It is not uncommon for great works to shine again after being left out in the cold by the times. Moby Dick, the representative work of American romantic novelist herman melville (18 19-1891), was submerged by the tide of American literature in the19th century. After more than half a century of silence, when people in the new era re-examine it from a new angle, this epic literary giant. Today, it has become a great masterpiece recognized by the world literary world, and is known as "the mirror of the times" and "the most brilliant expression of American imagination".

Moby Dick is a masterpiece of drama, adventure, philosophy and research. Based on the industrial development and material progress in the rising period of American capitalism, the author extends the artistic perspective to the whaling industry with difficulties and strong financial resources, and tells the story of the ocean adventure of the whaling ship "Pequod" under the command of captain Ahab, and finally ends up with the white whale. In the mutual reflection with real life, the author puts things into reason and gives them profound meanings, or talks about history, religion, nature and philosophy, conveys profound philosophy in small talk and reveals the true meaning of life in plain narration, which not only provides rich materials for scientific research on navigation, whales and whaling industry, but also shows the writer's unique thinking on human civilization and destiny. It is no wonder that this seemingly chaotic and loosely structured imperial masterpiece has been dubbed with various names: travel notes, nautical stories, fables, whaling legends, encyclopedias about whales and whaling industry, American epics, Shakespeare-style tragedies, lyric prose poems, Cervantes-style romantic novels ... It is like a deep and magical artistic maze, showing colorful, multi-dimensional, open and derivative, with endless exploration.

First, the compound of multiple symbolic meanings.

Moby Dick is like a maze of symbolism. Here, from typical figures and macro scenery to tiny static objects, almost all have multi-level symbolic significance. The author expresses his profound thoughts on philosophy, society and religion through multiple absurd symbols.

Land and sea are a pair of symbols in the novel, which complement each other and have rich connotations. On the one hand, the land symbolizes leisure and comfort, and the ocean symbolizes disaster and unpredictability; The land represents self-sufficiency, and the sea represents adventure and knowledge. On the other hand, the land also symbolizes the human civilization that makes people lose their spiritual life, while the ocean represents the reserve of primitive civilization that has not been polluted by human civilization. In contrast, sailing can not only symbolize the spiritual journey of exploration and discovery, but also symbolize the spiritual journey of returning to nature.

"Pipe" is another important image mentioned by the author many times in the book. Its basic meaning is the daily enjoyment of real life, which means that the author reveals the personality and mentality of different characters. When Ishmael and Queequeg share a pipe, it not only shows that they are enjoying life, but also symbolizes that they have formed a friendship of "sharing weal and woe"; Stub, the second mate, sticks his pipe all day, symbolizing that he is an optimist who pays attention to the enjoyment of material life; Captain Ahab threw his pipe into the sea, which symbolized his determination to give up pleasure and chase Moby Dick.

The symbolic meaning of the whaling ship "Pequod" is more abundant. It represents the world stage of human life; It symbolizes the spirit of Americans' unremitting exploration of natural mysteries; Leaf cabinet representing primitive culture; It symbolizes the domination of Christianity over other "backward" cultures; Because "Pequod" is named after the extinct Indian tribe, it can also symbolize the fate that the evil human world will be destroyed.

However, the more subtle and complex symbols in the novel are still mainly embodied in Moby Dick and Captain Ahab. Interpreting their symbolic meanings is the key to understanding this novel.

Moby Dick is a legendary Moby Dick, and the novel shows its multiple symbolic meanings from different characters. In the eyes of pagan sailors, it is a sea monster that is sometimes calm and serene, and sometimes horrible and tyrannical; Crazy Gabriel regarded it as the embodiment of the god of shock; In Ahab's eyes, "all things that make people furious and painful, all things that can stir up the residue of things, all truths with evil thoughts, all things that make people feel overwhelmed, all mysterious ghosts and gods' heresies about life thoughts, all evils and so on." It is the obvious incarnation of Moby Dick. It is the evil and horrible enemy in Ahab's heart, which is difficult to conquer and must be destroyed. However, for Ishmael, Moby Dick represented noble peace and terrible death. It is a combination of all opposites and contradictions in the universe, symbolizing the vastness and mystery of the universe, symbolizing the infinite divine power of God and symbolizing the destiny and future of mankind. Its important enlightenment to Ishmael is not simple destruction, but efforts to raise awareness and unremitting pursuit of truth.

From the social and political point of view, Moby Dick symbolizes the great capitalist productive forces. Many critics believe that this powerful whale, which is still unknown, is actually a true psychological reflection of the author's confusion and fear of the productive forces in the great development of capitalism, and also expresses the author's anxiety about the fate of mankind in the era of change.

Captain Ahab is also a contradiction of multiple personalities. He violated the Christian commandment of arrogance. Focusing on "self", he gave up the mission of whaling to obtain whale oil, stubbornly persisted in personal grievances and completely ignored the safety of the crew. In this sense, he is a symbol of an out-and-out tyrant and evil devil. But as far as he dares to fight evil, challenge fate and resist gods, he is also a symbol of human resistance to heroes. On the other hand, he is a brave man who persistently explores the mysteries of the universe. Although he had fearless courage and ability, he ignored the inherent laws of nature and eventually became a victim of futile struggle against the forces of the universe. It can be seen that Ahab also embodies the multiple meanings of good and evil, the coexistence of beauty and ugliness, being both a victim and a victim, and the symbolic meaning contained in this image is as complicated and difficult to grasp as Moby Dick. It is difficult for readers to find references from it:

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