Billy Budd by Herman Melville - Appearance Versus Reality (thesis and first body paragraph)

A character's single mistake can lead to his ultimate downfall. In the book Billy Budd by Herman Melville, the sole mistake of the main character was his naïve nature to assume things to be the way they appear. The protagonist and main character, Billy mistakes his master-at-arms John Claggart, the jealous antagonist against the rise of his status, for a truthful man. It is Billy's childhood teachings, disregard for wise advice, and inability to uncover reality from appearance that leads to his deadly outcome.
Billy was raised by sailors as a young child into his adulthood, and he…