External Conflict In Billy Budd

Billy Budd is a tale wonderfully crafted by Herman Melville, that tells the story of a young naval soldier who is impressed by the British Navy. Impressment was extremely popular before the War of 1812 and British ships often involuntarily recruited merchant sailors from the United States. This is where the novel starts and the main character Billy makes his appearance. Early on, we learn how young and good looking Billy is. He is described as the “jewel of ‘em” (Melville 250), referring to the crew of his ship, Rights- Of- Man. Typically sailors are reluctant to leave their ship and often fight. However, Bill goes willingly, which surprises his crew and makes them despise him despite their previous fondness. He is impressed to the British

Billy also experiences external conflict, most importantly during his “fight” with Claggart. Billy, when caught off guard and surprised, is known to stutter and have trouble speaking until he can process his thoughts. This happens when Captain Vere, at the master-at-arms’ request, questions Billy about word of a mutiny. Remembering his encounter with the afterguardsman, Billy freezes and begins to stutter almost paralyzed. This stress brings upon the climax of the story and a huge physical conflict. Billy like a rabid squirrel backed into a corner turns to violence. The fight is described as, “quick as a flame from a discharged cannon at night, his right arm shot out, and Claggart dropped to the deck” (Melville 298). This is external conflict because there is a character versus character engagement. Although Claggart never gets the chance to fight back, physical contact between the two and rising tensions in the room, lead to a short exchange that leaves a man dead and one man incriminated. Overall, this conflict points to a few physical flaws in Billy. Not only does Billy, when under pressure, have extreme difficulty exchanging his thoughts and turning them into words, but he also has trouble containing his frustration with this disability. His vicious attack on Claggart can be mainly attributed to the fact that Billy once flustered, cannot disperse this embarrassment and the only way to express his emotions is through physical action or violence. This conflicts with Billy’s overall character as he is generally a very pleasant guy who is well liked and