Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1846

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Preface-Chapter 7

Chapters 8-14

Chapters 15-21

Chapters 22-28

Chapter 29-The Story of Toby

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Background

Authorial Context: Melville and Polynesia

Herman Melville was born on August 1, 1819, in New York City. He was the third of eight children in a family that experienced considerable financial difficulty after the death of his father in 1832. Seeking stability and adventure, Melville turned to the sea, a decision that eventually defined his literary career. In 1839, he secured a position on a merchant ship bound for Liverpool, an experience that ignited his passion for the maritime world. In 1841, Melville joined the whaling ship Acushnet, embarking on a voyage that took him across the Pacific Ocean and, importantly, to Polynesia.

Melville’s first significant encounter with Polynesia came when he and a fellow crew member deserted the Acushnet in 1842, seeking refuge in the Marquesas Islands. They found themselves in the Taipi Valley on the island of Nuku Hiva, among the Taipi people, who were reputed to be cannibals. This sojourn, which lasted about a month, became the basis for Melville’s first novel, Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life (1846). Typee is a semi-autobiographical account of Melville’s experiences among the Taipi (written phonetically in the novel as Typee). While the novel embellishes and romanticizes his stay, it also provides a detailed and nuanced portrayal of Polynesian life. Melville described the lush landscapes and intricate social structures, as well as the stark contrasts between Polynesian and Western cultures. At that time, his observations challenged Western views of “savage” societies, highlighting their complexities and humanity.

The publication of Typee was a significant success, establishing Melville’s reputation as a writer. The book appealed to readers’ fascination with exotic lands and their curiosity about non-Western cultures. However, Melville faced criticism for his sympathetic portrayal of the Taipi and his unfavorable depiction of missionary activities, which reflected his ambivalent stance toward Western imperialism and cultural imposition. Melville’s Polynesian adventures did not end with the Marquesas. After leaving Nuku Hiva, he boarded various ships, eventually arriving in Tahiti. His experiences in Tahiti and the neighboring island of Moorea formed the basis for his second novel, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas (1847). This sequel to Typee continues Melville’s exploration of Polynesian life and further critiques Western intervention in the Pacific. These adventures continued in a third novel, Mardi: And a Voyage Thither (1849).

Although Melville’s direct engagement with Polynesia ended with Mardi, the themes and insights he gained from his time in the Pacific continued to resonate in his later works, most notably Moby Dick (1851), a sprawling epic that draws on Melville’s extensive maritime experience, including his encounters with the diverse peoples and cultures of the Pacific. In Moby Dick, the character Queequeg, a harpooner from the fictional island of Kokovoko, embodies Melville’s fascination with Polynesian culture. After the publication of Moby Dick, Melville’s literary career faced a period of decline. His subsequent works, including Pierre (1852) and The Confidence Man (1857), met critical and commercial indifference. Disheartened, Melville turned to writing poetry and took a job as a customs inspector in New York City, a position he held for nearly two decades.

Geographical and Historical Context: The Marquesas Islands

Typee portrays Melville’s experiences in the Marquesas Islands, known in the Marquesan language as Te Henua Enana, or “the land of men.” An archipelago in French Polynesia, the Marquesas are located in the central Pacific Ocean and are among the most remote in the world, lying approximately 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) northeast of Tahiti. The first settlers of the Marquesas Islands arrived from western Polynesia around 2000 BCE. These early Polynesians were master navigators, using stars, ocean currents, and bird flight patterns to traverse vast distances. They brought with them their language, culture, and agricultural practices, including the cultivation of taro, breadfruit, and bananas. These settlers established thriving communities, as evident in the remains of large stone structures, including marae (temples) and pae pae (stone platforms), which served religious and social functions. The Marquesas were divided into two main groups: the northern group, including Nuku Hiva, Ua Pou, and Ua Huka, and the southern group, consisting of Hiva Oa, Tahuata, and Fatu Hiva. Each island had its own distinct dialect and cultural practices, yet they shared common Polynesian traits, such as tattooing, wood carving, and the construction of outrigger canoes.

The European discovery of the Marquesas Islands is credited to Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, who arrived in 1595. Mendaña named the islands Las Islas Marquesas de Mendoza in honor of the Viceroy of Peru, García Hurtado de Mendoza. During this initial contact, misunderstandings and conflicts arose, leading to violence and loss of life on both sides. The Spaniards’ stay was brief, and the islands remained relatively isolated from European influence for nearly two centuries. In 1774, British explorer Captain James Cook visited the Marquesas during his second voyage to the Pacific. Cook’s detailed accounts of the islands and their inhabitants sparked further interest among Europeans.

The 19th century brought significant changes to the Marquesas Islands, particularly through the arrival of Christian missionaries and the growing interest of colonial powers. In 1797, the London Missionary Society sent the first Protestant missionaries to the Marquesas, but they faced considerable resistance from the Marquesans, who were deeply attached to their traditional beliefs and practices. Not until the arrival of Roman Catholic missionaries in the 1830s did Christianity began to take hold. The French Catholic missionaries, led by Father Pierre Chanel, established missions on several islands, gradually converting the local population. The influence of missionaries was profound, leading to significant cultural and social changes. Traditional religious practices were suppressed, and many aspects of Marquesan culture, such as tattooing and the use of traditional dance and music, were discouraged or outright banned. Notably, Melville criticizes the missionaries in Typee.

The Marquesan population dramatically declined in the 19th century, primarily because of European diseases. Smallpox, measles, and influenza, to which the Marquesans had no immunity, decimated the population. By the late 19th century, the population had plummeted from some 80,000 to just a few thousand. Today, the Marquesas Islands are an integral part of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. The population of the islands has stabilized and even grown to around 9,000 inhabitants as of the latest census. The Marquesans have worked to balance modernity with preserving their cultural heritage.