【精编】美国文学AlitUnit5HermanMelville

SelectedReadingsinAmericanLiteratureUnit5越努力越幸运HERMANMELVILLE(1819-1891)越努力越幸运HermanMelville(1819-1891)anAmericannovelist,shortstorywriter,essayistandpoet.越努力越幸运HermanMelville(1819-1891)LifeWorksEvaluationMoby-Dick越努力越幸运越努力越幸运LifeMelville’schildhoodwashappytotheageof11,whenhisfatherdiedindebt.MelvillewasborninNewYorkCity.Bothhisparentscamefromwell-to-dofamilies,butlatertheirfamilybusinessfailed.越努力越幸运Hehadlittleeducation.Hehadtoleaveschoolattheageof15,andbegantowork.Heworkedasaclerk,afarmerandateacher,beforebecomingacabinboyonashipatabouttwenty.越努力越幸运Therearethreethingswhichdeservementionabouthislife:goingouttosea,hismarriageandhisfriendshipwithHawthorne.越努力越幸运Melvillewasawhaler,thelowestofsailors.HewenttoLiverpool,EnglandandtheSouthPacific,spendingmostofhisyoungmanhoodundergoingoneofthemostbrutalizingexperiencesforaman.Hisexperiencesandadventuresontheseafurnishedhimwithabundantmaterialforfiction.越努力越幸运ThemarriedlifeofMelvillewasmorelikethatofScottFitzgeraldthanMarkTwains.Thesemenallmarriedabovethem.MarkTwainsenjoyedtheunderstandingofhiswife.BothMelvilleandFitzgeraldhadtodohackworkforthemoneytheyneededtokeeptheirwivesintheirextravagantstyle.MelvillemarriedElizabethShaw,thedaughterofawealthyjudge.Tosupportherandtheirgrowingfamily,hehadtowriteformoney.越努力越幸运Duringthesummerof185o,MelvilleandHawthornemet.Theyexchangedvisits,meetingatleastninetimes,andwrotetooneanotheroften.MelvillesawinHawthornetheoneAmericanwhowasexpressivelyawareoftheevilatthecoreofAmericanlife.HefoundHawthorne’sunderstandingofevil,thatblacknessofvision,unusuallyfascinating.越努力越幸运WorksRedburn1849Typee1846Omoo1874MobyDick1851Mardi1849WhiteJacket1850Pierre1852BillyBudd(posthumously)TheConfidenceManBattlePieces1866越努力越幸运EvaluationMobyDickis,criticshaveagreed,oneoftheworld’sgreatestmasterpieces.Togettoknowthe19thcenturyAmericanmindandAmericaitself,onehastoreadthisbook.Itisanencyclopediaofeverything,history,philosophy,religion,etc.inadditiontoadetailedaccountoftheoperationsofthewhalingindustry.“Toscalegreatheights,wemustcomeoutofthelowestdepths.Thewaytoheavenisthroughhell.Weneedfierybaptisminthefierceflamesofourbosoms.”欲攀登高峰，必先脱离深渊；欲登天堂，必先途经地狱。我们需要经受发生在内心的熊熊烈火的洗礼。越努力越幸运Melville’sWorkMoby-DickishistitanicmasterpieceThefiveprecedingnovelsarenotslmplycreativestagesleadingtoitInallofthem-adrivetowardsdeeperanddeeperthrustingonwardsintothemysteriesofself,nature,realityМobyDickisjustonеstageintheunendingsearchforcertaintу越努力越幸运Mоby-DickInthesummerof1850metHawhorneShiftedandenormouslyenlargedhiscоncерtiоnofMоby-DickinthecourseofwritingitunderHawthorne’sinfluenceDedicatedthebooktohim越努力越幸运Moby-DickAsahauntednovelAsIshmaelsaysintheopeningchapter,theseaistheimageoftheungraspablephantom幽灵；幻影；虚位oflife”Thewholebookisaboutthepursuitofthatphantom,аnattempttoseekoutthemysterywhichseemstoliе–malevolentlyorbenevolentlyattheheartofhumanexperience越努力越幸运InfluencesAtthetimeofwritingMelvillewasreadingGreektragedy,especiallytheOrestiaofAeschylusImmersedinthetragediesofShakespeare–KingLear,Hamlet,Othelo,TimonofAthensEpicpoetry,ancientandmodern,Ноmеr越努力越幸运MobyDickEpicinscopeContainsseveraloftheepicconventions:-thelongandarduousjourney-thegreatbattleMuchofthenovelisdramаtiсаllyshaped,indeedstaged,wehavesceneswithspeechesandimagesDefinedasanepic,whichcontainsаtragicdrama,atragedyofpride,andpursuitandrevenge,whichisalsoаtragedyofthought越努力越幸运Moby-DickThenovelonthewholecanbeunderstoodfromthreelevels:(1)Itisanovelofjourneyandwhalecatching;(2)itisaconflictbetweenCaptainAhabandMobyDick;(3)ItisastoryofIshmael,histhoughtabouthumanbody’segorealization,therelationshipbetweenmanandnature,manandGod,manandman,etc.越努力越幸运Moby-DickCharacterListPlotsThemesSymbols越努力越幸运CharacterListIshmael-Thenarrator,andajuniormemberofthecrewofthePequod.Ishmaeldoesn'tplayamajorroleintheeventsofthenovel,butmuchofthenarrativeistakenupbyhiseloquent,verbose,andextravagantdiscourseonwhalesandwhaling.MobyDick-Thegreatwhitespermwhale.MobyDick,alsoreferredtoastheWhiteWhale,isaninfamousanddangerousthreattoseamen,consideredbyAhabtheincarnationofevilandafatednemesis（somethingcausesmiseryordeath）.越努力越幸运CharacterListAhab-Theegomaniacal极端利己的，自大疯狂的captainofthePequod.AhablosthislegtoMobyDick.Heissingle-mindedinhispursuitofthewhale,usingamixtureofcharisma魅力；神授的能力；非凡的领导力andterrortopersuadehiscrewtojoinhim.Asacaptain,heisdictatorialbutnotunfair.Atmomentsheshowsacompassionateside,caringfortheinsanePipandmusingonhiswifeandchildbackinNantucket.越努力越幸运Starbuck—thefirstmateofthePequod.Queequeg—Starbuck’sskilledharpoonerandIshmael’sbestfriend.HewasonceaprincefromasouthPacificislandandisregardedasacannibal.越努力越幸运Stubb—thesecondmateofthePequod.Tashtego—Stubb’sharpooner,anIndian.Flask—thethirdmateofthePequod.Daggoo—Flask’sharpooner,astrongAfrican.Peleg—oneoftheprincipalownersofthePequod.Bildad—anotherco-ownerofthePequod.FatherMapple—aformerwhalemanandnowthepreacherintheNewBedfordWhaleman’sChapel.越努力越幸运Themes:Quest(oftruth,knowledge,ofidentity,etc.)