food to the family? ____________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 4. What thought does Redburn hesitantly confess after he has brought water and food to the dying woman and children? ________________________________________________ 5. Why does he fail to act on this thought? ______________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 6. In what way does the allusion to Lazarus offer a parallel to Redburn’s situation? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 7. How does this experience change Redburn? Describe the qualities, actions, and attitudes that the young sailor initially displays. What characteristics does he display at the end of the selection? _______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 8. How does Melville’s choice of narrator affect the tone of this story? ________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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