摘 要
《白鲸》是19世纪美国著名小说家赫尔曼·麦尔维尔的代表作。许多学者从不同方面研究该小说，象征手法是其中重要的一项，它对于作品的理解起着十分关键的作用。该作品中象征主义手法的运用使得文体超过其本身的字面意义，使得小说的主题更加丰富，而不是一部简单的航海冒险小说。本文首先对作家、作品、象征主义进行系统介绍；然后分析了作品中的白鲸、亚哈船长、陆地与海洋、捕鲸船裴廓德号、以实玛利等形象的象征意义；最后通过象征意义的体现来揭示该作品所要探讨的深刻的主题。象征主义手法在该小说中表现得淋漓尽致，通过研究象征主义手法在《白鲸》中的运用，剖析各个形象在该作品中所表现的象征意义，我们看不但可以进一步了解和学习作者对象征主义手法娴熟的运用，并且还能体会象征主义对美国文学的巨大影响。
关键词：象征意义；白鲸；亚哈船长；分析
ABSTRACT
Herman Melville is one of the most famous American novelists in the 19th century, and Moby Dick is his masterpiece. Many scholars have studied this work from different perspectives, among which is symbolism, one of the most important perspectives. It is the key to understanding this novel. The use of symbolism in this work enriches the meanings and the theme, and makes it no longer a simple adventurous voyage novel. This paper first introduces the author, the work and symbolism systematically. It then analyses the symbolic meanings of characters, such as Moby Dick, Captain Ahab, the land and the sea, Pequod and Ishmael. It finally discusses the exemplification of symbolic meaning and reveals its profound theme. In this work, symbolization is given a full use. This paper shows how the writer skilled at the use of symbolism by the analysis of the different characters. It will also show the great influence of symbolism on American literature.
Key words：symbolic meaning; Moby Dick; Captain Ahab; analysis
Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. Moby Dick and symbolism 2
2.1 Background of Moby Dick 2
2.2 The definition of symbols and the function of symbolism 4
2.3 Symbolism in literature 5
3. Symbolism in Moby Dick 5
3.1 The symbolic meanings of Moby Dick 6
3.2 The symbolic meanings of Captain Ahab 7
3.3 The symbolic meanings of other things 9
4. Exemplification of symbolic meanings 12
4.1 The relationship between human beings 12
4.2 The relationship between capitalist civilization and nature 13
5. Conclusion 14
Acknowledgements 15
References 16
