Henry David Thoreau and Herman Melville focused their writings on how man was affected by nature. They translated their philosophies though both the portrayal of their protagonist and their own self exploration. In Moby Dick, Melville writes about Ahab's physical and metaphysical struggle over the great white whale, Moby Dick, symbolic of man's struggle against the overwhelming forces of nature. Ahab's quest is reported and experienced through the eyes of Ishmael. Melville's use of the …
showed first 75 words of 1685 total

showed last 75 words of 1685 total
…is all about. Thoreau on the other hand sees everything worth living for in his Quest and results at walden pond. Both authors realize that nature is a powerful and its forces definitely control man's existence on earth. However, Melville appears to show man as the loser in this conflict with nature and Thoreau finds man a winner not because man can become one with nature and rise beyond the materialism and greed of mankind.