Whale

Author: (American) Melville, translated by Rong Xinfang, Wen Rongyao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: In 1851, Melville published his successful and representative work, Moby Dick. It embodies various characteristics of the author's creation, such as the realism in Typee and Omoo, the allegorical elements in Mardi, and the symbolism in Redburn and White-Jacket. Moby Dick tells the story of Captain Ahab of the whaling ship Pequod, who is determined to hunt down the fierce and intelligent white whale Moby Dick, which had bitten off one of his legs. During their voyage around the world, they finally encounter Moby Dick after enduring hardships. After three days of pursuit, Ahab finally strikes the whale with a harpoon, but the ship is destroyed by the whale, Ahab is entangled in the harpoon's rope, and he is dragged into the sea. All the crew except for Ishmael (a biblical name meaning "the rejected one") are lost at sea. The author uses the white of the whale to symbolize innocence and terror, representing the duality of good and evil, which reflects the fundamental state of the human world. Ahab's relentless pursuit of the whale is an inevitable challenge. His destruction along with the entire crew is an unavoidable outcome. This novel, with its profound thematic content, epic scale, and mature, contemplative style of writing, has become an outstanding work. However, it was not given the attention it deserved at the time.