A Battle Between A Mechanized World And Life Instincts

Melville's Moby Dick is a classical American literary work of great complexities. Since its publication in 1851, it has brought daunting challenges to readers and critics. Although many critics have discussed the functions of non-narrative chapters in the novel and the extensive use of symbolism is one of the research focuses, there are few researches dedicated to symbolism in non-narrative chapters.Symbolism is extensively used in the novel, especially in non-narrative chapters. Objects, interpersonal relationships, many actions and scenes all carry symbolic meanings in the world of Moby Dick. The thesis aims at finding out how the employment of symbolism in non-narrative chapters helps to present the battle between a mechanized world and life instincts.Centering around this theme, the thesis selects pairs of opposing symbols in non-narrative part and some major symbols running through the novel to analyze how the mechanical industrialization has stifled people's mind and quelled their life instincts and blood-consciousness.The introductory part not only illustrates the significance of Moby Dick as a most complicated novel in Melville's career and in American literature, it also offers a general survey of Moby Dick research by Western scholars as well as a statistic analysis of its research in China since the year 2000. Meanwhile, this part explains the focus of the present thesis.In the second part, great efforts have been made to explore the thematic symbols in non-narrative chapters. Symbols in these chapters appear in pairs, representing two conflicting forces: a mechanized world and life instincts. They include tools vs. sea animals, Ahab-crew relationship vs. Ishmael-Queequeg friendship, attending gams vs. refusing gams and the contrasts formed between the three chapters: "The castaway", "A squeeze of the hand" and "The cassock".Part three studies the symbolic meanings of major symbols. For example, symbols like the Whale, the ship and the fanatic hunt run through the novel and connect the non-narrative and narrative parts through their common symbolic meanings. They work together to demonstrate how life instincts and blood-consciousness are extinguished in a mechanized world.Part four gives an analysis of the thematic significance of the symbols. The employment of symbolism, especially in non-narrative chapters, inspires people's thinking about the theme of the novel. In this thesis, the discussion of the thematic significance of symbolism is put in the larger context of the 19th century American society. Melville's Calvinistic background is also taken into consideration to probe into the reasons behind the battle between a mechanized world and life instincts.Part five, the final part of the thesis, comes to a conclusion. It is the employment of symbolism in Moby Dick especially in its non-narrative chapters that gives depth to the work and that the novel becomes an organic whole. Through symbolism, Melville succeeds in demonstrating a furious battle between a mechanized world and life instincts. The death of blood-consciousness and life instincts results from the American social and economical conditions in the 19th century as well as the religious repression to humanity. The analysis of symbols in non-narrative chapters, together with symbols running through the novel will offer a better understanding of Moby Dick.