An Analysis Of The Two Chief Characters In Moby-Dick

Herman Melville is not only a great Romanticist in the American literary history, but also an influential figure in the world of letters. Moby-Dick, which was published in 1851, is his representative work. Although it failed to gain his contemporaries' attention, it has now been considered as one of the best American novels, and a world-famous classic. This thesis focuses on the analysis of the two chief characters, Captain Ahab and Ishmael, in the novel. It is made up of five chapters: Chapter One consists of a general introduction to Melville's life and his social background, a brief outline of Moby-Dick and some comments upon Melville himself and the book. Chapter Two makes a critical analysis of the hero, Captain Ahab's character. Chapter Three mainly concentrates on the other protagonist, Ishmael, and points out that he acts both as a character in the novel and the narrator of the whole story. Chapter Four makes a comparative study of Ishmael and Captain Ahab, and the different images representing them. Chapter Five is the conclusion. It points out that the characterization of the two protagonists plays an important role in revealing the theme of Moby-Dick.