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To obey God or to express themselves

Author: JinDaLi
Tutor: WangHuaXue
School: Shandong Normal University
Course: Comparative Literature and World Literature
Keywords: Melville Moby Dick Christianity American spirit Mental contradiction
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Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2006
Downloads: 619
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Abstract


American independent culture and literature was born in the midst of the 19thcentury. In this time, American literary arena appeared one group of great writers,Herman Melville included, his representative work Moby Dick is regarded as thenational epic of America. Here we reveal the ideological contradictions of Melvillebased on the study of Moby Dick.This article divides into three parts. The first part introduces the Melville’sbiography and the era background. Melville was born in a Calvinist family. Familyenvironment developed his faith in God. As a child, his family was wealthy, but soondeclined. The young Melville had been engaged in many works to make a living, thepoor life caused him to form the humanitarianism. Abundant experience especially hissailing experience influenced his writings. In the first part of the 19th century, Americanmade a rapid progress in every aspects, this was an era of radical individualism. Peoplebelieved that man can conquer the nature. The atmosphere was full of optimism andexpansion.The second part elaborates Melville’s two kinds of thoughts: Christianity andAmerican spirit. In the chapter Ⅸ of the novel, Father Mapple’s sermon is the key tounderstand the novel. Melville believes that the eternity only belong to God. He has adeep belief in Christian doctrine about fatalism and universal fraternity. Moby Dick hasmassively used Bible prototype, and has utilized the Christianity literature mostuniversal creation technique – symbol. By the affection of pioneering atmosphere, thenovel displays Melville’s imperialist vision and his individualism spirit. He praiseswhaling industry highly, not only because the whaling industry provides the massivewealth for the society, but also because it manifests man’s strength, and propagatesAmerican democracy and civilization. Ahab is the extreme individualist, Melvillerealizes Ahab’s mistake in reason, but he can’t help loving the captain.The third part analyzes Melville’s contradictory thoughts. First, He can’t acceptthe tradition without question. He finds the differences between the Christian beliefsand social reality. “A man’s religious belief is one thing, and the realistic world is quiteanother thing.” It seems that God don’t love man, the fraternity collapses at the firstblow in front of the realistic benefit. The strength of man is not infinite, the plunderfrom nature will inevitably incur the natural retaliation, the science and technologyseems have no function at all. Melville doubts if the American civilization is leadinghuman being to a ruin. Next, the two sides “Ahab and Moby Dick” have multiplemeanings. Ahab is the hero of pursuing man’s dignity. Meanwhile, he is the monster ofrevolting against God. He is humane but cruel, noble but ruthless. Moby Dick is amixture. On one hand, it represents God’s authority, on the other hand, it is the ancientwicked dragon. Finally, the novel is filled with dialectical viewpoint. To Melville,everything is changeable. Opposites exist in everything and they change to the reverseunder certain conditions. Life depends on death、decent and evil are coexist. It is theAhab’s unvaried and absolute visual angle that results in the tragedy.Melville’s contradictory thoughts have formed his pessimistic consciousness. Thiskind of pessimistic consciousness can’t be accepted by his contemporary, but prevail inposterity. Moby Dick not only displays Melville’s complicated mental condition, butalso deeply reflects the characteristics of his era.

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