On The Relationship Between Human And Nature Of Moby Dick

Herman Melville is an American novelist of the 19th century. His masterpiece Moby Dick as a jewel of American literature, is the culmination of literary on the relationship between human and nature. Its wonderful characters and deep symbolic meaning are praised by many readers.The protagonists, Ahab, Starbuck and Ishmael in the novel have different nature awareness. Captain Ahab, a blindly and arrogant paranoid, is the representative of extreme individualism of capitalism. He thinks that nature has a double evil structure and it is the object for human beings to conquer. Starbuck, a devout Christian, with deep-rooted materialism and character of humility and obedience. On the one hand, he thinks nature has no value but as tools ; on the other hand he thinks that nature is God's agent, so human must obey nature. The sentimental sailor Ishmael is full of Emersonian fantasy on nature. He treats nature equally and rationally. He thinks nature is a meaningless way of existence and it doesn't transfer for man's awareness, and its significance comes from the inner consciousness of human beings.The novel contains deep symbolic meanings. On the one hand, the characters and nature have a unique implicational relationship: Ahab and the crew of Pequod symbolize human's ambition; Moby-Dick and the sea are symbols of the forces of nature and resistance; On the other hand, the"human and nature"relationship takes on deep moral bailment: Ahab's tragedy symbolizes the failure of human against nature, while Ishmael's survival symbolizes a victory of the harmonious relationship between human and nature.Eco-criticism rose in Europe and America in the later half of the twentieth century. It is a direct response to the more and more serious environmental issues. Eco-criticism reflects on the social and cultural roots of environmental issues, criticizing the inner side of western culture. It will help further dig the modern value in Melville's Moby Dick through revealing nature awareness of the main characters and its symbolic meaning of the novel to analyze the subject of human and nature with perspective of Eco-criticism. Moby Dick stimulates man's environmental awareness and enlightens humankind to walk out of anthropocentrism, revere for life, and respect for nature through reviewing western civilization. Melville's prediction has gradually come true in the 21st century and the contemporary significance of Moby Dick is further enhanced.