We carefully studied the text of the first chapters noting the Christ imagery used to describe Billy Budd and the import to characterization of the biblical allusions to Adam and the "fall of Man." In discussing Billy Budd as a prelapsarian innocent, and by highlighting portions of the narration,I introduced the theme of deceit or the contrast between moral character and physical characteristics. In this regard, I had Joshua work on text "translation" of Melville's formalism into simple English and then on text interpretation. Further, I observed the close thematic
relationship between Melville and Hawthorne(they were even neighbors!) in their view of human nature .