A Cultural Interpretation of the Images in Moby Dick
Abstract
Ｍoby Dick is a great novel, an encyclopedia of everything, a fascinating labyrinth of art. This thesis will apply culture to interpret the images in Moby Dick. According to Clyde Kluckhohn’s classification of culture, this thesis divides culture into three aspects. This thesis intends to interpret the images in Moby Dick from three aspects of culture. The first part of the thesis will interpret the images—Moby Dick and the whaler Pequod from the explicit culture. Moby Dick as a whole is a glimpse of whaling industry in the mid 19th century America; Pequod is an epitome of American society. The second part of the thesis will interpret the images—the biblical archetypes of the characters in Moby Dick from the culture between the explicit and implicit culture. This thesis will enumerate three characters: Ahab, Elijah, Ishmael. The third part of the thesis will interpret the images—the complicated symbol of Moby Dick and Ahab from the implicit culture. Moby Dick is a symbol of supernatural power and innocence; Ahab is both a murder and a victim. By interpreting the images in Moby Dick from these three aspects of culture, people can have a better understanding of this novel.
Key Words: Moby Dick; culture; image; archetype; symbol
摘 要
《白鯨》是1部偉大的百科全書，1座迷人的藝術迷宮。本文主要以文化來闡釋《白鯨》中的意象。首先根據克魯克洪對文化的分類，本文將文化分成3個層面。再試從文化的3個層面對《白鯨》進行闡釋。本文的第1部分將從顯型文化來闡釋《白鯨》中的意象——《白鯨》這部作品和捕鯨船“彼誇德號”的意象。《白鯨》這部作品作爲1個整體是109世紀中期美國捕鯨業的寫照；“彼誇德號”則是美國社會的1個縮影。第2部分將從顯型和隱型文化之間的文化來闡釋《白鯨》中的意象——人物形象的聖經原型, 本文主要分析亞哈、以利亞、以什瑪利。第3部分將從隱型文化來闡釋《白鯨》中的`意象——白鯨和亞哈複雜的象徵意義。白鯨是超自然力和純潔的象徵；亞哈既是1個謀殺者又是1個犧牲者。通過從文化3個層面對《白鯨》中意象的闡釋，我們對這部作品有了更深刻的理解。
關鍵詞：《白鯨》、文化、意象、原型、象徵