Notes+P.4

1. What is Transcendentalism? It is a philosophical and literary movement that flourished in New England from about 1836 to 1860. It originated from a small group of intellectuals who were against the practices of Calvinism and the reasoning of the Unitarian Church, so instead they developed their own faith centering on the divinity of humanity and the natural world.

2. Who were its major proponents? The major proponent of transcendentalism in "Moby Dick" was Starbuck. In the story Starbuck beleived that Moby Dick was not a cruel or evil creature but that it was acting purely on natural instincts. This goes along with one of the major transcendentalist ideas that all things are naturally good.

3. Who were its major opponents? Major opponents of the trancendentalism in moby dick were Captain Ahab and Mbi dick, the white whale, itself. Captain Ahab tells his story of Mobi Dick and how he lostt his leg to it, and Moby Dick is portrayed as a mean and vicious whale who is not as peaceful as the beleif that all is divine.

4. How did this philosophy affect the United States in the 1800's positively? (socially, economically, culturally, racial tensions, etc.) Transcendentalism transformed American literature between 1820 and the end of the Civil War in 1865. During this period authors began exploring good and evil and their presence in life.

5. Negatively?(socially, economically, culturally, racial tensions, etc.) The philosophy in Mobi Dick sparked alot of contreversy on whale hunting. With the descriptions given in the book it makes whaling seem violent and savage in other words it showed the hardships on a whaling ship.

6. How did transcendentalism reflect historic events in the United States in the 1800's? Transcendentalism reflected historic events in the united states because the 1800's where a time of individual and free thought. The transcendelist believed that God was immanent in each person and in nature and that individual intuition is the highest source of knowledge which led to an optimistic emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and rejection of traditional authority.

7. What elements of transcendentalism are present in //Moby Dick//? Herman Melville attacks Transcendentalists ideas by portraying Moby Dick as the personification of evil. On the other hand the white whale can also represent the purity and goodness of nature, therefore leaving Ahab as the opponent and seeing his own evil in the white whale.

8. How do these elements contribute to the plot and structure of the novel? The elements contribute by making us think of animals that are normally a symbol for peace and good are dark and evil.

9. How do these elements of transcendentalism help Melville to comment on the direction of the United States in the 1800's and on the philosophy of transcendentalism in general? Melville used Moby Dick to personify the evil that lurks inside of us all.

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