Redburn by Herman Melville (1849)

The novel follows the journey of a young sailor named Redburn who signs up for his first voyage on a merchant ship. He faces harsh realities and learns about the brutal conditions faced by sailors at sea during that era. The story explores themes of identity, morality, and the human condition through Redburn's experiences.

By Herman Melville · First published 1849 · Genre: Adventure, Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction · 60 chapters

Contents

• How Wellingborough Redburn's Taste for the Sea was Born and Bred in Him
• Redburn's Departure from Home
• He Arrives in Town
• How he Disposed of his Fowling-Piece
• He Purchases his Sea-Wardrobe, and on a Dismal Rainy Day Picks up his Board and Lodging Along the Wharves
• He is Initiated in the Business of Cleaning out the Pig-Pen, and Slushing down the Top-Mast
• He Gets to Sea and Feels very Bad
• He is Put into the Larboard Watch; Gets Sea-Sick; and Relates some other of his Experiences
• The Sailors Becoming a Little Social, Redburn Converses with Them
• He is very Much Frightened; the Sailors Abuse him; and he Becomes Miserable and Forlorn
• He Helps Wash the Decks, and then Goes to Breakfast
• He Gives some Account of One of his Shipmates Called Jackson
• He has a Fine Day at Sea, Begins to Like it; but Changes his Mind
• He Contemplates Making a Social Call on the Captain in his Cabin
• The Melancholy State of his Wardrobe
• At Dead of Night he is Sent up to Loose the Main-Skysail
• The Cook and Steward
• He Endeavors to Improve his Mind; and Tells of One Blunt and his Dream Book
• A Narrow Escape
• In a Fog he is Set to Work as a Bell-Toller, and Beholds a Herd of Ocean-Elephants
• A Whaleman and a Man-Of-War's-Man
• The Highlander Passes a Wreck
• An Unaccountable Cabin-Passenger, and a Mysterious Young Lady
• He Begins to Hop about in the Rigging Like a Saint Jago's Monkey
• Quarter-Deck Furniture
• A Sailor a Jack of all Trades
• He Gets a Peep at Ireland, and at Last Arrives at Liverpool
• He Goes to Supper at the Sign of the Baltimore Clipper
• Redburn Deferentially Discourses Concerning the Prospects of Sailors
• Redburn Grows Intolerably Flat and Stupid over some Outlandish Old Guide-Books
• With his Prosy Old Guide-Book, he Takes a Prosy Stroll through the Town
• The Docks
• The Salt-Droghers, and German Emigrant Ships
• The Irrawaddy
• Galliots, Coast-Of-Guinea-Man, and Floating Chapel
• The Old Church of St. Nicholas, and the Dead-House
• What Redburn Saw in Launcelott's-Hey
• The Dock-Wall Beggars
• The Booble-Alleys of the Town
• Placards, Brass-Jewelers, Truck-Horses, and Steamers
• Redburn Roves about Hither and Thither
• His Adventure with the _cross_ Old Gentleman
• He Takes a Delightful Ramble into the Country; and Makes the Acquaintance of Three Adorable Charmers
• Redburn Introduces Master Harry Bolton to the Favorable Consideration of the Reader
• Harry Bolton Kidnaps Redburn, and Carries him off to London
• A Mysterious Night in London
• Homeward Bound
• A Living Corpse
• Carlo
• Harry Bolton at Sea
• The Emigrants
• The Emigrants' Kitchen
• The Horatii and Curiatii
• Some Superior Old Nail-Rod and _pig-Tail_
• Drawing Nigh to the Last Scene in Jackson's Career
• Under the Lee of the Long-Boat, Redburn and Harry Hold Confidential Communion
• Almost a Famine
• Though the Highlander Puts into no Harbor as Yet; she here and there Leaves Many of her Passengers Behind
• The Last End of Jackson
• Home at Last

More by Herman Melville

• Billy Budd (1886)
• Bartleby, The Scrivener (1853)
• Moby Dick (1851)
• Typee (1846)
• I and my Chimney (1856)
• Omoo (1847)
• The Portent. (1859.) (1859)
• Misgivings. (1860.) (1860)
• All works by Herman Melville