On the basis of previous researches, this paper provides a systematic analysis on the main characters of the novel in Moby-dick and Barn Burning from the language, behaviors, the main plots and conflicts in the context. Through the comparative analyses of Ahab and Abner, Ishmael and Sarty, this paper will expound many aspects in harmonious relationship between human beings and nature, and the relationship among people. For the social reality of environmental destruction and moral decline in the current Chinese society, people should pay high attention to arise people’s awareness of establishing the friendly relations among people and reestablish the harmonious relations between human and nature. On the one hand, from the point of practical significance, people will know that the indifference among people blocks the development of society. On the other hand, everyone should set up a sense of ecology, and jointly maintain the environment in which people live.
It is generally known that human beings, nature and other creatures in the world share the same plant, each inpidual in this plant is equal to the others. People should not develop society at the costs of environmental destruction. Similarly, the realization of personal interests should not damage the interests of others as the premise. What’s more, people should not yield to evil forces. Instead, it is wise to believe that justice will conquer the evil ultimately. What people need to focus is not only the necessity to protect the environment, achieve the harmony between human and natures, but also the importance of getting on well with others. For one thing, we should set up a sense of ecology. For another, we’d better follow our hearts to make the right choice, which based on moral grounds whenever facing choices. Moreover, we should continue to self-reflection, properly handle the relationship between human being and nature and the relationship among people. It is necessary for everyone to find his or her inner goodness, and follow the guidance of goodness.
Moby-Dick is a marine theme novel written by Herman Melville who was one of the greatest novelists in 19th century American in 1851, which was considered as an outstanding work of Herman Melville and the Romanticism. The novel describes a story of captain Ahab who was bitten by Moby Dick accidentally, and then he pursued a way of chasing Moby Dick, which performs a struggle between man and nature. What Ahab did led to his tragic ending. All of the crews were dead except the narrator Ishmael. The story creates an atmosphere that people sailing on the sea would encounter all the dangers or even death. It is one of the most famous works of the writer Herman Melville. English writer Maugham thought Moby-dick was one of the top ten literary classics, and because of the author of this book in the literary history was above Mark Twain and any other writers.
Barn Burning was a short novel written by William Faulkner in 1939. In the same year, he was awarded the O. Henry Award. Barn Burning is an outstanding short novel. The novel tells about a-ten-year old boy's choice when facing his father's behavior of using violence in solving problems. The father was very grumpy, and he was accustomed to solve all the problems and conflicts by the way of set fire to the barn. At first, taking the family and kinship into consideration, the little boy tells lies in court. He instinctively feels what his father's way of doing things was illegal, he twists about in pain of making a choice from the family and justice. He wishes that his father would make changes, but his father was too pigheaded to follow any instructions of him. Finally he could not suffer his inner repression, and then makes his own choice.
II. The Analysis of the Main Characters in the Two Books
Being two of the most influential masterpieces of both American and World literature, the wonderful characters in Moby-dick and Barn Burning cannot be ignored, which really appreciated by millions of readers over the years. This part would take a general analysis to the main characters from several aspects.