For our introductory lesson on Melville's novella, Billy Budd, I first provided biographical and historical background of the author and of the novella's setting. We then noted how Melville is not a Transcendentalist but nonetheless writes in the Romantic genre which in Melville means not only exaggerated unrealistic characters but critically, an emphasis on the importance of the individual in a structured society . In this regard, I addressed a common conflict of Man v Society. Last, I addressed some stylistic tendencies of Melville including biblical allusions and most notably the thematic role of plot digression .