OBSESSION AND HUMAN LIMITS IN HERMAN MELVILLE’S MOBY-DICK
Keywords:
obsession; ambition; human limits; symbolism; fate; morality; Ahab; MelvilleAbstract
This article examines Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick as a study of human obsession, ambition, and the limits of knowledge and control. The novel follows Captain Ahab’s relentless pursuit of the white whale, Moby Dick, illustrating how singular obsession shapes individual identity, social relationships, and moral judgment. Through textual analysis, this study explores the symbolic significance of the whale, the narrative perspective of Ishmael, and the ethical and psychological consequences of Ahab’s fixation. The analysis highlights Melville’s exploration of the tension between human desire and natural forces, demonstrating how obsession can both inspire greatness and lead to destruction, offering insight into the human condition
References
1.Melville, H. (1851). Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. New York: Harper & Brothers.
2.Pizer, D. (1984). Realism and Naturalism in Nineteenth-Century American Literature. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.
3.Hayford, H. (1990). Melville and the American Imagination. New York: Oxford University Press.
4.Reynolds, D. S. (2002). Herman Melville: A Biography. New York: Knopf.
