Herman Melville and the American Calling

William V. Spanos is Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Binghamton University, State University of New York. He is the author of many books, including American Exceptionalism in the Age of Globalization: The Specter of Vietnam, also published by SUNY Press, and The Errant Art of Moby-Dick: The Canon, the Cold War, and the Struggle for American Studies.

"[The author is] at his best when connecting the theoretical perspectives to the literary and cultural narratives, shedding light on both. Just as important … Spanos extends new Americanist reconsideration of American literary studies into more global perspectives. This provocative study will be most useful to advanced scholars." — CHOICE"In this uncannily timely book, Spanos provides a brilliant interpretation of the history of Melville's reception and discloses the pertinence of Melville's work to the present historical conjuncture—when American exceptionalist rhetoric has resulted in a rehabilitation of the representation of the United States as the 'Redeemer Nation' engaged in a global war on terror. This book is an extremely important intervention into American literary and political culture by one of Melville's, and America's, most gifted critics." — Donald E. Pease, coeditor of Futures of American Studies"Spanos interprets Melville's major writing after Moby-Dick by using the resources of deconstructive and poststructural theory to demonstrate the powerful relevance Melville's work maintains for our day, even as it arises from the specific history of Melville's time. In developing this argument, Spanos differs not only from many major past critics, but also from important contemporary 'New Americanists.' He exercises an independent and distinctive intelligence, and this book will enter the body of writing on Melville as both authoritative and controversial. This is an outstanding piece of work." — Jonathan Arac, author of The Emergence of American Literary Narrative, 1820–1860

• Acknowledgments1. Melville’s Specter: An Introduction2. Pierre’s Extraordinary Emergency: Melville and the "Voice of Silence"3. Herman Melville’s Israel Potter: Refl ections on a Damaged Life4. "Benito Cereno" and "Bartleby, the Scrivener": Reflections on the American Calling1. "Benito Cereno": The "Vision" of American Exceptionalism2. "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Wall-Street Story": Melville’s Politics of Refusal5. Cavilers and Con Men: The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade 6. American Confidence in the Age of Globalization: Melville’s WitnessNotesIndex