Moby Dick Research Paper

A boat sits in the water, calmly swaying side to side like a mother rocking a newborn to sleep. The fisherman’s eyes open enormously wide as he sees his long-awaited see their long awaited prey starting to approach. This is shown in the 1851 novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville. In this novel Captain Ahab awaits for a rematch with his now greatest enemy, a great white whale that is called Moby Dick (Themes). This event shows that a person can be knocked down, but can never be held down, as well as a person cannot beat the forces of nature against himself or herself (Themes). This same theme is shown through another author by the name of Ernest Hemingway and his work called The Old Man and the Sea.
Hemingway uses the prominent theme, also found

The Yankees’ 1950 season influenced this piece of writing (Oliver 247). A single game however would become the most influential. The Washington Senators lost to the Yankees 8-1 giving them their 84th win of the season (Oliver 247). The Yankees would then beat the Detroit Tigers to get their 85th win, which has significance to the story (Oliver 247). This number gives a character in the book hope. Santiago reads the paper one morning and sees that the Yankees have reached their 85th win of the season and he says that he will catch a fish on his 85th day of not catching any fish (Oliver 247). This part of the story would also become the introduction to Hemingways theme. He always lived that man could be defeated, but never destroyed and that is shown through most of his characters (Oliver 247). Along with events happening in his own life, important happenings in history also influenced his writing here as

The Old Man and the Sea, is just a simple story of an aging fisherman who catches a great fish only to lose him to a awaiting sharks (Davis). One example of symbolism is the hero confronting a natural force, which is repeated several time throughout the story (Davis). This theme could be represented by multiple different elements. The first is the sea, this is where the battle takes place and it is between Santiago and Sharks battling for the Marlin (Davis). The Old Man and the Sea contains allusions to Christianity and Christ (Davis). Some of these allusions were concrete while the others were definitely abstract. The main character’s name Santiago is Spanish for Saint James, who is the symbolic for fishermen (Davis). Multiple bible scenes were also portrayed throughout this novel. When the sharks attack the marlin, it is referenced to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ because he his reborn by the end if the novel (Davis). Symbolism in this novel was a bit personal too. The Old Man and the Sea could also be the author’s way of thinking through the ethical and philosophical problems of taking his own life (Davis). The fish is the most broad example of this because it dies in the end (Davis). The author portrays himself through important characters or animals throughout the book as well. The writer shows himself