What is The Melville Statue

A prominent feature of the Westish campus, the statue of author Herman Melville can be taken as a symbol of self-determination and independence. During his freshman year, Henry notices this solitary figure: "a stone figure on a cubic marble base. Pensive and bushy-bearded, he didn't face the quad, as might be expected of a statue, but rather gazed out toward the lake" (23). The Melville statue pointedly looks away from the Westish community, signaling the trait of self-reliance. Ironically, though, Melville is also the figure that brings the students of Westish together by giving the school its identity; the statue may thus be understood, somewhat paradoxically, as a symbol of community and belonging.