A Reading of Symbols in Moby Dick
Title: A Reading of Symbols in Moby Dick
Abstract: Moby Dick is not merely a whaling tale or sea adventure, but also a philosophic novel with symbolic meanings. Moby Dick represents God owing to his godlike characters and his awfully severe beauty. Ahab symbolizes the league human with evil. In the whaling trip, we can see his bravery and patience, as well as his madness and stubbornness. The third symbolic element is the idea of the “counterpane” that is woven throughout the story as a symbol of the world’s multiculturalism. Melville develops the symbol proving that the world is indeed a counterpane of diverse cultures, races, and environment, in which we are always connected by our humanity.
Key words: Moby Dick; Arab; God; human; counterpane
Contents
I. Introduction ………………………………………………………………...…6
II. The Symbolic Meanings of Moby Dick …………………………..…………7 1. Moby Dick’s Characteristics ……………………………………….…….7 2. Moby Dick’s Whiteness…………………………………………….…….8
3. Moby Dick’s Power and Strength ……………………...……………..…..8 III. The Symbolic Meanings of Ahab …………………………...……………....9 1. The Name Ahab ………. ……………...……………………………...…10 2. Ahab’s Madness…………………………………………………....……..10 3. Ahab’s Characters ………………………………………...……...………12
IV. The Symbolic Meanings of Counterpane ………………………………..….14 1. The Grandiose Sea…………………………………………...…….……..14 2. The Crew of the Pequod……………………………………………....….14 3. The Character Queequeg…………………………………….….…………16 V. Conclusion ………………………………………...…………………….…...18 Notes……………………………………………………………...……..…….…19
Bibliography………………………………………………………………...…...20
I. Introduction
Moby Dick is Melville’s masterpiece, but it is overlooked in its author’s time. The revival interest in Moby Dick in the 1920s is of the most dramatic reversals in all literary history. From a by-line in the textbooks, Melville becomes, overnight, one of the half-dozen major American literary figures of the 19th century.
Abstract: Moby Dick is not merely a whaling tale or sea adventure, but also a philosophic novel with symbolic meanings. Moby Dick represents God owing to his godlike characters and his awfully severe beauty. Ahab symbolizes the league human with evil. In the whaling trip, we can see his bravery and patience, as well as his madness and stubbornness. The third symbolic element is the idea of the “counterpane” that is woven throughout the story as a symbol of the world’s multiculturalism. Melville develops the symbol proving that the world is indeed a counterpane of diverse cultures, races, and environment, in which we are always connected by our humanity.
Key words: Moby Dick; Arab; God; human; counterpane
Contents
I. Introduction ………………………………………………………………...…6
II. The Symbolic Meanings of Moby Dick …………………………..…………7 1. Moby Dick’s Characteristics ……………………………………….…….7 2. Moby Dick’s Whiteness…………………………………………….…….8
3. Moby Dick’s Power and Strength ……………………...……………..…..8 III. The Symbolic Meanings of Ahab …………………………...……………....9 1. The Name Ahab ………. ……………...……………………………...…10 2. Ahab’s Madness…………………………………………………....……..10 3. Ahab’s Characters ………………………………………...……...………12
IV. The Symbolic Meanings of Counterpane ………………………………..….14 1. The Grandiose Sea…………………………………………...…….……..14 2. The Crew of the Pequod……………………………………………....….14 3. The Character Queequeg…………………………………….….…………16 V. Conclusion ………………………………………...…………………….…...18 Notes……………………………………………………………...……..…….…19
Bibliography………………………………………………………………...…...20
I. Introduction
Moby Dick is Melville’s masterpiece, but it is overlooked in its author’s time. The revival interest in Moby Dick in the 1920s is of the most dramatic reversals in all literary history. From a by-line in the textbooks, Melville becomes, overnight, one of the half-dozen major American literary figures of the 19th century.
Bibliography: 1. Bloom, Harold, ed. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. New York: Chelsea House, 1996. 2. Harriet , Todd A. The Quest in the Works of Herman Melville. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1996. 3. Heimert, Alan. Moby Dick and American Political Symbolism. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Eliot House Edition, 1991. 4. Herman, Melville. Moby-Dick. New York: Bantam, 1981. 5. Joseph, Campbell. The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology. New York: Viking Press, 1959. 6. Slade, Leonard A. Symbolism in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick: From the Satanic to the Divine. Leviston, New York: E. Mellen Press, 1998. 7. William, Braswell. Moby-Dick is an Allegory of Humanity’s Struggle with God. Leone, 1949.