论《白鲸》中的生态启示毕业论文.doc

唐 山 学 院毕 业 论 文论 文 题 目：论白鲸中的生态启示 系 别： 外语系 班 级： 10英本（1）班 姓 名： 姜娜娜 指 导 教 师： 马晓颖 2014年6月唐 山 学 院 毕 业 论 文Ecological Enlightenment in Moby-Dick Student: Jiang NanaSupervisor: Ma XiaoyingDepartment of Foreign Languages Tangshan College June, 2014 18论白鲸中的生态启示摘 要赫尔曼麦尔维尔是十九世纪美国最伟大的作家之一,被誉为“最伟大的海洋预言家和诗人”。他的作品以对环境的详细描写及人与自然关系的精辟探讨而著名,其中白鲸更是被毛姆列为当今世界最伟大的十部作品之一。在这部小说中,麦尔维尔将笔触从描绘自然的美丽和奥妙转向抨击工业革命和人类文明对大自然的伤害。通过这部作品,麦尔维尔意在告诫人类如果继续对自然施以暴行,那么人类最终将如捕鲸船“皮阔德”一样走向灭亡。矚慫润厲钐瘗睞枥庑赖。“生态批评”的概念出现于1978年,由鲁克尔特在他的文章文学与生态学:一次生态批评实验中首次提出。生态批评旨在用文学研究的方法,对文本进行解读,揭示生态危机的本源,唤醒人类的生态意识。聞創沟燴鐺險爱氇谴净。论文试图从生态批评的视角,探讨白鲸蕴含的生态启示,重申人与自然之间维持平衡关系的重要性。虽然白鲸这部作品讲述了一个悲剧故事,但它仍然给人类传递了希望,作为故事唯一幸存者的以实玛利给人类带来了含有希望之光的警示：人类应该重视人与自然关系的和谐,从现在起重建人与自然之间的平衡关系,这是人类生存和发展的必经之路。残骛楼諍锩瀨濟溆塹籟。关键词：白鲸；生态启示；生态批评理论 Ecological Implications in Moby-Dick AbstractHerman Melville is one of the greatest American writers in the 19th century, who has been called the greatest marine poet and prophet. His works are famous for the detailed description of the environment and incisive discussion on the relationship between man and nature. His work Moby-Dick is listed by Maugham as one of the ten greatest works in the world. In the novel, Melville not only depicted the natural beauty and mystery but also attacked the industrial revolution and human civilizations exploitation on nature. Melville warned us if we human continued doing something evil to nature, we would be destroyed like Pequod.酽锕极額閉镇桧猪訣锥。The concept of “ecocriticism” was first put forward in 1978 by William Rueckert in his article “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism”. This article aims to interpret the text by the method of literature research to reveal the source of ecological crisis and awaken the ecological consciousness of human beings.彈贸摄尔霁毙攬砖卤庑。This thesis aims to explore the ecological enlightenment in Moby-Dick from the perspective of ecocriticism. It reiterates the importance of the balance between human and nature, and also points out that although Moby-Dick tells us a tragic story, it still brings hope to human beings. As the sole survivor, Ishmael brings the light of hope to human which warns that we human beings should attach importance to the harmonious relationship between man and nature, and rebuild the balance between human and nature from now on. And this is the only road to humans survival and development.謀荞抟箧飆鐸怼类蒋薔。Key words: Moby-Dick; Ecological Implications; Ecocriticism厦礴恳蹒骈時盡继價骚。ContentsIntroduction1茕桢广鳓鯡选块网羈泪。Part I Different Ecological Views Presented in Moby-Dick3鹅娅尽損鹌惨歷茏鴛賴。1.1 Ahab: revenge on nature3籟丛妈羥为贍偾蛏练淨。1.2 Starbuck: profit-seeking from nature4預頌圣鉉儐歲龈讶骅籴。1.3 Ishmael: appreciation of nature6渗釤呛俨匀谔鱉调硯錦。Part II Different Fates Resulted from Different Ecological Views8铙誅卧泻噦圣骋贶頂廡。2.1 Pequods destruction8擁締凤袜备訊顎轮烂蔷。2.2 Ishmaels lucky survival8贓熱俣阃歲匱阊邺镓騷。Part III Modern Enlightenment of Moby-Dick10坛摶乡囂忏蒌鍥铃氈淚。3.1 Ecological enlightenment10蜡變黲癟報伥铉锚鈰赘。3.2 Practical significance11買鲷鴯譖昙膚遙闫撷凄。Conclusion14Acknowledgements15綾镝鯛駕櫬鹕踪韦辚糴。Notes16Bibliography17IntroductionHerman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. His first two books gained much attention, though they were not bestsellers, and his popularity declined precipitously only a few years later. By the time of his death he had been almost completely forgotten, but his longest novel, Moby-Dick, largely considered a failure during his lifetime, and most responsible for Melvilles fall from favor with the reading public, was rediscovered in the 20th century as one of the chief literary masterpieces of both American and world literature.驅踬髏彦浃绥譎饴憂锦。Moby-Dick or The Whale (1851) is the sixth book by American writer Herman Melville. The work is an epic sea story of Captain Ahabs voyage in pursuit of Moby Dick, a great white whale. D.H. Lawrence called it the greatest book of the sea ever written. Jorge Luis Borges praised that Moby-Dick abounded with unforgettable phrases. Today it is considered as one of the Great American Novels and a leading work of American Romanticism.猫虿驢绘燈鮒诛髅貺庑。Critics have long tried to reveal its profound connotation from different angles such as religion, race, colonialism. Until the 20th century, with the deterioration of ecological environment, ecocriticism appeared as a new perspective. Abroad, some scholars began research on the relationship between man and nature in Moby-Dick. For example, in the book Literary Criticism in the 19th Century written by Harris, Fred Cajun thought that the European traditional idea “beings sequence” before Copernicus times influenced people in Melvilles age to ponder on the relationship between man and nature. Other critics tried to study the relationship between Melvilles view of nature and Emersons. For example, John B. Williams in his book the white flame: Emersons influence on Melville pointed out that Emersons transcendentalist thoughts had important influence on Melvilles view of nature.锹籁饗迳琐筆襖鸥娅薔。 At home, many scholars also began to study Moby-Dick from the angle of ecology. In the article “Moby-Dick: the tragic prophesy of the relationship between man and nature”, Mr. Yue Qingyun pointed out that in Moby-Dick, the author pondered on the relationship between human and nature from three aspects and warned human with a tragic end: the result of mans hatred to nature is doomed to be an irreparable tragedy. Mr Zou Yugang , in his article “Ecological Interpretation of Moby-Dick” said that Moby-Dick shows its readers a dream-like ecological system. Conqueror Ahab and explorer Ishmael, in their own unique ways, interacted with Moby Dick on behalf of the non-human members. With symbolism, through Ahabs tragic ending and Ishmaels survival, Melville expressed a kind of modern ecological view ahead of his times: man should coexist with nature harmoniously.構氽頑黉碩饨荠龈话骛。 This thesis aims to analyze the ecological implications of Moby-Dick from the perspective of ecocriticism. It reiterates the importance of the balance between human and nature and calls on people to protect nature.輒峄陽檉簖疖網儂號泶。 Part I Different Ecological Views Presented in Moby-Dick 尧侧閆繭絳闕绚勵蜆贅。Moby-Dick reflects peoples different understanding of nature in the 19th century and shows multi-dimensional perspectives of the relationship between man and nature.识饒鎂錕缢灩筧嚌俨淒。1.1 Ahab: revenge on natureAhab is the Captain of the ship Pequod, who have sailed on the sea for nearly forty years, catching whales and surviving in the fights with the storm in countless times. Before he came to the stage, the shipowner told us that when they met a typhoon in the sea of Japan, it was Ahab who led the crew escaped unhurt, which let the readers learn Ahabs courage and ability. But as a very common accident of whaling, Ahab was bitten off a leg by a sperm whale, and more importantly, this accident caused a great change in his deep heart. Afterwards his only driving force out to sea was to persue the whale and kill it. In his eyes, the white whale was not only the enemy of his body but also the foe of his spirit. With a determination to revenge, he started a three-year hunting trip, which was also a three-year destruction of nature. To satisfy his own lust for revenge, Ahab put control on other crew members. Eventually the ship sank and all the crew died except Ishmael. 凍鈹鋨劳臘锴痫婦胫籴。“Ahab” is one prototype from the old testament, as the king of Israel, who did something considered evil by God. He believed in the other idols, and committed interracial marriage. Whats more, he was egged on by the queen Jezebel to kill Naboth, and took his grapes garden. He refused to listen to the prediction and warning of the prophet, repeatedly ignoring the redemption God gave him. He was an evil king in gods sight, a heinous person. Eventually when he fought with the Jewish king Jehoshaphat, he was shot to death, and to fulfill the prophecy of god, his blood was licked up by the dogs.恥諤銪灭萦欢煬鞏鹜錦。 In the novel, captain Ahab is also an imperial figure called by people a king of the sea. As a captain, he is as diplomatic and competent as the king Ahab. He knew that people were greedy in characteristics and he took the advantage to buy the soul of the crew with a Spanish coin. He made passionate speech, making his hatred of the white whale become the hatred of the other members of the ship. We can also learn from mouth to mouth that Ahab is a man of courage. Although more than 40 years of sailing experience takes away his leg, he is still able to get the trust of the owner as a captain. Captain Peleg even described him as a God-like person. At the same time, he is arrogant in personality like the King Ahab, committing something evil regardless gods exhortations. He not only held contempt for the people around, claiming to be the master of their soul, but also rebelled against god to kill the white whale. In the Bible, although the great white whale is a demonic beast, it is also a proud creation of God and symbolizes Gods divine power. In the Bible, God also sends the big fish as a messenger to punish those who disrespect him. In Moby-Dick, the priest mentioned a Jonah story: the Lord provides a great fish to swallow Jonah who is against the will of god. A whale is no doubt a messenger sent by God to enforce his law on earth. So Ahab revolts against God by pursuing and killing the white whale. In his pursuit of Moby Dick, Ahab was continuously warned by God through the sun, lightning, flame, birds and other natural objects and natural landscapes but he turned a deaf ear to all these and persisted in killing the white whale, which eventually led to the tragedy of the whole vessel.鯊腎鑰诎褳鉀沩懼統庫。To Ahab, the only purpose to the sea was for revenge. The white whale bitted off one of his legs, and whats more, his dignity as human. So Ahab regarded the whale as not only the enemy of his body but also the foe of his spirit.硕癘鄴颃诌攆檸攜驤蔹。“Aye, aye! it was that accursed white whale that razeed me; made a poor pegging lubber of me for ever and a day!” Then tossing both arms, with measureless imprecations he shouted out: “Aye, aye! and Ill chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perditions flames before I give him up. And this is what ye have shipped for, men! to chase that white whale on both sides of land, and over all sides of earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out.”1 阌擻輳嬪諫迁择楨秘騖。 With such a crazy motivation, Ahab went out to sea. He didnt realize that Moby Dicks attack was out of instinct to survive, not its evil soul. He wrongly regarded its attack as a kind of shame. As khan on the sea, Ahab, who had dominated the sea for forty years, could not accept this kind of whaling failure. In his view, man held the position as master of the whole universe while Moby Dick discomfited his position. This frenzy of revenge tortured Ahab and made his eyes stare at his target even when he was sleeping. As Conrad said: “What makes mankind tragic is not that they are the victims of nature, it is that they are conscious of it”.2 Ahab recognized he was a victim of the white whale representing nature and then with anger, he hoped to achieve the purpose of conquering nature through hunting Moby Dick, which was doomed to be a tragedy.氬嚕躑竄贸恳彈瀘颔澩。1.2 Starbuck: profit-seeking from nature Captain Ahab, regardless of the interests of the shipowner and the safety of the crew, wanted to chase and kill Moby Dick to revenge for himself. He was governed by Satan and became a madman who completely lost his calmness as a captain. At this moment, the ships daily affairs were in the charge of the whaling ships chief officer Starbuck. Starbuck was the first who dare to come out against Ahab on his revenge plan. Unlike crazy Ahab, Starbuck is very rational and prudent. As to whaling life, he always said “I will have no man in my boat who is not afraid of a whale”.3 Because Starbuck knew very well that it was more dangerous to keep company with a fearless person than with a coward. In Starbucks view, he was not the crusading warrior who pursued danger. He knew clearly that “I am here in this critical ocean to kill whales for my living, and not to be killed by them for theirs”.4 In such a dangerous industry as whaling, Starbuck kept a calm mind, knowing that his life was far more important than catching a whale and to whale was for the sake of his own survival, for earning a living, not for some worthless reputation. His coming to whale was driven by economic interests, not revenge for his commander. As for his father and brothers death, he could remain indifferent. He took it as the fate of whaling people which they must bear. Maybe someday he himself would also fall into the same fate as his father and brother for people have to pay for what they have done sooner or later. If we compare the whaling purposes of Ahab and Starbuck, we can see that Ahab regarded himself as a “king” above the sea and when he was attacked by the white whale he felt that his honor as a king was disrespected and encroached while Starbuck took all the whales behavior including its attack on human as necessary to get its survival. It attacked people out of instinct. To revenge on its attack was certainly unreasonable. So after he knew the real purpose of Ahab he said to Ahab “ Vengeance on a dumb brute! That simply smote thee from blindest instinct! Madness! To be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous.”5 釷鹆資贏車贖孙滅獅赘。 Melville created Moby-Dick in the 1860s when Americas industrial capitalism achieved its rapid development and whaling was one of the most important economic sources of income. The rapid development of whaling resulted in the modern peoples desire inflation. All came from whaling, such as the decorations on pequod, the oil people used for light, the oil king and queen used for their crowning, and the ambergris used by Mr., Mrs. and Miss. Whaling industry had brought the money and some prosperity of the port. 怂阐譜鯪迳導嘯畫長凉。 People got great satisfaction from the development of whaling which also made peoples desire infinitely expand. people continuously expanded the scale of their plundering on the sea. And America was undoubtedly the most dramatic for its whaling industry. The character of Starbuck was one common figure in that time who went out to sea for economic profit.谚辞調担鈧谄动禪泻類。In chapter 36, after Ahab declared his revenge plan to the crew Starbuck put forward two opposing views. First, from the perspective of material interests, he said to Ahab “I came here to hunt whales, not my commanders vengeance. How many barrels will thy vengeance yield thee even if thou gettest it, Captain Ahab? it will not fetch thee much in our Nantucket market.”6 By these words, Starbuck pointed out that revenge on the white whale could not get the corresponding economic interests. Second, due to his obedience and submission to nature, he thought revenge on the white whale was blasphemous, saying that “to be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous!”7 He held ambivalence towards Ahabs revenge plan. On one hand, he was a Christian and should obey god and nature. On the other hand, he had deep sympathy on Ahabs disaster and had nothing to do with the evil thing Ahab did. As Ahabs revenge desire became more and more intense, the struggle between Ahab and Starbuck was becoming more and more fierce. Starbuck, from the perspective of economic interests, gave some reasonable advices for many times but finally he gave up before Ahab. 嘰觐詿缧铴嗫偽純铪锩。1.3 Ishmael: appreciation of natureIshmael, in the first person, reviewed this whaling process. In addition, he is also the protagonist of the novel, a common sailor on whaling ship. During this voyage Ishmael had been exploring the relationship between human and nature. Unlike Ahab and Starbuck who could only see the opposition between man and nature, Ishmael respected and appreciated nature and explored its intrinsic essence.熒绐譏钲鏌觶鷹緇機库。The young sailor Ishmael is a funny, carefree seeker, and he also has the temperament of the philosopher and the sentimental character. He chose to be a sailor not for money or power. “Chief among these motives was the overwhelming idea of the great whale himself. Such a portentous and mysterious monster roused all my curiosity.”8 He likes the carefree life. He also has the air of a philosopher, thinking that water is the cause of human thinking. Ishmaels view of nature can be known through his view of ocean and the whales. He is full of respect and love for nature. We can get a clue in chapter 1. As a depressed and poor primary school teacher, he was tired of terrestrial life and longed for mysterious marine life. Why could the sea hook up his strong interest? On one hand, the marine life can drive off the spleen and regulate the circulation. On the other hand, Ishmael thought that things faraway were full of mystery. Thus, in the eyes of Ishmael, life on land was dull while life on sea was mysterious; the former can even cause mental despair, making people feel lonely and melancholy while ocean has a therapeutic effect. From all the above, we can see that Ishmael values the beauty of ocean and his determination to seek the beauty of nature. In the novel, Ishmael described in detail the type and structure of the whale, conveying his love of nature and the whale. In chapter 45, Ishmael told us some stories about big whales and named them such as Tom, Jack and Miguel. Moreover, he even compared them to the king of Persia and Julius Caesar, re