Many consider Billy Budd to be Herman Melville's magnum opus. Billy Budd is a story that primarily relies on symbolism to relay a more complex and deeper story than the one being explicitly presented. Billy Budd himself appears, throughout the story, to be an almost Christ-like figure.
Billy Budd is described to have "unpretentious good looks and a sort of genial happy go lucky air" and this is used as symbolism for his youthful purity and innocence. This contrasts with Claggart’s own description, as it is stated that "his complexion... though it was not exactly displeasing, nevertheless seem to hint something defective or abnormal in the constitution and blood." In this way, Melville uses physical characteristics to symbolically illustrate character traits displayed by these characters.
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Billy Budd’s stutter symbolically shows that even the most morally innocent of characters can be deeply flawed. Melville skillfully uses this detail to make the reader conscious of the flaws within all individuals.
It is Billy Budd’s inability to defend himself verbally against Claggart's false accusations of conspiracy to mutiny that make him resort to violence. This in turn shows the reader what profound consequences might arise from such a seemingly insignificant flaw. In this way, Melville makes this Christ-like figure more relatable to the reader.
I believe Billy Budd to be a representation of childlike innocence in an evil world. His intentions were continually portrayed as innately good, pure, and innocent. Much like Christ, he is an innocent character swept up in a world full of evil by forces beyond his control.
Even his last name, “Budd,” seems to be of symbolic importance. A bud in nature is a beautiful thing that has not yet opened itself to the outside world. This name symbolizes Billy Budd's innocence before meeting men like