Abstract

Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, is one of the great novels in American literature. It has great influence in literature in the world. It was published in 1851, and for a long time, people did not know why the author creates such a different novel. And not until 1919 did it begin to be highly valued; and it became more and more popular. The story of Moby Dick is mixed with humanity and nature. The author uses plenty of symbolism to express the relationship between them. The captain tried to discover new things from the ocean. However, he lost his leg because of the whale’s assault. And he swore to give revenge to the white whale. In the end, all of the sailors lost their lives.

This thesis will analyze the reason why the captain decided to explore the ocean at that time. And conquering nature is not just to destroy it. The captain stands for human, and the whale symbolize nature. Many writers just focus on condemning people’s behavior on the destruction of nature, and appeal to protect the nature. But the thesis pays more attention to the spirit of conquest. And more about praising human’s courage to exploration. With the help of conquest and exploration, the society is developing more and more quickly. Conquering nature is an old theme of human beings. In modern society, the theme of conquest is of great importance. A textual analysis of the conquest theme in Moby dick has a positive meaning.

Key words：humanity; nature; conquest; symbolism

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction1

1.1 Herman Melville’s Biography.1

1.2 The plot review of Moby Dick.2

1.3. The purpose of the thesis3

2 An analysis of symbolism in the novel3

2.1 The definition of symbolism3

2.2 The symbolism with the captain and whale4

2.3 The symbolism with ocean and land5

3 The information of the spirit－conquest and possession.6

3.1 The social background.6

3.2 The reason of the Americans to explore7

3.3 The effects of the spirit-7

4 The evolution－exploration and challenge.7

4.1 Conquer is not to destroy 8

4.2 The importance of the spirit to the society9

5 The reflection.10

5.1 The balance of humanity and nature .11

5.2 Exploration change the world 12

6 Conclusion.12

References.13