Archetypal Interpretation of Billy Budd's Innocence in Billy Budd,Sailor

The novella Billy Budd,Sailor left by Herman Melville,the eminent representative writer of American Romantic literature,has been of the great interests of the innumerous western scholars since its publication.They investigate and construe the novella from diverse angles by employing various theologies while,up to now,the research works in China stay sporadic.From the unique point of innocence motif with the relevant theories of innocence archetypes and images related to Myth-Archetypal criticism,this paper,through comparative analysis of the archetypal image of evil opposite to innocence,mainly treats the positive meaning and sublimity of the protagonist Billy Budd's innocence in Billy Budd,Sailor.