Key Facts
full title ·
Typee, A Peep at Polynesian Life
author · Herman Melville
type of work · Novel
genre · Travel literature; adventure novel
language · English
time and place written · New York, 1844—1845
date of first publication · 1846
publisher · Charles Murray (England) and Putname (New York)
narrator · Tommo
point of view · First, Second, and Third Person
tone · Informative, often dotted with comic irony
tense · Past tense
setting (time) · 1842
setting (place) · The Marquesas Islands located in the South Pacific Ocean
protagonist · Tommo
major conflict · Tommo's fear of remaining with the Typees
rising action · Stories about the Typee's cannibalism; fear while eating pork Toby's disappearance; the realization that he is trapped; realization that the Typees are cannibals; viewing the three human heads
climax · When Tommo realizes that he must flee
falling action · Attempts to flee at night; the false impression that Toby has arrived; Tommo's escape
themes · The negative effect of European civilization; the superiority of the natives; harsh conditions on a whaling ship
motifs · Tommo's leg injury Cannibalism Sexuality
symbols · Fayaway Tattooing The Ravine
foreshadowing · Captain Vang's lecture on island safety
