《白鲸》中的象征主义与主题意义探析

毕业设计(论文)

课题名称（英文）On the Symbolism and Thematic Significance

in Moby Dick

（中文）《白鲸》中的象征主义与主题意义探析

学生姓名

学号

系、年级专业

指导教师

职称

On the Symbolism and Thematic Significance of Moby Dick

Abstract

Herman Melville is not only one of the most outstanding novelists that can stand for the later period of American romanticism, but also an influential figure in the world of letters. Moby Dick, which was published in 1815, is his masterpiece. Although the novel gained contemporary people’s more criticism than appreciation, it has now been considered as one of best American novels and a classical work in world literature. This paper makes an analysis of the relationships between man and man, man and nature in Moby Dick with the theory of symbolism to reveal its profound thematic significance. This paper is composed of three parts. The part of introduction gives a general survey of Herman Melville and his masterpiece Moby Dick as well as literary views about the novel at home and abroad, the basic framework of the article and the guiding significance of this theory to this paper. The main body includes three parts. The first part mainly introduces the American social background when Moby Dick was published and the definition and development of symbolism theory. The second part analyses the symbolic meaning of the relationships between man and man, man and nature. The third part excavates the theme of the author’s criticism to the oppression in the society and the man’s crazy plunder to nature according to theory of symbolism. The last part is the conclusion. It points out symbolism plays an important role in revealing the thematic significance of Moby Dick.

Key Word:Herman Melville; Moby Dick; symbolism; thematic meaning

《白鲸》中的象征主义和主题意义探析

摘要

赫尔曼·麦尔维尔不仅是美国后期浪漫主义的杰出代表，同时也是世界文坛颇具影响的人物。出版于1851年的《白鲸》是麦尔维尔的代表作。尽管同时代的人对它褒少贬多，但该书今天已被列为美国最佳小说之一，也被公认为世界文学宝库的经典之作。本文运用象征主义理论探析《白鲸》中人与人、人与自然的关系以揭示其深刻的主题意义。全文分为引言、正文和结论三部分：引言简要介绍作者的生平、《白鲸》一书的内容梗概和《白鲸》的国内外研究现状以及本文的主要内容和基本框架。正文包括三部分：第一部分主要介绍《白鲸》出版时的社会背景和象征主义理论的定义和发展以及该理论对本文的指导意义。第二部分运用象征主义理论分析作品中人与人、人与自然的关系的象征意义。第三部分根据象征主义理论并结合小说文本揭示作者对社会中存在的压迫以及人类对大自然疯狂掠夺的批判的主题。结论部分总结《白鲸》中象征主义在揭示主题意义中的重要作用。

关键词：赫尔曼·麦尔维尔；《白鲸》；象征主义；主题意义；

Contents

Abstract (Ⅰ)

中文摘要 (Ⅱ)

Introduction (1)

1. Brief Introduction of Times Background and Symbolism Theory (3)

1.1Times Background of the Novel (3)

1.2 The Definition and Development of Symbolism Theory. (4)

2. The Symbolic Meanings of Relationships between Man and Man, Man and Nature in Moby Dick (6)

2.1 The Symbolic Meaning of Relationship between Man and Man (6)

2.2 The Symbolic Sense of Relationship between Man and Nature (8)

3. The Thematic Significance of Moby Dick (9)

3.1 The Criticism of Oppression in the Society (9)

3.2 The Critique of Man’s Crazy Plunder to Nature (10)

Conclusion (10)

Bibliography (12)

Acknowledgements (13)