美国文学课件Herman-Melville-and-Moby-----dick

HermanMelvilleandMobyDickHermanMelville(1819-1891)Works1.Redburn18492.Typee18463.Omoo18744.MobyDick18515.Mardi18496.WhiteJacket18507.Pierre18528.BillyBudd1924LifeMelvillewasborninNewYorkCity.Bothhisparentscamefromwell-to-dofamilies,butlatertheirfamilybusinessfailed.Melville’schildhoodwashappytotheageof11,whenhisfatherdiedindebt.Melvillewasbornintoaslightlyeccentric,establishedNewEnglandfamily.HisfatherAlanimportedclothesandothergoodsfromFrance,providingHermanwithacomfortableandhappychildhoodinNewYork.AfterHerman'sfatherdiedin1832,thefamilyreliedonfinancialassistancefromhismother'swealthyfamilyandHermanleftschooltogotowork.Hermaneducatedhimselfwhileworkingavarietyofjobsthroughoutteens.In1839,MelvillebeganhisaffairwithseawhenhejoinedthecrewoftheSt.LawrenceandsetsailforLiverpoolEngland.In1840,MelvillesetsailaboardtheAcushnet,awhalingshipheadedfortheSouthPacific.TheroughconditionsoftheseatoughenedtheromanticNewEnglanderandhetooksuchalikingtosealifethathesailedaroundtheglobefouryearsaboardvariousships.Melvillewaswelcomedhomebyhisfamilywhowasentertainedbyhistalesofthehighseasandencouragedhimtowritethemdown.HermanwroteTypeequicklyin1845,andpublisheditthenextyear.Typeebecameacriticalandfinancialsuccessin1847,MelvillemarriedElizabethShaw,daughteroftheChiefJusticeofMassachusetts.Tomakehimselfmorefinanciallystableforhisimpendingmarriage,MelvillesoughtapositionwiththeU.S.Treasuryandtookonextraworkwritingbookreviews.MobyDickpublishedinNovember1851,receivedpoorreviewsanddidnotsell.Despitethiscontinuedoutputandthefacthisearliernovelscontinuedtobereprintedandsoldfairlywell,Melville'sliteraryreputationwasinrapiddecline.HisdeathfromaheartattackonSeptember28,1891wententirelyunheededbythegeneralpublic.Melville'sliteraryreputationremainedindeclineuntilhewasrediscoveredinthe1920's,whenageneration,disillusionedbytheGreatWarbegantoappreciatethedepthofMelville'sspiritualstrugglesandthe'modern'experimentalstyleofhisstories.Typeofwork:symbolicnovelFirstpublication:1851Setting:Mostofthebooktakesplaceonvariousoceans,suchastheAtlantic,theIndian,andthePacific,intheearlytomid1800’s.However,agooddealofthefirstpartofthenoveltakesplaceinNewEnglandinsideandaroundNantucket.MobyDickPrincipalCharacters:Ishmaelschoolteacherandpart-timesailor;aPresbyterian,likeMelville,heprojectsCalvinisticthinkingtemperedbyhisbackgroundinliteratureandphilosophy.Hediscussessuchissuesasfreewill,predestination,necessity,anddamnation.HeisthesolesurvivorofthePequod.CaptainAhabAmanwhoisobsessedwiththekillingofawhitewhalethathasmaimedhim.Hehasascarwhichextendsfromhisheadtohisleg.StarbuckThefirstmate,isboldenoughtocriticizeAhab'svengeance,considersmutinybutfails.StubbThesecondmatewhoiscarefree,indifferent,andfatalistic.MobyDickItistheWhiteWhale;theworld’slargestcreature.Itispowerful,legendaryimageofnature.Itswimspeacefullyintheseauntildisturbedbyhumans,thenshowsaterriblefuryandanger.ForAhab,MobyDickisthesymbolofevil.捕鲸是当时的一项大生意，《白鲸》中所描写的捕鲸船皮廓德（Pequod）号的船长阿哈（Ahab）就是南塔开特人，也是个捕鲸老手。ThemesofMobyDickSearchfortruth：Thestorydealswiththehumanpursuitoftruthandthemeaningofexistence.ConflictbetweenGoodandEvil.ConflictbetweenManandNature.Isolationbetweenmanandman;manandnature;manandsociety.Solipsism（唯我论）.SymbolsThePequodThePequodisasymbolofdoom.Itispaintedagloomyblackandcoveredinwhaleteethandbones,literallybristlingwiththemementosofviolentdeath.Itis,infact,markedfordeath.Adornedlikeaprimitivecoffin,thePequodbecomesone..SymbolsMobyDickMobyDickpossessesvarioussymbolicmeaningsforvariousindividuals.1)Symbolofnatureforhumanbeings,becauseitismysterious,powerful,unknown.2)SymbolofevilfortheCaptainAhab.3)Symbolofgoodandpuritybecauseofitswhiteness.SymbolsVoyageofthePequodSymbolofthepursuitofideals,adventure,andthehuntinthevastwilderness.AhabSymbolofsolipsism,revengeandthenevil.SymbolsStarbuck大副Symbolofgoodandnoble.theDoubloonSymbolofthelureofevilandenticementstogreed.SeaSymbolofvastness,loneliness,andisolation.EvaluationMobyDickis,criticshaveagreed,oneoftheworld’sgreatestmasterpieces.Togettoknowthe19thcenturyAmericanmindandAmericaitself,onehastoreadthisbook.OneoftheclassicsofAmericanLiteratureandevenworldliterature.MobyDickisanencyclopediaofeverything,history,philosophy,religion,etc.inadditiontoadetailedaccountoftheoperationsofthewhalingindustry.