Christian Symbolism Adapted To Herman Melville’s Moby Dick

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to find a connection between Christian symbolism in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and the historical context of the mid-nineteenth century. This is achieved by performing a close reading of the novel itself, as well as reading secondary sources by researchers who have already discussed this topic. One of the key results is that Melville uses Christian symbolism to address his criticism on nineteenth-century America. This leads to the idea that Melville criticises certain values held by some Christians. In essence, Moby Dick can be read as an allegory for nineteenth-century social structures in the United States.