Abstract：The paper explores Captain Ahab’s self-destruction from the view of psycho-analysis—Monomania.By discussing the feature of A’s monomania，the author further analyzes the effects led by his monomania， for instance， a phantom called Moby Dick in his mind，his revengeful heart –necessary condition for killing whales. Deep thought into A’s monomania makes the author have a good understanding of his self-destruction[1].

摘要：本文從白鯨中亞哈船長(zhǎng)的偏熱癥這個(gè)角度，著重分析亞哈船長(zhǎng)的自我毀滅過(guò)程。因?yàn)樗钠珶岚Y，白鯨成為了縈繞他心頭的一個(gè)幽靈，并且內(nèi)心深處充滿了仇恨。

Key words：Moby Dick; Ahab; monomonia; phantom; vengeful heart.

關(guān)鍵詞：白鯨；亞哈；偏熱癥；幽靈；復(fù)仇

作者簡(jiǎn)介：李朔，女，出生于1993年01月，籍貫：寧夏銀川；民族：漢；學(xué)歷：本科；研究方向：英語(yǔ)。

[中圖分類號(hào)]：I106.4 [文獻(xiàn)標(biāo)識(shí)碼]：A

[文章編號(hào)]：1002-2139(2012)-17-00-02

Content

Monomania is a kind of mental disorder especially when limited in expression to one idea or area of thought. And it is also the obsession with one topic or idea to the exclusion of all others. In general terms，many of the disorders previously classified as monomania now are identified as varieties of impulse control，conduct，or delusional disorders[2]. Specific， A’s monomania was his obsession with his ultimate goal of killing M. regardless of all the other people’s interest and even sacrifice. Besides， his monomania was full of his unique personal particularities.

ⅠThe Feature of Ahab’s Monomania：After loss of a leg caused by the white whale M.， he suffered from not just bodily woes， but also intellectual and spiritual anguish.Attacked by the whale in a mid winter， he lay in a hammock then his torn body and gashed soul combined into one another. It was on the homeward voyage that the final monomania seized him. So strong his anguish，so intensified his hatred against M.. The white creature had become an incarnation of maliciousness and all evil.

Secondly， A’s full lunacy appeared to subside， yet it may have transferred into some subtler form.One day when he was fierce to shake and swing with the gales then he was still lunatic though his mates fastened him to the hammock， in his chest a great strength rose and he struggled to lose that control. However， after the old man’s delirium left behind with the waves， he had a quick recovery and enjoyed tranquility. But human madness is a cunning thing. At the same time，his quick mind had rationally transferred his madness into a thousand fold potency than he was stable to kill his object.

The most crucial feature is that his revengeful heart impulsed by his madness and monomania became more and more vehement.Influenced by exhausting and intolerably vivid dreams of the night， he suffered from tortures and anguish.But he was like a eternal，living soul in him.His spirit was totally driven by his supreme purpose—killing M..

ⅡMoby Dick—a phantom： A’s loss of a leg made him combat with a phantom in his soul unceasingly， which also directly caused his monomania. Imagining what a man ready to fight for his goal would bear—nightmare， suspicion， inferiority， and a sense of loneliness. Day in day out， with this phantasm he had to do this unceasing battle， magnifying it to the proportion of his faith of life until his power over his soul destroyed him， just as the actual whale sank his ship and left him to drown.This inner human destruction is the core of his drama， as two utterances by A. at denouement show， “For the third time my soul’s trip starts upon this voyage， Starbuck. “Oh， now I feel my topmost greatness lies in my topmost grief. Ho， ho! From all your furthest bounds， pour ye now in， ye bold billows of my whole foregone life， and top this one pilled comber of my death!Towards thee I roll， thou all-destroying but unconquerable whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all confins and all hearses to one common pool!and since neither can be mine， let me then now then tow to pieces， while still chasing thee， though tied to thee， thou named whale！Thus， I give up the spear.” Tragic A.， living in phantom， dead from his self-destruction.

ⅢAn Important Requirement for Killing Whales—A Vengeful Heart：In the bloody hunts of whales one has to be brave， courageous regardless of all dangers and extreme environment conditions. Indeed，A is the best qualified person. That’s why when other people witnessed his dark symptoms，they still trusted his fitness for another whaling voyage. He was regarded as the very man who threw the harpoon directly into the immortal and ubiquitous white whale.

A’s monomanic revenge tormented him nearly in every place every time. Never could Starbuck forget the old man’s aspect， when one night going to the cabin to mark how the barometer stood， he saw A. with closed eyes sitting straight in his chair. The rain dripping from the unremoved hat and coat，yet he was all the way obsessed with his thought in that gale. What’s more， a vengeful heart led by his monomania gave him many spiritual sources—determination， perseverance and fearlessness.“It was that accursed white whale that razed me; made a poor pegging luber of me for ever and a day. I’ll chase him round Good Hope， and round the Horn， and round the Norway Maelstrom， and round perditions’s flames before I give him up.” Every moment he thought of M.， he seemed to see an incarnation of all evil.

Conclusion

Monomania had a great effect on A’s voyage of self-destruction. Firstly， killing the malicious M.has gradually formed a phantasm in his heart that was haunted and exhausted his mind. What’s more， his revengeful heart impulsed by his monomania became more and more vehement as the ship traveled. Further more，he believed only ends justify the means. A''s pathological preoccupation， fueled by his pride and arrogance， developed into a force that could not be controlled or stopped by those around him， thus transforming into a power of his self-destruction and a problem of being inharmonious with nature.

Reference：

[1]、M is the abbreviation of Moby Dick， A represents Ahab.

[2]、 www.merriam-webster.com/medical/monomania