A National Epic Of America

Around the I920's. with the publication of Raymond M. Weaver'sbiography Herman MilviIle: Miriner and AIJstic, the American literary worIdrediscovered an almost forgotten book AIob,)-Dick and a prominent writerHerman Melville (l8l9 -- l89l ). One of America's greatest literary figures ofthe l9th century was finally back where he well deserr,ed to be -- enshrined asone of the immortals in the history of both American literature and world'sliterature.Melville was born in a Calvinist family in New York on August l,,. l8l9.After leaving school at I 2. he worked as a clerk. a teacher and a farmer beforeshipping as a cabin boy in 1839. His sailing experience later proved to be thedirect source of his earliest books. In l850- he made acquaintance withHat'thorne. w-hose works made Melville think about the phiIosoph}' of life. Inttict. MeIvilIe's association with Hawthorne brought about great changes in theoriginal travcl-talc modc of his masterpiece l[Ioby.-Dick and made it a worldclassic that we read today. though its depth was not recognized by a largenumber of the l9th-centurv reviewers.This paper. consisting of four chapters. an introduction and a conclusion.is but an attempt to unfold the themes in /\lob,.-Dick and the author's implicit..writing purposes so as to obtain an understanding of the 19,'-century Americanmind and civilization.A chief biography of MelviIle and the outline of At(,bJ'-,lick are providedin the tirst chapter as the background of our discussion. Chapter Two is what Iget about the u.haling industry and the related perceptions I have about thel 9,,-century American society. A better understanding of the novel can by noV Imeans be obtained without touching upon the Melville's PrOfessionalProficiency in using allegory and Syrnbolism. Henee ChaPter Thre. Thefina chaPtr is sPeCially designed to analpe the symbolic meaningS of the- quest fOr the monSter Moby Dick in association with the social backgrOund.So to some eXtCnt this last chaPtr is a fOllow-uP pat of the previous twochaPters.ChaPter One Herman Melville and MobyOickThe life of Melville with resPect to his litemp career roughly falls intofour Periods:l Boyhood and youth, starting from 18l9 When he was born to l844when he ended his talling exPerience. As a result of forlyrnisfotwe, Melville had a tw boyhoOd, bul his yOuth waslthe a young man's dream of romane, Which was someWha acompenSation fOr his childhood unhappiness and lark of eduCation.In fact the fuliness of sailing exPerienees later became a store ofmaterial for Melville's crall. A Whaling ship, he tald, was "my YaleCollege and my HarVar".2 Eary manhood, brief years of Melville's success as a writer in NewYork. From the SPring of l845 to the close of l849, based upon histalling exPeriences Melville wrote a series of sea tales includingTopee (l846), Omoo (l847), Mardi (l849), Redburn (1849) and TheWhitejaclet (l849).3 Maturity the major span of Melville's life at PittSfield. MassachUSettS,where he me Hawthome, starting from l850 till l863. Mom pick,which was said to be comPOsed in three stages, was Anally publishedin October l85l. Melville's ~ctivity cven in his- discowt at the POOr recePtion of hom pict remained at itsPeak through the composition of thee more novels and a lop.nUrnber of stOries.4 Late years. Melville's final years wer largely devoted tO POenyVIIand spent in poverty. He died on September 28. l89l and wasburied in New York.The story of ;\fOby-Dick roughly goes as follows:lshmael. feeling so depressed on the land that he decides to seek escape bygoing out to sea on a whaler. Pequod It is commanded by Captain Ahab,.whose leg was shcared off by a white whale callcd Moby Dick on a previousvoyage. Ahab resolves to hunt him to kill. He is so dominant a personality' that after the ship leaves the harbor, the Captain reveals his purPose and forcesthe crew to support him. Of course, the...