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1、 Moby Dick (1851) Herman Melville Herman Melville（18191891）was an American novelist,short story writer,essayist,and poet.Although Melville has been regarded throughout most of the twentieth century as one of Americas most powerful literary artists,particularly for his masterpiece Moby-Dick,he was la
2、rgely unrecognized in his lifetime.About The Author Moby DickType of work:symbolic workFirst publication:1851Setting:Most of the book takes place on various oceans,such as the Atlantic,the Indian,and the Pacific,in the early to mid 1800s.However,a good deal of the first part of the novel takes place
3、 in New England inside and around Nantucket.Main Characters Ishmael（以实玛利）（以实玛利）the narrator,also a member of the crew of the Whaler Pequod.Ahab(亚哈伯亚哈伯)the egomaniacal（自大疯狂的）（自大疯狂的）captain of the Whaler Pequod.Moby Dickthe great white whale.Starbuckthe first mate（大副）（大副）of the Pequod.Queequeg（标枪手魁魁格（
4、标枪手魁魁格)Starbucks skilled harpooner and Ishmaels best friend.Pequod whaleshipTip：星巴克：星巴克(Starbucks)得名得名Moby Dick中的人物中的人物名称，书中爱喝咖啡的大名称，书中爱喝咖啡的大副就叫副就叫Starbuck。Ishmael,the narrator,having little money and finding life on shore grim,decides to go to sea.He signs aboard the whaling ship named Pequod.Its c
5、aptain,Ahab,is a tall,broad man seemingly made of bronze.He has a white leg,made from the jaw of a sperm whale,because his own leg is torn away by Moby Dicka huge white whale.Plot SummaryAfter loosing his leg he is determined to pursue Moby Dick and kill it.He hangs a doubloon on the mast as a rewar
6、d for anyone who sights the white whale first.Eventually the white whale appears，and the Pequod begins its doomed fight against it. On the first day the whale smashes a whaleboat.The second day，another boat is swamped，the captains ivory leg is snapped off.When the third day comes,Ahab and his crew m
7、anage to harpoon the whale,but it carries the Pequod along with it to its doom.All on board get downed expect Ishmael,who is rescued by another whaler and survives to tell the story.Plot Ishmael yearns for a whaling adventure Meets Queequeg Sign with the whaleship Pequod Captain Ahab appears Only pu
8、rpose of Ahab is killing Moby Dick Starbuck argues with Ahab Several sinister omens appear Find Moby Dick Two fights between Moby Dick & the crew First one: Moby Dick escapes Second one: All the crew die except Ishmael Meanings of Moby Dick to the Characters First, as to Captain Ahab, Moby Dick is e
9、vil, is the one he wants to take revenge on, and it is his sworn enemy. Ahab vowed to avenge and kill Moby Dick for ripping his leg, so he considered Moby Dick as his aim of conquest. He heat Moby Dick, think of it nothing but the embodiment of evil, it makes him furious, painful, and messed up all
10、his life. In order to chase and hunt down Moby Dick, Ahab abandoned his family, even sacrificed all sailors life. To Ahab, Moby Dick is the evil he must defeat and destroy. Second, as to the first mate Starbuck, Moby Dick is the symbol of the power of juggernaut. He is clear that Moby Dick is not a
11、normal whale as those they had met, it can destroy the ship and kill all people on the ship. He tried to persuade Captain Ahab to give up chasing Moby Dick, but he failed. Though he predicted their tragic fate, he can do nothing to stop it. Therefore, in Starbucks eyes, Moby Dick is a horrible guill
12、otine. Third, as to the second mate Stubb, Moby Dick is a good chance for him to make profit. In that time, blubber, spermaceti and whalebone play a very important role in peoples daily life, so whaling was lucrative and became the economic pillar industries. So as to Stubb, Moby Dick is his tool to
13、 make money. Lastly, as to Ishmael, Moby Dick is the symbol of nature. In the 42 chapter, Ishmael thinks that the whiteness of Moby Dick is the present from nature. In Ishmaels eyes, Moby Dick is both gorgeous and evil. It can be peaceful, kind and beautiful, however, it also can be brutal, cruel an
14、d crazy. Like his whiteness, its not only the symbol of purity and innocence but also the symbol of death and evil . Meanings of Moby Dick to ReadersAs to Melville, Moby Dick is the symbol of nature, one of the most common interpretations of the whale is in its comparisons to nature. Melville depict
15、s the whale as being graceful and peaceful in its natural habitat, much like nature in general. He shows that when an outside force interrupts the true course of nature, it can result in violence and unexpected actions of either of the two. The whale is also similar to nature in that it is bound by
16、natural laws, but that within these laws they are capable of being powerful and immortal, at the same time being temperate and peaceful.SymbolismThe landThe seaThe PequodThe voyageAhabAhabs PipeStarbuck The DoubloonQueequegs CoffinMoby DickLand:a symbol f safetySea:a symbol of adventure and dangerTh
17、e Pequod:a symbol of the human worldThe voyage:tends to imply the vogage of mind searching for truth and knowledge of the forces working in the universe that control men and their destiny.Starbuck:a symbol of good and noble.the Doubloon:a symbol of the lure of evil and the enticements to greedAhab:a
18、 symbol of solipsism,revenge and then evilAhabs Pipe:The pipe that Captain Ahab smokes throughout the voyage represents happiness in Ahabs life. Once he tosses it over the edge of the ship in his pursuit to find Moby Dick, all his happiness is lost. Queequegs Coffin Queequegs coffin alternately symb
19、olizes life and death. Queequeg has it built when he is seriously ill, but when he recovers, it becomes a chest to hold his belongings and an emblem of his will to live. He perpetuates the knowledge tattooed on his body by carving it onto the coffins lid. The coffin further comes to symbolize life,
20、in a morbid way, when it replaces the Pequods life buoy. When the Pequod sinks, the coffin becomes Ishmaels buoy, saving not only his life but the life of the narrative that he will pass on. Moby Dicka metaphor for the human gralationship with the Christain God:God is unknown and cannot be pinned do
21、wnis hidden all the timethe depths conceal unknown truthsunknown and unknowable truthsinscrutable,mysteriousmirror its environmentonly the surface of the ocean is available for human observation and interpretation Moby Dick possesses various symbolic meanings for various individuals.(1)Symbol of nat
22、ure for human beings,because it is mysterious,powerful,unknown.(2)Symbol of evil for the Captain Ahab.(3)Symbol of good and purity because of its whiteness.Moby DickTHEMESSearch for truth:The story deals with the human pursuit of truth and the meaning of existence.Conflict between Good and Evil.Conf
23、lict between Man and Nature.Isolation between man and man;man and nature;man and society.Solipsism(唯我论).Writing Style(1) His works are symbolic and metaphorical.voyage-search and discovery,the search for the ultimate truth of experience.the Pequod-the ship of the American soul Moby Dick-a symbol ofe
24、vilgoodnessbothits whiteness-paradoxical colordeath and corruptionpurity,innocence,and youth(2) He manages to achieve the effect of ambiguity through employing the technique of multiple view of his narratives.Moby Dick is portrayed for the reader from different angles.The author is unwillingness to commit himself,and the reader is thrown upon himself for judgement.(3) He tends to write periodic chapters(掉尾章的手法）.the last paragraph of chapter one pulling all thing into one sentence is a good illustration inpoint.
