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Herman Melville Quotes about Character

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The entire merit of a man can never be made known; nor the sum of his demerits, if he have them. We are only known by our names; as letters sealed up, we but read each other's superscriptions.

The entire merit of a man can never be made known; nor the sum of his demerits, if he have them. We are only known by our names; as letters sealed up, we but read each other's superscriptions.

Herman Melville
Character, Men, Names
Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.874, Delphi Classics

That author who draws a character, even though to common view incongruous in its parts, as the flying-squirrel, and, at differentperiods, as much at variance with itself as the caterpillar is with the butterfly into which it changes, may yet, in so doing, be not false but faithful to facts.

Herman Melville
Butterfly, Character, Creativity
Herman Melville (1988). “The Confidence-man: His Masquerade”, p.70, Northwestern University Press

There is no Champollion to decipher the Egypt of every man's and every being's face. Physiognomy, like every other human science,is but a passing fable.

Herman Melville
Character, Men, Egypt
Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.2096, Delphi Classics

War being the greatest of evils, all its accessories necessarily partake of the same character.

Herman Melville
War, Character, Evil
Herman Melville (1850). “Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life, During a Four Months' Residence in the Valley of the Marquesas”

That immaculate manliness we feel within ourselves, so far within us, that it remains intact though all the outer character seem gone; bleeds with keenest anguish at the undraped spectacle of a valor-ruined man.

Herman Melville
Character, Men, Gone
Herman Melville (2008). “Moby-Dick”, p.127, Velvet Element Books

What we take to be our strongest tower of delight, only stands at the caprice of the minutest event the falling of a leaf, the hearing of a voice, or the receipt of one little bit of paper scratched over with a few small characters by a sharpened feather.

Herman Melville
Fall, Character, Voice
Herman Melville (1971). “Pierre, Or The Ambiguities: Volume Seven, Scholarly Edition”, p.69, Northwestern University Press

Where does any novelist pick up any character? For the most part, in town, to be sure.

Herman Melville
Character, Towns, Novelists
Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.3049, Delphi Classics

Much of a man's character will be found betokened in his backbone. I would rather feel your spine than your skull, whoever you are. A thin joist of a spine never yet upheld a full and noble soul.

Herman Melville
Character, Men, Skulls
Herman Melville, Harrison Hayford, Hershel Parker, G. Thomas Tanselle (1988). “Moby Dick, Or The Whale: Volume 6, Scholarly Edition”, p.349, Northwestern University Press

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