چکیده

Entwicklungsroman is usually defined as the subgenre of the ‘coming of age’ novels which investigates a protagonist’s process of identity formation and personal growth; according to Tobias Boes (2006), it can be distinguished from other similar forms by its autobiographical features. Moby-Dick (Melville, 2002) is one of the most prominent works in classical American literature that due to its rich content, is subject to the vast areas of studies. Previously Margy Thomas Horton (2012) has acknowledged this masterpiece is an example of the novel of formation (bildungsroman); however, in this study, I attempt to investigate various features categorized by the eminent scholar Hirsch Marianne (1979) that prove Moby-Dick is not a usual bildungsroman but a specific kind in which Herman Melville mixes his own personal developmental process with that of his protagonist using an interdisciplinary method, borrowing from both psychology like Erik Erikson’s (1968) clarification of standard identity formation process as well as other related literary studies such as literary criticism. While exploring the dominant features of any entwicklingsroman, the centrality of ‘Captain Ahab’ also will be questioned and consequently ‘Ishmael’ will be replaced as a new figurenroman. Comparatively, a part of this study is allocated to ‘Ishmael’s unique process of identity formation; he self-invents himself in a quite different manner in comparison to that of previous figurenromans like ‘David Copperfield’ or ‘Jane Eyre’, thus creating a familiar but unrivaled experience for the readers.

کليدواژه ها

Moby-Dick, Identity Formation, Bildungsroman, Entwicklungsroman, Figurenroman

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Tina Nazemzadeh , 1398 , Moby-Dick: A Classic American Entwicklungsroman , اولين کنفرانس بين المللي مطالعات زبان انگليسي