Melville's Typee

Melville’s Typee meaning of civilization

“Cities were the beginning of civilization. Since farming requires water, most of the first cities were located near rivers or some sources of water. People who lived in cities had time to concentrate on things other than food. They began inventing tools, weaving clothes, and building, teaching children to read and write, and so on. As cities grew, people chose leaders to make rules so that everyone could work together peacefully. This marked the beginning of an organized governmental system. In short, a civilization is a group living within a designated area that makes advances in any field.” (http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webunits/greecerome/civdef.html)
According to this definition of civilization, the novel Typee, written by Herman Melville, tells the story of a white sailor who escaped from his previous life to get new experiences of other cultures. It is a story of cross-cultural contact, and deals ...