Short Fiction · Chapter
XIII explained
Billy Budd is deeply puzzled and disturbed by the afterguardsman's covert approach, which he instinctively senses involves evil.
What happens
Billy Budd is deeply puzzled and disturbed by the afterguardsman's covert approach, which he instinctively senses involves evil. He tries to dismiss the incident but remains uneasy. He partially confides in the old Dansker, who cryptically warns him that 'Jemmy Legs is down on you' and refers to the afterguardsman as a 'cat's-paw.'
Themes in this chapter
Innocence vs. Evil
Billy's instinctive recoil from the afterguardsman's overture highlights the clash between his natural innocence and the insidious evil he cannot fully comprehend.
Isolation and Alienation
Billy's inability to fully confide in anyone, even the Dansker, and his growing unease reflect his isolation aboard the ship.
Characters to notice
- Billy Budd
Puzzled and disturbed by the afterguardsman's approach; he tries to smother his unease and partially confides in the Dansker.
- The Dansker
The old sage listens to Billy's partial account and cryptically warns him about Jemmy Legs, calling the afterguardsman a 'cat's-paw.'
- John Claggart
Referenced indirectly as 'Jemmy Legs'; the Dansker implies he is behind the afterguardsman's approach.
Key passages
“Billy Budd was like a young horse fresh from the pasture suddenly inhaling a vile whiff from some chemical factory, and by repeated snortings tries to get it out of his nostrils and lungs.”
Billy's instinctive disgust at the afterguardsman's approach is compared to a young horse recoiling from a foul chemical smell.
Emphasizes Billy's pure, uncomprehending reaction to the first hint of corruption.
“Didn't I say so, Baby Budd? ... Why, Jemmy Legs is down on you.”
The Dansker reminds Billy that he had previously warned him that Claggart has a grudge against him.
Reveals the Dansker's insight into the hidden enmity of Claggart.
“Ho, it was an afterguardsman, then. A cat's-paw, a cat's-paw!”
The Dansker dismisses the afterguardsman as merely a tool or dupe used by someone else.
Suggests the afterguardsman is being manipulated by Claggart.