The Piazza Tales

The Piazza Tales is a collection of six short stories written by Herman Melville. The first story The Piazza is about a narrator who buys a house in the countryside and builds a piazza. He spends much of his time on the piazza watching his neighbors and contemplating the mysteries of life. The second story Bartleby the Scrivener is about a lawyer who hires a scrivener named Bartleby. Bartleby is a very strange man who eventually refuses to do any work leading to his dismissal and tragic end. The third story Benito Cereno is a tale of a ship captain who is taken captive by his own slaves while on a voyage. The story explores themes of race and power. The fourth story The Lightning-Rod Man is about a man who sells lightning rods and claims that he can protect a house from lightning strikes. The story is a satire on the marketing tactics of the time. The fifth story The Encantadas is a series of ten sketches depicting the Galápagos Islands. Melville explores the history and natural beauty of the islands. The final story The Bell-Tower is about the construction of a bell-tower in a small town. The narrator becomes obsessed with the tower and the bell and eventually commits a terrible crime. Overall The Piazza Tales is a collection of diverse stories that explore themes of human nature society and the natural world.