moby-dick

MobyDickHermanMelville(1819-1891)SummaryMoby-Dick,HermanMelville's1851novel,tellsthestoryofobsessedCaptainAhab’squestforrevengeontheWhiteWhaleasobservedbyacommonseamanwhoidentifieshimselfonlyasIshmael.白鲸记(「莫比敌」MobyDick)是世上伟大的小说之一。全书的焦点集中于南太平洋一条名叫莫比敌的白鲸，以及捕鲸船皮廓德(Pequod)号的船长阿哈(Ahab)如何对它有不共戴天的仇恨。阿哈在一次航行中被莫比敌咬掉一条腿，立志报仇，指挥皮廓德号环航全球追踪，终于发现了它。经过三天放下小艇紧追。虽然刺中了这条白鲸，但它十分顽强狡猾，咬碎了小艇，也撞沉了大船。它拖着捕鲸船游开时，绳子套住阿哈，把他绞死了。全船人尽皆灭顶。只有一个水手借着由棺材改制的救生浮子而逃得性命。整个故事以这个水手伊希梅尔(Ishmael)自述的方式展开。ThemesPrincipalcharactersSymbolsThemesRevengeMoby-Dickis,fundamentally,arevengetragedy.It’saboutoneman’smaniacalobsessionwithvengeance.It’saboutfindinganobjectonwhichtopinallyourangerandfearandrage,notonlyaboutyourownsuffering,butalsoaboutthesufferingofallmankind.It’sabouttheinabilitytounderstandthatyoucan’tpunishthenaturalworld,andthatNatureisn’tspecificallymalicious,justimpersonallybrutal.It’saboutthewaythatthedesireforrevengecaneatawayatyouuntilitbecomessomethinginhabitingyourbody,somethingseparatefromyourownpersonality.ThemesRevenge•ManandtheNaturalWorldMoby-DickexploresthevarietyofrelationshipsthatarepossiblebetweenmanandNature.Mostfamously,ofcourse,there’stheissueofonemantryingtotakerevengeonNaturefortheharminflictedbyawildbeast.BeyondAhabandhiswhale,eachcharacterinthenovelseemstohaveaslightlydifferentwayofunderstandingandbeinginthenaturalworld.SomecharactershaveahealthyrespectforthepowerofNature;othersaresoinaweofNaturethattheyfeelthemselvesdissolvingecstaticallyintoit;stillothersthinkofNatureasacollectionofresourcestobeharvestedandhuntedforman’sprofit.ThemesRevenge•ManandtheNaturalWorld•Alienation&IsolationAlienationexistsbetweenmanandman,manandsociety,andmanandnature.Ahabcutshimselfofffromhisfamily,staysawayfromhiscrew,hatesMobyDickandbecomesadevilrushingtohisdoom.Hewaswithin“themasoned,walledtownofacaptian’sexclusiveness”,whichleadshimtohisdoom.ThemesRevenge•ManandtheNaturalWorld•Alienation&Isolation•Rejection&QuestVoyagingforIshmaelhasbecomeajourneyinquestofknowledgeandvalues.ThemesRevenge•ManandtheNaturalWorld•Alienation&Isolation•Rejection&Quest•TheSenseofFutility&MeaninglessnessTheadventureofkillingMobyDickismeaningless.Ahabtriestocontrolit,whichleadstohisdoom.Ishmael伊什梅尔Schoolteacherandpart-timesailor;aPresbyterian,likeMelville,heprojectsCalvinisticthinkingtemperedbyhisbackgroundinliteratureandphilosophy.Hediscussessuchissuesasfreewill,predestination,necessity,anddamnation.HeisthesolesurvivorofthePequod.Intheend,heissavedbyQueequeg’scoffin,symbolizingarestorationtohumanity.MobyDickItistheWhiteWhale;theworld’slargestcreature.Itispowerful,legendaryimageofnature.Itswimspeacefullyintheseauntildisturbedbyhumans,thenshowsaterriblefuryandanger.ForAhab,MobyDickisthesymbolofevil.PrincipalcharactersCaptainAhab亚哈Ahabisatragichero，anobleandhighlyeducatedman,acknowledgesthelimitationofman’spowertoknowGodthroughhisintellect;yetinsteadofsubmittingtohisweakness,hehopestotranscenditbysheerdefianceandexerthispoweroverwhathesees.Helosesthebalancebecauseoftheblindandpurposelessfuryofthewhalethateventuallydestroyshim.PrincipalcharactersSymbolsLand:asymbolofsafetySea:adventureanddangerThePequod:dooma.namedafteraNativeAmericantribeinMassachusettsb.didnotlongsurvivec.paintedgloomyblackandcoveredinwhaleteethandbonesd.themementosofviolentdeathe.likeaprimitivecoffinSymbolsQueequeg’sCoffin:lifeanddeatha.builtwhenQueequegisseriouslyillb.butwhenherecovers,itbecomesachesttoholdhisbelongingsandanemblemofhiswilltolive.Heperpetuatestheknowledgetattooedonhisbodybycarvingitontothecoffin’slid.c.WhenthePequodsinks,thecoffinbecomesIshmael’sbuoy,savingnotonlyhislifebutthelifeofthenarrativethathewillpasson.SymbolsMobyDick--Themonstrouswhitewhale(1)Symbolofnatureforhumanbeings,becauseitismysterious,powerful,unknown.(2)SymbolofevilfortheCaptainAhab.(3)Symbolofgoodandpuritybecauseofitswhiteness.a.ToIshmael,MobyDickis(amongotherthings)oneofseveraldifferentspermwhalesthathaverumorscirculatingabouttheminthewhalingindustry.b.Tosuperstitioussailors,MobyDickseemsimmortalandomnipresent,everywhereatonce,impossibletokill,andratherlikeamysteriousseafaringGod.c.ToCaptainAhab,theWhiteWhalebecomesboththecauseandthetargetforallhispain,anger,rage,andhate,andevenforthesufferingofallhumanbeingsthroughouttime.d.Andforthenovelasawhole?MobyDickbecomesanobjectinandofhimself.WhilethePequodsearchestheseasforMobyDick’sbody,Ishmael,asnarrator,searchesthroughreamsofinformation,tryingtofindtheWhiteWhaleinanintellectualsense.THANKS1043Michelle