“Mardi”

Cinque partenze senza ritorno

Abstract

Certainly the most overlooked of Melville's books, Mardi is still a puzzle even for those readers who will not dismiss it either as a continuation of his autobiographical novels or as the foreshadowing of more complex work to come. This essay, while claiming textual autononomy for Mardi, investigates the "departure" structures which constitute the original narrative kernel. The novel does not begin just once, but five times at least, leading readers, through different literary paths, to a breathtaking landlessness from which there seems to be no return.