White-Jacket

Melville wrote White-Jacket; or, The World in a Man-of-War during a two-month period of intense work in the summer of 1849. He drew upon his memories of naval life, having spent fourteen months as an "ordinary seaman" aboard the frigate United States as it sailed the Pacific and made the homeward voyage around Cape Horn.

A crewman on the man-of-war Neversink, White-Jacket gets his name from the shirt he turned into a coat and lined with rags, old trouser legs, and cast-off socks. The journey he undertakes is dangerous -- a man falls overboard, White-Jacket tumbles from the rigging, and the least insubordination is punished with the lash. Melville's story portrays the inhumanity of naval life, saving special vitriol for the unnamed ship's surgeon, who has the power to stop a flogging if a man's life is endangered -- but never does; and for the inept Dr. Cuticle, who amputates a sailor's healthy leg to make a point. The description of such excesses was instrumental in convincing the United States Navy to outlaw flogging. Many scandalized Northern readers acknow

The Jacket

3

(6)

Homeward Bound

6

(2)

A Glance at the principal Divisions into which a Man-of-war's Crew is divided

8

(5)

Jack Chase

13

(4)

Jack Chase on a Spanish Quarter-deck

17

(3)

The Quarter-deck Officers, Warrant Officers, and Berth-deck Underlings of a Man-of-war; where they Live in the Ship; how they Live; their Social Standing on Shipboard; and what sort of Gentlemen they are

20

(8)

Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper

28

(3)

Selvagee contrasted with Mad Jack

31

(4)

Of the Pockets that were in the Jacket

35

(3)

From Pockets to Pickpockets

38

(2)

The Pursuit of Poetry under Difficulties

40

(4)

The Good or Bad Temper of Man-of-war's-men in a great Degree attributable to their Particular Stations and Duties aboard Ship

44

(6)

A Man-of-war Hermit in a Mob

50

(3)

A Drought in a Man-of-war

53

(4)

A Salt-Junk Club in a Man-of-war, with a Notice to Quit

57

(7)

General Training in a Man-of-war

64

(7)

Away! Second, Third, and Fourth Cutters, away!

71

(3)

A Man-of-war Full as a Nut

74

(2)

The Jacket aloft

76

(3)

How they Sleep in a Man-of-war

79

(3)

One Reason why Man-of-war's-men are generally Short-lived

82

(3)

Wash-day, and House-cleaning in a Man-of-war

85

(4)

Theatricals in a Man-of-war

89

(7)

Introductory to Cape Horn

96

(4)

The Dog-days off Cape Horn

100

(4)

The Pitch of the Cape

104

(6)

Some Thoughts growing out of Mad Jack's Countermanding his Superior's Order

110

(5)

Edging Away

115

(4)

The Night-watches

119

(4)

A Peep through a Port-hole at the Subterranean Parts of a Man-of-war

123

(4)

The Gunner under Hatches

127

(4)

A Dish of Dunderfunk

131

(3)

A Flogging

134

(5)

Some of the Evil Effects of Flogging

139

(4)

Flogging not Lawful

143

(4)

Flogging not Necessary

147

(5)

Some superior old ``London Dock'' from the Wine-coolers of Neptune

152

(3)

The Chaplain and Chapel in a Man-of-war

155

(4)

The Frigate in Harbor The Boats Grand State Reception of the Commodore

159

(6)

Some of the Ceremonies in a Man-of-war unnecessary and injurious

165

(2)

A Man-of-war Library

167

(3)

Killing Time in a Man-of-war in Harbor

170

(6)

Smuggling in a Man-of-war

176

(6)

A Knave in Office in a Man-of-war

182

(9)

Publishing Poetry in a Man-of-war

191

(2)

The Commodore on the Poop, and one of ``the People'' under the Hands of the Surgeon

193

(5)

An Auction in a Man-of-war

198

(6)

Purser, Purser's Steward, and Postmaster in a Man-of-war

204

(3)

Rumors of a War, and how they were received by the Population of the Neversink

207

(3)

The Bay of all Beauties

210

(3)

One of ``the People'' has an Audience with the Commodore and the Captain on the Quarter-deck

213

(3)

Something concerning Midshipmen

216

(6)

Sea-faring Persons peculiarly subject to being under the Weather The Effects of this upon a Man-of-war Captain

222

(3)

``The People'' are given ``Liberty''

225

(5)

Midshipmen entering the Navy early

230

(3)

A Shore Emperor on board a Man-of-war

233

(5)

The Emperor Reviews the People at Quarters

238

(3)

A Quarter-deck Officer before the Mast

241

(2)

A Man-of-war Button divides two Brothers

243

(3)

A Man-of-war's-man Shot at

246

(2)

The Surgeon of the Fleet

248

(4)

A Consultation of Man-of-war Surgeons

252

(3)

The Operation

255

(10)

Man-of-war Trophies

265

(3)

A Man-of-war Race

268

(6)

Fun in a Man-of-war

274

(3)

White-Jacket arraigned at the Mast

277

(5)

A Man-of-war Fountain, and other Things

282

(5)

Prayers at the Guns

287

(5)

Monthly Muster round the Capstan

292

(5)

The Genealogy of the Articles of War

297

(3)

``Herein are the good Ordinances of the Sea, which wise Men, who voyaged round the World, gave to our Ancestors, and which constitute the Books of the Science of good Customs''

300

(5)

Night and Day Gambling in a Man-of-war

305

(5)

The Main-top at Night

310

(7)

``Sink, Burn, and Destroy''

317

(5)

The Chains

322

(3)

The Hospital in a Man-of-war

325

(7)

Dismal Times in the Mess

332

(3)

How Man-of-war's-men Die at Sea

335

(3)

The Last Stitch

338

(3)

How they Bury a Man-of-war's-man at Sea

341

(2)

What remains of a Man-of-war's-man after his Burial at Sea

343

(2)

A Man-of-war College

345

(5)

Man-of-war Barbers

350

(5)

The great Massacre of the Beards

355

(7)

The Rebels brought to the Mast

362

(2)

Old Ushant at the Gangway

364

(5)

Flogging through the Fleet

369

(4)

The Social State in a Man-of-war

373

(4)

The Manning of Navies

377

(9)

Smoking-club in a Man-of-war, with Scenes on the Gun-deck drawing near Home

386

(5)

The last of the Jacket

391

(4)

Cable and Anchor all clear

395

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Summary

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