NCHS AP English Language

Ch 2: Black Parliament sitting in Tophet

"Tophet" is the location near Jerusalem where the Canaanites sacricifed children, usually by burning them alive. "Black Parliament" is the government that Henry VIII held in the Bridewell Palace. This government took place when William Wallace (think Braveheart) was trying to rebel against England. I took Tophet to symbolize hell, and the minister is the Angel of Doom. I think that what Herman Melville means when he says that "it seemed the great Black Parliament sitting in Tophet" is that the African congregation was like one of the worst, or perhaps just persuasive and unfair, governments in the history of the world located in one of the worst cities in the history of the world. There is a corrupt government combined with hellish situations. The black minister is talking about the blackness of darkness and other images of hell.

Written by: Caroline Ward, Libby Negron, Amy Coates

posted by Caroline Ward @ 2:22 PM