Blurring of Power as Justice in Herman Melville‟s Billy Budd, the Sailor

Abstract

This study makes an attempt to explore the idea of influence of power on the pronouncement of justice. The idea of justice is as old as the human civilization; however, the notion of fairness and equality associated with it are often in controversy because it is influenced or manipulated by the flow of power. It is often found that justice becomes arbitrary in the hand of those who hold power. In Billy Budd, the Sailor we find that Captain Vere is the commander-in-chief of a British ship in the Pacific Ocean. The act of immediate but innocent reaction does not amount to death penalty. But, in the eye of law that is Captain of the Ship, this event is amounting to death penalty. Captain Vere goes on to punish Budd with death penalty in the name of justice given to him by law. The notion of justice is purely the use of power and that too, based on the conscience of an individual. The notion of justice is clearly an output of power as, the Captain has the power to impose his will upon the fellow sailors at the ship.