Critiquing the American Values in Herman Melville's The Confidence- Man: His Masquerade

Abstract

Herman Melville’s Confident-Man: His Masquerade presents the 19th century American society, where dacoits flourished in the name of service, kindness, religion and charity. The religious and transcendental ideals are devoid of essence, motive and compassion. All these have caused further discrimination as well as the marginalization of the African American community and the Native American community. Melville makes a satire on the American society through irony in order to lead the American society towards righteousness and humanity from the prevailing fraud activities under the cloak of optimism, kindness and charity.