Comparing Henry David Thoreau And Herman Melville's Writings

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

all aspects of nature and its relevance
to human life. They explore the powers and influences of nature over mankind.
However, Melville centers his point of view upon mankind in conflict with
nature's forces, while Thoreau believes that if mankind experiences nature, we
will envelope ideas which will teach mankind to live harmoniously in our natural
environment; in turn, allowing individuals to reach the highest levels of
achievement synergistically with nature.
In Moby Dick, Herman Melville illustrates man's quest to attain the
supreme power of God through the monomaniacal Captain Ahab. Captain Ahab is
obsessed with the desire to destroy Moby Dick, his nemesis, which is truly
symbolic of man's overwhelming quest to control and conquer nature. Melville
depicts Ahab as an evil, egotistical human whose willingness to combat the
forces of nature represents man's failure to understand his place in the
universe. Melville uses Ishmael to voice his philosophies which portray ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

like
Celoni's cast Perseus." (Pg. 111 - 112). Thus, we see a formidable figure
affected by a plague on his soul venturing through the water's of hell to reach
a deadly quest. Ishmael even finds him almost as crucified as the God Ahab
thinks he could become as stated here: "And no only that, but Moby stricken
Ahab stood before them with a crucifixion in his face; in all the nameless regal
overbearing dignity of some mighty woe. "(Pg 111). Consequently, Melville's Ahab
will attempt to transcend his crew and himself into a conflict with nature.
This conflict becomes the warped and demonic idea of a man willing to take on
the power s of Moby Dick which is the epitome of the greatest ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: