This past week we have read stories that examines the idea of innocence. The two stories we are reading now, were written by Herman Melville. These stories called “The Encantadas; or, Enchanted Isles” and “Benito Cereno.” In the “The Enchantadas; or, Enchanted Isles,” Melville seems to examine American innocence by disguising it as something else. The island that he is speaking of seems to the world after it was set to flames, such as the way God said he would end the world one day. This island also has a lot of suspicious events happening in it. As he explains the island, I believe that he is truly explaining the idea of American innocence and how it ended the world. In a nutshell, I think he is simply saying that those that see themselves as better than others, will ultimately come to ruin. I believe that he is also disguising a fallen human as a tortoise, in particularly evil sea-officers such as captains. He goes on to explain that tortoises have physical features that show lasting sorrows and penal hopelessness. He also states that their prolonged existence makes this impression stronger. I believe he is relating this to the idea of American innocence, in a sense that the American is being punished for taking land that is not theirs, and beginning that they are justified in doing so. Just as captains do when they steal what is not theirs, as in what early settlers did. With this disguise, the consequence of the American belief in innocence is achieved by the evil human turning into a tortoise. In turn, allowing it to be a visibly punished and sorrowful creature.
The Tortoise, like the Whale in Moby Dick, dominates the Encantadas.Interesting point that tortoise is fallen man.
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