d The Highlander and even the Indian sailor from the Irrawaddy (Melville 242), he gains confidence. He does not get angry and strike out against the world as he does in the beginning of the book when he "...turned on the next gazer, and clicking my gun-lock, deliberately presented the piece at him" (Melville 56). And while he may not completely make it to manhood (and who ever really does?) he goes a long way toward it. When, for instance, Captain Riga refuses to pay him because he has forfeited his money for "running away from the ship in Liverpool..." (Melville 398), Redburn refuses to "pitch into him" as Harry suggests but simply turns to go (Melville 399). He is no longer the unwise boy who rails at life as he did at the beginning, just as he is no longer a "boy" as far as sailing goes. If he goes out on another trip, he will be able to sail as an ordinary seaman; not yet an able seaman but not a boy either.
             Part of Redburn's coming of age is that he moves from a boy using observation to a young man using discernment in his observations. Since Redburn reveals that he is from a good family, one of refinement which has fallen on bad times, the reader may think that Redburn should have an "eye of discernment", and indeed, Redburn believes he does, but he does
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