The Literature Network - Melville's the Lightning-Rod Man as foil.(Herman Melville)

Melville's the Lightning-Rod Man as foil.(Herman Melville)

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From: The Explicator
Date: 20070322
Author:Gallagher, Linda Pergolizzi

Most criticism on Herman Melville's "The Lightning-Rod Man" has focused on locating exactly who or what the character of the lightning-rod man represents allegorically. The chief concepts that critics have developed through close readings are that the character represents some aspect of organized religion, science, or commercialism. (1) The lightning-rod man offers protection from nature with his lightning rods, and the narrator rejects the offer of this "false negotiator" (193), choosing instead to rely on his own brand of faith. Everything we learn about the lightning-rod man ...

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