On Symbolism in Moby Dic1Word下载.docx

1、 Moby Dick is the representative work of Herman Melville and a classic novel in world literature. It is widely noted for the use of symbolism. This paper will hold a deep analysis in terms of its symbolic theme, symbolism appears in the anywhere in the novel. This ship Pequod becomes the epitome of

2、truth which the human society is seeking after; the white whale symbolizes the nature and the complexity. For the character Ahab, the white whale represents the evil. At the same time, it is like a wall, concealing the unknown and mysterious things behind.Key words: Symbol; Seeking for Truth; The na

3、ture; Evil; the white whale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：Abstract i摘要.iiContents iii1. Introduction 11.1 Background of writing 11.2The subjects of symbolis

4、m 12. Analysis of several symbolisms in the works 1-5 （ examples） 2.1Seeking for truth is a vital subject 2 2.2The second one is nature 2-3 2.3Evil and revenge are another symbolism of the white whale 3-5 2.4White and pureincluding some secrets 53. Conclusion 54. Acknowledgement 6 5. Reference 71. I

5、ntroduction Herman Melville was a very important romanticist in the American literary scene in 19th century. Moby Dick is his masterpiece, though it did not gain much attention and fame from his contemporaries then. However, regarded as the Hamlet of America, Moby Dick has become one of the greatest

6、 works of America nowadays. Ahab was the captain of whaling ship in a whaling process and his leg was bitten off by a ruthless and clever white whale called Moby Dick. So he was filled with a vengeance in his mind. And he had been huntiang for the white whale so that he lost ration and changed himse

7、lf into an arbitrary and lone partial thermal crazy person. He almost traveled across the ocean around the world, experienced much and finally turned with encounter. After three days, he hit the white whale with the harpoon, but the white whale ship was bumped broken by the white whales, harpoon rop

8、es winded Ahab into the sea and the crew fell into the sea. Only sailor Ishmael （in the Bible, Man Name, meaning deserted person） was saved fortunately, and then told people this story. The author gave Moby Dick white which symbolized innocence and horror, in order to mix with the white whales symbo

9、l of good and evil. The novel became an excellent work for rich content, epic scale and writing style of the thoughtful nature. As time went on, the story about Moby Dick could enable everybody to have unlimited imaginations once again. I had a good impression on symbolism in it. Moby Dick is like a

10、 maze of symbolism. Here from big to the typical character, macro scenery, small to the static objects with multi-level, they have almost all symbolic significances. It mainly contains the truth, nature, evil and purity in this text.2. Analysis of several symbolisms in the work2.1 Seeking for truth

11、is one of its main targets In Moby Dick, Pequod derives from strengthen of the land, and the sea stands for nature. The contradictory and the contrast between them have obvious symbolic significance：the land is limited and easy to be comfortable, however, the sea is quite unlimited and changeable, s

12、ymbolizing danger. In the meanwhile, the water is the cradle of ones life, thus, the sea also represents incredible fate. The boat and the sea are both on behalf of life that man need to confront with, and symbolize danger that someone must face in ones life. However, we can obtain understanding of

13、the dangerous life fully. Because the closing and self-sufficiency of the land need to be broken off by people. People are supposed to make an adventure in the sea and follow the natural rules by reason that knowledge and fate should be grasped by all themselves. Only in spirit and in their minds ca

14、n the people run out of the limited boundary, they will obtain new knowledge, but at the same time, going out for sea adventure deprives of their happiness in life. 2.2 The white whale is the symbol of nature In terms of Melville, the white whale represents the nature which has great mystical power.

15、 And especially it stands for the ocean. The relationship between man and nature is another theme in writers description. He believes that an irresistible force takes charge of peoples fate in the sky and the land and this force is also full of natural and mysterious power. On the one hand, the myst

16、ery is reflected by the description of the sea change in the novel. Without endless Interstate Marine unpredictable: sometimes it is quiet, solemn and mild, letting people have far daydream; Sometimes it lifts the violent storm, letting a person feel dizzy. Whether in the wind or sunshine, sunny day

17、, or the starry night, it contains a huge destructive force and tricky danger in the depth of it. On the other hand, it often has Omens and prophecy in the novel, and strengthens the mystery of the whole works. For example, in the third chapter, the inn where sailors went to stay was the name of a w

18、hale inn, and deep and remote, dark and gloomy shop let a person seem to fall into the whale belly in a blend door. A picture which was a black big oil painting hung on the wall, and the painting was a ship that was sunk and not sunk in a large whirlwind. And a great angered whale swooped past to it

19、. Take another thing for an example, shape of the dark and quiet room that was used as the bar at the bottom of the shop resembled in a right whale head, even a bulk of the arched whale chin bone. All suggests that whaling men coming to stay in it dont get away from tragic fate. And the fate and the

20、 white whale symbolizing the nature relate to each other closely. Here the author suggests that fighting between the person and nature have an inevitable result: human destruction. 2.3 Evil and revenge are another symbolism of the white whaleAhab wishes the whole crew on the Pequod to join him in th

21、e pursuit of the big whale so as to pierce up the wall,and root out the evil, but only to be destroyed by evil, in this case, by his own consuming desire, his madness. Moby Dick is running through the whole story with a vengeance theme. The captain Ahab who had been engaged in the whaling industry f

22、or forty years had his one leg bitten off by the white whale unfortunately when going out for the sea. After that, he was full of deep hatred to it and his desire of revenge had been drowning his every cell. The only goal of the entire voyage in his rest life was to kill Moby Dick. In retaliation fo

23、r the white whale, he didnt hear the mental advice, but was addicted to himself, no longer thought out for his wife and children and no longer exchanged with the crew. Extreme solipsistic made him almost completely lose the reason and the human nature. And at the same time he hurt others at any pric

24、e for his sake. He always argued that his will was the only rule, the world existed for him and men sacrificed for him. What Im doing, I have determined to do; but I have the determination to do, I will do! They think that I go crazy. however, I will be a devil, I am crazy and mad!. I now predict, I

25、 must dismember the guy who dismembered me. Once the choice of revenge was made, the ship with disaster destiny starting, a revenge campaign with the madness and paranoids leading began in the darkness voyage of the vanished reason. At length, Pequod was brought out to destroying flight. In this sen

26、se, Ahabs tragedy mainly comes from extreme ego inflation at the result of revenge. His soul is much too independent to be saved, thus, becoming a solipsistic victim.In addition to the story of revenge between people and whale, in chapter 54 of the novel great whale out date gets into an episode of

27、revenge between human each other. The chief officer and a sailor had a thought of revenge each other only due to a tiny thing at the ship: chief officer hurt sailor with power, however, the sailor allowed the harmful ship leaking and sinking, not taking part in cooperation for feeling pounced. They

28、couldnt cooperate kindly in the hunting for the white whale at the key moment eventually because of no solutions to the eternal revenge, causing the white whale run away, chief officer died from the mouth of white whale. The episode seemed to suggest that a vengeance is inherent in the human nature,

29、 if man allowed this sin to inflate at random, it would let the human be crazy and even death in tragic situation. And the theme which is closely related to revenge has more realistic significance in the relationship between man and nature. And Ahab, the captain and the white whale being regarded as

30、 a couple of sharp contradictions represents the fierce conflict between the human and nature. Captain Ahab destroying the white whale is a concentration of the process of mankind conquering nature, being also one in the countless fights. Although this ship penetrating into human wisdom plays an imp

31、ortant role of the process of hunting great whales, but the tragedy of defeats between the two leading to all deaths throws light on that human and nature cant win over each other, their obstinate fights will bring about disastrous consequences. In the novel, that last returns to the peaceful sea ag

32、ain, and the world where the human and other species live together seems to warn that harmonious coexistence both people and other creatures is the only one way out of human beings continuing to exist in the world. The thought in todays young environmental protection as a modern society still has extensive warning significance. 2.4 White is symbolizing pure and innocent Choice about the color of the white whale is a