Omoo (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)
At a glance:
- Author: Herman Melville
- First Published: 1847
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Adventure
- Time of Work: Early 1840’s
- Genres: Long fiction, Adventure, Sea story
- Subjects: Prisoners, Nineteenth century, Missions or missionaries, Ships, Sailing or sailors, Sea or seafaring life, South Pacific, Pacific Ocean, Whales or whaling, Mutiny, Tahiti
- Locales: Tahiti
Places Discussed
*Papeetee (pah-pay-AY-tay). Principal city and colonial capital of Tahiti. Papeetee (now generally spelled Papeete) provides the setting for the first half of Omoo. Its deep, spacious harbor is well protected by reefs, making it one of the South Pacific’s most valuable anchorages for both commercial and military purposes. Melville’s narrator duly notes the harbor’s activity in a steady stream of whaling ships and trading brigs. He also delineates the city’s role as a colonial catspaw, or pawn, used by the British and French.
*Tahiti. Major...
[The entire page is 916 words long]
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