SeektheTruthorDartThroughtheTruth

滕波

摘 要：Ishmeal和Ahab有很多共同點。他们都喜欢思考，也会把可见的世界跟隐形的世界区分开来，他们都看到世界的邪恶和艰辛。他们都在某种程度上不服从上帝。但是他们在态度和行动上有很大差异。Ishmeal在感知恐惧上比较敏锐，因为他阅读广泛和哲理思考来拓展自己的视野，喜欢与人交流，同时也喜欢把自己沉浸在自然里感受与自然融为一体。所以他的一生是追寻真相。而Ahab相信毫不迟疑的行动，面对真相的面具是猛地锤击敲打，所以他行动上是无所畏惧，在某种程度上为了达到目的甚至是自私的。

关键词：真相，可见的和隐形的，

Abstract： Ishmeal and Ahab share much in common. They both like to do thinking， they both distinguish the visible world from the invisible word， they both see evilness and hardship in life. They both in some degree disobey God. But they differ a lot in attitudes and actions. Ishmeal is quick to percieve a horror， because he does readings，philosophy to horizen his vision ，communicate with others and often times he immerses in nature to“feel in all“. So Ishmeals life is the process of seeking truth； while Ahab believes in undouted actions and strikes through the mask to seek the truth， so he is fearless in action and to the extent to be egoistical.

Key Words： Truth ； Visible and Invisible；

The novel “Moby Dick”is digressive and the plot is loosly knitted. But there is a hidden clue which unfolds the story of Ahab and serves as a thread to gather the pearls of Ishmeals narrations. And this clue is the way for Ahab and Ishmeal to find the truth in their respective way. Ishmeal seek the truth by experiencing， observving， reading， comtemplating， and immersing himself in the nature. Ahab feels the only way to find his being is to dart through the truth. For both of them， the world is divided into the visible world and the invisible world.

Ishmeal has“little or no money“ in his purse， in his soul sometimes he feels like a“damp，drizzily November， that is to say his mental is on the brink of collasp. Ahab lost his leg in the purchase of the white whale， Moby Dick .He seeks a revenge for the white whale that he is in a mad mental state. For Ahab thinks “ both the ancestry and posterity of Grief go further than the ancestry and posterity of Joy.“

Both Ahab and Ishmeal distinguish the visible world from the invisible world. Ahab holds that “ All visible objects，man， are but as pastebobard mask.“ And he thinks that the truth hidden behind that mask must be sought out by “ living act，the undouted deed.“ There is no altrenative way out. “If man strike， strike through the mask. How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall？“ He is so single-minded and iron-willed. He sees the world in one perspective and there is no other choice. To him “Naughts an obstacle， naughts an angle to the iron way！“endprint

To Ishmeals understanding， the visible world can only be felt and beyond feeling there is nothing. And the only thing he can feel is the hatred piled on and on towards the agency of the white whale. Ishmeal maintains that “ Though in many of its aspects this visible world seems formed in love， the invisible sphere were formed in fright.“ （Chapter 42）He is always alert to the hidden evil in the invisible world， so he is quick to horror. In Chapter 114， he regards the clam sea harboring the unimaginable danger.

To Ishmeal life is in dangers in an invisible way， mortals cant realise it until the turn of death threatens them.Both Ahab and Ishmeal see two worlds--- the visible worlds and the invisible worlds. But Ahab sets a wall between the visible world and the invisible world， and he has the determination to pull down the wall to see the invisible wall .“To me ， the white whale is the wall， shoved near to me.“ Ishmeal is aware that the visible image is ungraspable. In Chapter 4 narrator Ishmeal says “And still deeper the meaning of that story of Narcissus， who because he could not grasp the tormenting， mild image he saw in the fountain， plunged into it and was drowned. ”

Ishmeal regards the world mystic and feels the horror. so he expands himself through reading， learning ， experiencing， contemplating， communicating， sometimes abandon himself to enjoying the nature. While for Ahab he just wants to pin down the truth as he believes the truth is just behind the wall， all he needs to do is to strike through the wall. He is fervent and he feels no fear. He is madness mad.

Different world view result in different attitudes towards life and different actions of handling with the world. Ahab is a parodic shakespearian tragic hero， because he sees the world in one perspective and is single-minded. He darts through truth as he darts towards the white whale. Ishmeal is spongy as he absorbs all the world can offer and offers what he can give. He reads great books and produces grand narrations， he reads philosophy and he thinks.He communicate and make friends. Ishmeal is open-minded and he sees truth indefitite and so maintain uncertain about things. He seek truth as truth comes naturally to him.endprint