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1、ABriefAnalysisoftheSymbolisminMobyDickI. IntroductionThewriter-HermanMelvilleHermanMelville(1819-1891)wasanAmericannovelist,shortSIOfywriter,essayistandpoet.HeisbestknownforhisnovelMobyDickandthepi)slhunousnovellaBillyBudd.HisfirstthreebooksgainedmuchCOrUCmpOraryattentionClypee,()nuo,RedbuniYandafte
2、rafast-bloomingliterarysuccessin(heIaccI84()s,hispopularitydeclinedprecipitouslyinIhcmid-1850sandneverrecoveredduringhisIifdim已FortwentyyearsbeforehisdeathinI891.HermanMelvillewasaibrgotlennun.Thisisbeslrcofhislife?(ThCPress.September29.1891)Soonafterhisdeath,therewasashortrevivalofinterestinMelvill
3、eswork.ManyofhisWOflswerexblishedagainandsowereImllyappreciativescholarlyevaluations.AsecondMclvilkrevival(kplace*bu(1919coincidingwith(heCentenniiilofMelvillesbirth.ItwasMuntiltheMelvilleRcviva,atthistimethathisWOrkwonrecognition,especiallyMoby-DickwhichholdsadistinctivepositionintheAmericanliterar
4、ytraditionthatnootherworkcanmatch.InwritingMohy-Diek.MelvilleaemxedanarrativealtogetherdifTere11IhanWhalhehadwrittenbefore.II. SymbolisminMobyDickInMobyDick,Melvilleemploysstylizedlanguage,symbolismoexplon?numerouscomplex(hemes.Throughtheuincharactersjourney,theconceptsofclassandsocialstatus,goodand
5、evil,andtheexistenceofGodarcallexamined,asIshniaclspeculatesuponhispersonalbclicfeaxlhisplaceintheuniverse.Thehookprojectshumaninstincts,characteristicsandmotivationsontoanimals.MobyDick,thewhale,isruthlessinattacking(heSaiIoISwhoattempt(ohuntandkillhim.butitisAhabwhoinvestsMobyDicksnaturalinstincts
6、withmalignantandevilintentions.Infact,itisnothewhalebutthecrippledAhabwhoalonepossessesthischaracteristic.Symbolismisusingaperson,place,orthingtorcprcscmsomethingelsewhichislargerandoftenuntouchable,hisusedinliteraturetogiveauthorsobjectivitywhiletbeirviewsarestillexpressed.Somesymbolsstandforthings
7、(hatareobviouswhileothersneedamoreinvolvedexplanation.Moby-dickissuchagreatbookthatisfullofsymbols,suggestingendlessmeanings.TheresearchonSymbolisminMobyDickhasbeingverypopular.ThescholarsholdthatInHermanMeIvilletSMobyDick,onesuchelementistheideaofheIaPeSIfyofhumanity,(hatiswoventhroughoutthestoryas
8、asymboloftheWorierSmulticulturalism.InMobyDick.Ihc(hemeofhumanisticrelationshipswithnatureisexpressed.ThefollowingpartemphasizesananalysisofthesymbolisminMobyDick.1. lheSymbolismofMobyDkkanditsWhitenessMobyDickwasamixedsymbol.,Ihccolorofthewhaleisasymbolthatcanbeintcrechasinnocenceandui(y.However.(o
9、SOnlePeOPlethecolorwhitecanbesymbolicofdeath,solitude,strength,power,andagodlikeappearance.TbCaplainAhab,thewhaleisnolonlythebeastthatbithisleg,butalsoasymbolofevil.BecausethewhalehasremovedAhab,slegandattackedsomewhalers,MelvilleshowsthatMobyDickiscapableofgrcaviolence.However,healsoshowsthewhaleli
10、vingpeacefullyandtranquillyatseauntilheisattackedbylhcmen.ThisshowslheConInIdiCIiOnofthewhitenessof(hewhalebecauseMelvilleemphasizesthatwhitecanmeanbothtranquilityandgood,aswellasterrorandevil.Amanhuntingamalevolentbeastchatravagesthecountrysideisnotanewstory.BeowulfhuntsGrendel.Si.Georgekills(hemar
11、audingdragon.TheMessiahdefeats1.eviathan.Oftenthemonstertakestheformof“asea-monster.Thoughtheherousuallyperishesinthecftbrt.hisdeathfbstcrcommunalrejuvenation*andrestoresthatworldtoitsdivinepurposcs,(Foulkc333).TliroughoutMobyDicktlhewhaleisgivendivinefeaturesandoftencompared(oGod.Justasmanypeoplefe
12、arGodtheyalsofearMobyDick.ThecharactersinMoby-DickallseemtohaveadifferentOUUOOkonthesymbolismofthewhale,!bCaptainAhab,thewhaleSymbaliZCSallthatisevilinlheuniverse,andheassumesapersona)destinedrevengetokill(hewhale.Indestroying(hewhale.Ahabisalsodestroyinghisownfearsandevilsha(facehimintheworld.MObyD
13、ickissymbolicofnature.OnCofthemostcommoninterpretationsofthewhaleisinitscomparisonslonature.Melvilledepictsthewhaleasbeinggracefulandpeacefulinitsnaturalhabi(aitmuchlikenatureingeneral.Heshowsthatwhenanoutsideforceinterruptsthetruecourseofnature,itcanresultinviolenceandunexpectedactionsofeitherofthe
14、two.Moby-Dickrepresentsabasicnaturallaw.butthatwithintheselawstheyarccapableofbeingpowerfulandimmortal,atthesameIimCbeingtemperateandpeaceful.2. TheSymbolismofNamesi. Ahabhab,(hePcquodscaptain,representshothanancientandanxkmtypeofhero.IKingsdescribesIhecon11icibetweenKinghabandhiswifeJezebel.Elijaht
15、ellsAhabthatfc,intheplacewheredogslickedthebloodofNabothshalldogslicktheyblood,eventhine.,(IKings21:19),andthat,thcdogsshallcatJezebelbythewallofJczrci(1Kings21:23).HerethenameofAhabrcprcscntsviciousinsomedegree.Inorder(ofulfillhisrevenge,hecouldorderallhiscrewtofight(odiewithhim.Thesetactfullyselli
16、ngsaresignificantforforeshadowingthedeslruclionof(hePcquod.1.ikeOedipusandFaustinGreekorothertragedy.Ahabsuffersfromasinglefatalfeatures.HistrcmciuiousconIldcnccwithhubris,leadshimtodefycommonsense.Hislossofaleglethimdetest(hewhalemon?.Hebelievesthathecouldachievehi$willlikeagdandremainimmuneorcontr
17、ollheforcesofnature.HeconsidersMubyDickastherepresentativeofevilintheworldandhepursuesthewhitewhalecrazilybecausehebelievesthatitishisinescapablefatetodcsroythisevil.In(hisease,bothpsychologicalandphysicalinflictedbylifeinaharshworld,heisasmuchavictimasheisanaggressor,andlhesymbolicopposition(lulhec
18、onst11ctsbetweenhinselfandMbyDickdriveshimtowardwhatheconsidersadestinedend.,TowardstheeIroll,tbouall-dcstnoyinghutunconqueringwhale;tothelastIgrapplewith(hee;fromhelsbeanIslabathee;forhatessakeIspitnylastbreatha(IhCc.Sinkallcoffinsandallhean*es(oonecommonpoll!andsinceneithercanbemine,letnthentowtop
19、ieces,whilestillchasingthee,thoughtiedtothee,thoudamnedwhale!(Melville623)Ahab.Spejikingofheboatbeingaackedi11opieces,unknowinglyacknowledgesIhathisdemise,bulhelakescomfortinthefactthathewills(i)lbechasinglhewhaleevenindeath.CoupledwiththeIOSSofhisleg.Ahabsfinalcurscillustrates*thcContmllingmetaphor
20、in(heironicmode/whichisthedismembermentofthehero*(Foulke865).ii. !shmae!,CallmeIshmacKMoby-Dickbegins,isoneofthemostrecognizableopenings.ThenameIshmaelisBiblicalinorigin:inGenesis.IshmaelwasthesonofAbrahambylheservanlHagar,whowascastQfYafterthebirthofIsaac,whoinheritslhecovenantofthe1.ordinsteadofhi
21、solderhalf-brother.IntheIslamictradition,withwhichMelvillewascertainlymuchlessfamiliar,IshmaelisanheirofAbraham.HewasdisownedinfavorofIsaac.Abrahavn9SsonwithhiswifeSarah.nangelprophesiedtoHagarJhishandshallbeagainsteveryman.andeverymanshandagainsthim.M(Genesis16:12).*hcname,lshmachassincebecomeusedc
22、ommonlyforanoutcast,whichisappropriatesinceheisinexperiencedwhenitcomestowhalingandisviewedasanoutcasttotheohersailorsUponlhePequod.ThebiblicalCOnIKHdIionofIshmaelhasmoremeanings.ThebiblicalIshmaelwasbanishedintothewildernessbyhisfatherAbraham;MclvillcsIshmaelseemsalsotobebanished,withnowheretogo.In
23、theBible,GodhelpsIshmaelsurivcinthewilderness,justasGodhelpsinIbebook.IshnwclistheonlysurvivorofthePequodencounterwithMobyDick.QuccquegsCoflfinbobsupandbecomesIshmaelslifebuoy.ThenameIshmaclisentrustedwithMelville,shopeforabetterfuture.iii. ThePcquodNalnedfromanativeAmericantribeinMassachusetts(hatd
24、idntsurvivelongwhenlhewhitemanarrived.Pcqnodisaniceeliminatedbythewhite,soitsnameisformemorizinganextinction.TbCPcqUodisasymbolofdupscouldlivetogetherandndcultureandaltitudestowardlife.Whenpeopleabidebythenaturallaw,peoplecouldliveharmoniouslyandgetbenefitfromnature.III.ConclusionMclvillcwrotehismas
25、terpiece.Moby-Dick.Heworkedathisdeskalldaynoteatinganythingtill4or5oclock、andburstingwithenergyheshouted:GivemeVesuviuscraterforaninkstal!11(isIauerlyprovedthatMobyDick,havingeternalartisticat(rac(iontoreadersaround(heworldforhundredyears.ThesymbolicartisPCrfCXuyusedthrough(hewholeMobyDick.Thewhalec
26、ouldsymbolizebothpurityandpower:thecaptainAhabrepresentsbothconfidentandvicious;Ishmaehas(heonlySUrViVOrandthenarrator,standsforahopethatMelvilleintendstoalertpeoplesbehaviorinthenaiuvandPcquodemphasizeshisintention.Nature,forMelville,iscomplex,unfathomableandmalignant.TheuseofsymbolismmakesIhe(heme
27、raisehigherlevel,thefiguresmoredistinctiveandvivid,thecharacterdispositionmoreprojecting,thenovelfar-reachingsignificance.ThroughoutIheworldnovel,wemaynoticethatalmosteverythingdescribedini(hasitssymbolicmeaning.Forinstance,apipesymbolizespleasure,andaropesymbolizesunilyandcorpration.WCmayfindmanymo
28、resuchimagesinthebook,bohpeopleandobjects.Whenanalyzedfromdifferencetheycanhavedifferentsymbolicmeaningsandthemixedsymbolicmeanings,andthemixedsymbolicmeaningsmake(hebooknrevividandprfbul.TebookdcsIHHonlyrevealslhcspiritandWCialrealityofthe19thcentury:theInnUenCeofitisMillfar-rcaching.,I,hcsymbolicm
29、camngsarcstillapplicableinthemodemsociety.ReferencesOby-Dickr.19Dec20iI.Foulke,RobertandSmith.P.1972.AnAnatomyOf1.iienuure.HafCOU门BruceJovanovich.California.White.J.M.2002.Moby-DickasIronicTragedy.CaliforniaStateUniversity.MB.7()p.Kan&,Q.2005.TheSymbolsinoMoby-Dick,andMelvillesDescriptionoftheFigures,bChangChunUniversityofScienceandTechnology(SocialSciences),18(I):52-53,57.
