Who wrote Billy Budd?

Who wrote Billy Budd?

• A. Mark Twain
• B. Herman Melville
• C. Charles Dickens
• D. Victor Hugo

Answer: (B)

Authorship is being tested here. Billy Budd is a late novella by Herman Melville, drafted near the end of his life and published posthumously in 1924 from his manuscripts. Melville is renowned for works like Moby-Dick, and Billy Budd fits his interest in moral complexity, justice, and the human struggles that arise at sea. The other writers listed are famous for different works—Mark Twain for American humor and social critique, Charles Dickens for Victorian novels about society, and Victor Hugo for French romantic drama and social epic—so they are not the authors of this maritime tale. Knowing Melville’s place in literary history and his focus on naval life helps explain why Billy Budd is attributed to him.

Authorship is being tested here. Billy Budd is a late novella by Herman Melville, drafted near the end of his life and published posthumously in 1924 from his manuscripts. Melville is renowned for works like Moby-Dick, and Billy Budd fits his interest in moral complexity, justice, and the human struggles that arise at sea. The other writers listed are famous for different works—Mark Twain for American humor and social critique, Charles Dickens for Victorian novels about society, and Victor Hugo for French romantic drama and social epic—so they are not the authors of this maritime tale. Knowing Melville’s place in literary history and his focus on naval life helps explain why Billy Budd is attributed to him.