Transcendetalism as seen through Ishmael in Melville's Moby Dick

Bona, Claudius (1998) Transcendetalism as seen through Ishmael in Melville's Moby Dick. Bachelor thesis, Petra Christian University.

Abstract

Moby Dick by Herman Melville has a complexity that deals with worthy values about life: philosophy, psychology, religion, myths and social norms. The writer interests most to the philosophical aspect in Moby Dickr because knowing that in expressing his ideas, Melville has a certain pattern of philosophical thought called Transcendentalism. It can be found through the character of Ishmael, the main character and the narrator in the novel. The writer will analyze his perspective in viewing and commenting on things, such as the Nature, the sea, the whale to find the elements of Transcendentalism. He tries to find two aspects of Transcendentalism on Ishmael's pers-pective: Individuality or Self Reliance by Going Back to Nature, and the Multiplicity of Meaning in Things, and the Vision to Underlying Unity. Ishmael's comments on some objects and on Nature's phenomenon show these two concepts of Transcendentalism. Finally, Ishmael is person who considers Nature a perfect place to practice his act of Individuality. Moreover, he thinks Nature offers some multiplicity of meaning, and the adoration to Nature is the unity behind multiplicity. Through the character of Ishmael, Transcendentalism in Moby Pick is revealed.

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