On Symbolism in Moby Dic1.docx

On Symbolism in Moby Dic1.docx

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OnSymbolisminMobyDic1

OnSymbolisminMobyDick

Supervisor:

WANGANStudent:

ZHANGHANG（070408200166）

Abstract:

MobyDickistherepresentativeworkofHermanMelvilleandaclassicnovelinworldliterature.Itiswidelynotedfortheuseofsymbolism.Thispaperwillholdadeepanalysisintermsofitssymbolictheme,symbolismappearsintheanywhereinthenovel.Thisship—Pequodbecomestheepitomeoftruthwhichthehumansocietyisseekingafter;thewhitewhalesymbolizesthenatureandthecomplexity.ForthecharacterAhab,thewhitewhalerepresentstheevil.Atthesametime,itislikeawall,concealingtheunknownandmysteriousthingsbehind.

Keywords:

Symbol;SeekingforTruth;Thenature;Evil;thewhitewhale

摘要：

《白鲸》是美国作家赫尔曼·麦尔维尔的代表作，在世界文学史上非常出名，尤其是象征手法的运用。

本文将对其象征主题进行深刻分析，小说中象征主义无处不在。

这条船皮夸德成了人类社会追求真理的缩影；白鲸象征着自然和复杂。

对埃哈布而言，白鲸又象征邪恶的一面；与此同时，白鲸像一堵墙，隐藏着未知与神秘。

关键词：

象征；追求真理；自然；邪恶；白鲸。

CONTENTS：

Abstracti

摘要..ii

Contentsiii

1.Introduction1

1.1Backgroundofwriting1

1.2Thesubjectsofsymbolism1

2.Analysisofseveralsymbolismsintheworks1-5

（examples）

2.1Seekingfortruthisavitalsubject2

2.2Thesecondoneisnature2-3

2.3Evilandrevengeareanothersymbolismofthewhitewhale3-5

2.4Whiteandpure—includingsomesecrets5

3.Conclusion5

4.Acknowledgement6

5.Reference7

OnSymbolisminMobyDick

1.Introduction

HermanMelvillewasaveryimportantromanticistintheAmericanliteraryscenein19thcentury.MobyDickishismasterpiece,thoughitdidnotgainmuchattentionandfamefromhiscontemporariesthen.However,regardedasthe"Hamlet"ofAmerica,MobyDickhasbecomeoneofthegreatestworksofAmericanowadays..

AhabwasthecaptainofwhalingshipinawhalingprocessandhislegwasbittenoffbyaruthlessandcleverwhitewhalecalledMobyDick.Sohewasfilledwithavengeanceinhismind.Andhehadbeenhuntiangforthewhitewhalesothathelostrationandchangedhimselfintoanarbitraryandlonepartialthermalcrazyperson.Healmosttraveledacrosstheoceanaroundtheworld,experiencedmuchandfinallyturnedwithencounter.Afterthreedays,hehitthewhitewhalewiththeharpoon,butthewhitewhaleshipwasbumpedbrokenbythewhitewhales,harpoonropeswindedAhabintotheseaandthecrewfellintothesea.OnlysailorIshmael（intheBible,ManName,meaningdesertedperson）wassavedfortunately,andthentoldpeoplethisstory.TheauthorgaveMobyDickwhitewhichsymbolizedinnocenceandhorror,inordertomixwiththewhitewhale’ssymbolofgoodandevil.Thenovelbecameanexcellentworkforrichcontent,epicscaleandwritingstyleofthethoughtfulnature.

Astimewenton,thestoryaboutMobyDickcouldenableeverybodytohaveunlimitedimaginationsonceagain.Ihadagoodimpressiononsymbolisminit.MobyDickislikeamazeofsymbolism.Herefrombigtothetypicalcharacter,macroscenery,smalltothestaticobjectswithmulti-level,theyhavealmostallsymbolicsignificances.Itmainlycontainsthetruth,nature,evilandpurityinthistext.

2.Analysisofseveralsymbolismsinthework

2.1Seekingfortruthisoneofitsmaintargets

InMobyDick,Pequodderivesfromstrengthenoftheland,andtheseastandsfornature.Thecontradictoryandthecontrastbetweenthemhaveobvioussymbolicsignificance：

thelandislimitedandeasytobecomfortable,however,theseaisquiteunlimitedandchangeable,symbolizingdanger.Inthemeanwhile,thewateristhecradleofone’slife,thus,theseaalsorepresentsincrediblefate.Theboatandtheseaarebothonbehalfoflifethatmanneedtoconfrontwith,andsymbolizedangerthatsomeonemustfaceinone’slife.However,wecanobtainunderstandingofthedangerouslifefully.Becausetheclosingandself-sufficiencyofthelandneedtobebrokenoffbypeople.Peoplearesupposedtomakeanadventureintheseaandfollowthenaturalrulesbyreasonthatknowledgeandfateshouldbegraspedbyallthemselves.Onlyinspiritandintheirmindscanthepeoplerunoutofthelimitedboundary,theywillobtainnewknowledge,butatthesametime,goingoutforseaadventuredeprivesoftheirhappinessinlife.

2.2Thewhitewhaleisthesymbolofnature

IntermsofMelville,thewhitewhalerepresentsthenaturewhichhasgreatmysticalpower.Andespeciallyitstandsfortheocean.Therelationshipbetweenmanandnatureisanotherthemeinwriter’sdescription.Hebelievesthatanirresistibleforcetakeschargeofpeople’sfateintheskyandthelandandthisforceisalsofullofnaturalandmysteriouspower.Ontheonehand,themysteryisreflectedbythedescriptionoftheseachangeinthenovel.WithoutendlessInterstateMarineunpredictable:

sometimesitisquiet,solemnandmild,lettingpeoplehavefardaydream;Sometimesitliftstheviolentstorm,lettingapersonfeeldizzy.Whetherinthewindorsunshine,sunnyday,orthestarrynight,itcontainsahugedestructiveforceandtrickydangerinthedepthofit.Ontheotherhand,itoftenhasOmensandprophecyinthenovel,andstrengthensthemysteryofthewholeworks.Forexample,inthethirdchapter,theinnwheresailorswenttostaywasthenameofawhaleinn,anddeepandremote,darkandgloomyshopletapersonseemtofallintothewhalebellyinablenddoor.Apicturewhichwasablackbigoilpaintinghungonthewall,andthepaintingwasashipthatwassunkandnotsunkinalargewhirlwind.Andagreatangeredwhaleswoopedpasttoit.Takeanotherthingforanexample,shapeofthedarkandquietroomthatwasusedasthebaratthebottomoftheshopresembledinarightwhalehead,evenabulkofthearchedwhalechinbone.Allsuggeststhatwhalingmencomingtostayinitdon’tgetawayfromtragicfate.Andthefateandthewhitewhalesymbolizingthenaturerelatetoeachotherclosely.Heretheauthorsuggeststhatfightingbetweenthepersonandnaturehaveaninevitableresult:

humandestruction.

2.3Evilandrevengeareanothersymbolismofthewhitewhale

AhabwishesthewholecrewonthePequodtojoinhiminthepursuitofthebigwhalesoastopierceupthewall,androotouttheevil,butonlytobedestroyedbyevil,inthiscase,byhisownconsumingdesire,hismadness.MobyDickisrunningthroughthewholestorywithavengeancetheme.ThecaptainAhabwhohadbeenengagedinthewhalingindustryforfortyyearshadhisonelegbittenoffbythewhitewhaleunfortunatelywhengoingoutforthesea.Afterthat,hewasfullofdeephatredtoitandhisdesireofrevengehadbeendrowninghiseverycell.TheonlygoaloftheentirevoyageinhisrestlifewastokillMobyDick.Inretaliationforthewhitewhale,hedidn'thearthementaladvice,butwasaddictedtohimself,nolongerthoughtoutforhiswifeandchildrenandnolongerexchangedwiththecrew.Extremesolipsisticmadehimalmostcompletelylosethereasonandthehumannature.Andatthesametimehehurtothersatanypriceforhissake.Healwaysarguedthathiswillwastheonlyrule,theworldexistedforhimandmensacrificedforhim."WhatI'mdoing,Ihavedeterminedtodo;butIhavethedeterminationtodo,Iwilldo!

TheythinkthatIgocrazy...however,Iwillbeadevil,Iamcrazyandmad!

!

!

!

!

...Inowpredict,Imustdismembertheguywhodismemberedme."Oncethechoiceofrevengewasmade,theshipwithdisasterdestinystarting,arevengecampaignwiththemadnessandparanoid’sleadingbeganinthedarknessvoyageofthevanishedreason.Atlength,Pequodwasbroughtouttodestroyingflight.Inthissense,Ahab’stragedymainlycomesfromextremeegoinflationattheresultofrevenge.Hissoulismuchtooindependenttobesaved,thus,becomingasolipsisticvictim.

Inadditiontothestoryofrevengebetweenpeopleandwhale,inchapter54ofthenovel"greatwhaleoutdate"getsintoanepisodeofrevengebetweenhumaneachother.Thechiefofficerandasailorhadathoughtofrevengeeachotheronlyduetoatinythingattheship:

chiefofficerhurtsailorwithpower,however,thesailorallowedtheharmfulshipleakingandsinking,nottakingpartincooperationforfeelingpounced.Theycouldn’tcooperatekindlyinthehuntingforthewhitewhaleatthekeymomenteventuallybecauseofnosolutionstotheeternalrevenge,causingthewhitewhalerunaway,chiefofficerdiedfromthemouthofwhitewhale.Theepisodeseemedtosuggestthatavengeanceisinherentinthehumannature,ifmanallowedthissintoinflateatrandom,itwouldletthehumanbecrazyandevendeathintragicsituation.Andthethemewhichiscloselyrelatedtorevengehasmorerealisticsignificanceintherelationshipbetweenmanandnature.AndAhab,thecaptainandthewhitewhalebeingregardedasacoupleofsharpcontradictionsrepresentsthefierceconflictbetweenthehumanandnature.CaptainAhabdestroyingthewhitewhaleisaconcentrationoftheprocessofmankindconqueringnature,beingalsooneinthecountlessfights.Althoughthisshippenetratingintohumanwisdomplaysanimportantroleoftheprocessofhuntinggreatwhales,butthetragedyofdefeatsbetweenthetwoleadingtoalldeathsthrowslightonthathumanandnaturecan’twinovereachother,theirobstinatefightswillbringaboutdisastrousconsequences.Inthenovel,thatlastreturnstothepeacefulseaagain,andtheworldwherethehumanandotherspecieslivetogetherseemstowarnthatharmoniouscoexistencebothpeopleandothercreaturesistheonlyonewayoutofhumanbeingscontinuingtoexistintheworld.Thethoughtintoday'syoungenvironmentalprotectionasamodernsocietystillhasextensivewarningsignificance.

2.4Whiteissymbolizingpureandinnocent

Choiceaboutthecolorofthewhitewhaleisa