Chapter 20 Summary and Analysis: Herman Melville Pitches His Editor
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
📖 Chapter Summary
In this short comic dialogue, Herman Melville—self-identified as a lover of boats and Nathaniel Hawthorne—tries to sell his editor on a book about whales. When asked what the book covers, Melville simply says “whales.” The editor presses for details, and Melville admits he knows many whale facts, “none of them are correct.” To spice things up, Melville proposes a structure: half of the book will be a novel, and the other half will be a series of incorrect whale-fact chapters, alternating plot with ten-page digressions on sperm whales. He predicts it will be hailed as a classic. The editor is dubious.
Discouraged, Melville pitches a second book: a story about a man named Bartleby who is a scrivener but prefers not to scrub. The editor asks, “Who put you in touch with me?” ending the exchange.
🔍 Key Events
- Melville states he has written a book “about whales” and nothing else.
- The editor questions Melville’s whale expertise; Melville admits his facts are wrong.
- Melville proposes a split structure: half novel, half incorrect whale facts, alternating per chapter.
- Melville predicts the work will become a classic of Western literature.
- Melville then pitches a follow-up story: a man named Bartleby who “just sits there” and says “I’d prefer not to.”
- The editor, exasperated, asks who referred Melville to him.
👤 Character Development
Herman Melville: Portrayed as an enthusiastic but clueless author. He is obsessed with whales yet cannot recall correct facts. His self-assurance clashes with the editor’s skepticism. When the whale book pitch fails, he pivots to a minimalist story (Bartleby) that bewilders the editor further. Melville remains earnest, unaware of how absurd his ideas sound.
The Editor: A practical, skeptical figure who expects coherent concepts. He tries to guide Melville (“What if it weren’t entirely about whales?”), but each response leaves him more puzzled. His final question reveals that Melville came through a referral, implying the editor is stuck in an awkward professional meeting.
🎭 Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Authorial Self-Confidence vs. Market Reality: Melville’s certainty that his flawed whale book is a future classic satirizes the gap between an author’s vision and what editors will accept.
- Ambiguity and Avoidance: Melville pushes ambiguous structures (two books in one, a character who does nothing) that frustrate clear expectations—a nod to the actual ambiguities in Melville’s Pierre and Bartleby.
- Whales as Metaphor: The whale symbolizes an obsession that drives the narrative, but here the facts are wrong, emphasizing the absurdity of canonization: even incorrect lore can become legendary.
❓ Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter serves as a satirical commentary on the making of American literary classics. Petri reduces Moby-Dick to a ridiculous pitch—half plot, half inaccurate whale trivia—and Bartleby to a short story about a man who prefers not to work. The humor exposes the fragile boundary between genius and absurdity. For the larger book, this chapter highlights how American history often gets told through mismatched, imperfect narratives. It also connects to Petri’s broader theme: the past is full of baffling human interactions that only make sense in hindsight.
📝 Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Petri use dialogue to satirize Herman Melville’s writing style?
Petri exaggerates Melville’s digressive, encyclopedic style. By having Melville propose that half the book be incorrect whale facts and the other half a plot, she mocks the actual encyclopedic chapters in Moby-Dick. The editor’s confusion mirrors a real reader’s reaction to Melville’s tangents.
2. What does the editor’s final question reveal about the relationship between authors and publishers?
“Who put you in touch with me?” shows the editor’s frustration and implied lack of control over who pitches him. It suggests that publishing relationships are often based on personal referrals, not always on clear merit. The editor is trapped in a meeting he would rather not be in.
3. How does this chapter connect to Petri’s overall satirical view of US history?
Throughout the book, Petri presents historical figures as bumbling or self-absorbed. Here, Melville’s cluelessness about his own masterpiece reflects how iconic works can originate from chaotic, uncertain origins. It reinforces the idea that history is a series of absurd pitches that somehow become canon.