Mr Bligh's Bad Language: Passion, Power and Theater on H. M. Armed Vessel Bounty"Captain Bligh" is a cliche of our times for the extravagant and violent misuse of power. In fact, William Bligh was one of the least physically violent disciplinarians in the British navy. That paradox inspires the author to ask why, then, did Bligh have a mutiny? Its answer is to display the theatricality of naval institutions and the mythologizing power of history. Mr Bligh's Bad Language is an anthropological and historical study of the mutiny on the Bounty, and its role in society and culture. Throughout the book, Greg Dening draws on a wide range of intellectual influences, ending with the cinematic versions of the mutiny in the twentieth century. |
Contents
Narrative | 35 |
Reflection | 113 |
Narrative | 189 |
Reflection | 253 |
Narrative | 309 |
Reflection | 339 |
Notes | 375 |
| 397 | |
Other editions - View all
Mr Bligh's Bad Language: Passion, Power and Theater on H. M. Armed Vessel Bounty Greg Dening No preview available - 1993 |
Common terms and phrases
ari'i bad language beach began Bounty Bounty's breadfruit British Burkitt cabin called canoes Captain Bligh Captain Cook ceremony chiefs command Cook's court martial crew cultural literacy death discipline discovered discovery Dolphin Edwards Ellison English feathers Figure film flag Fletcher Christian flogged Fryer gentlemen George institutions invented island James John Adams John Fryer Jonas Hanway Joseph Banks killed King knew land launch lives London Lono lower deck marae maro ura Matavai midshipman Millward Mitchell Library Morrison Museum Muspratt mutiny narrative naval navy never Oberea officers Omai Oro's Pacific Pandora percent Peter Heywood Pitcairn Pitcairn Island play politics Pomare possession Press priests punishment Purea quarterdeck ritual sacred sacrifice sailed sailors Samuel Wallis seamen seen sense ship signs social sort space symbols Tahiti Tahitian Taputapuatea Tarahoi theatre things Thomas tion Tofua Tubuai Tubuaians vessels violence voyage Wallis William Bligh women wrote young