Marriage as a metaphor for postbellum reconstruction in Herman Melville's "The Scout Toward Aldie"

What is it about?

This essay analyzes how Herman Melville deconstructs marriage as a metaphor for reconstruction after the Civil War in his long narrative poem, "The Scout Toward Aldie."

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Why is it important?

The essay demonstrates the degree to which Melville's poetic reflections on the Civil War were also engaged in thinking about the perils of reconstruction.