Nature in Walden and Moby Dick

Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson both share the transcendentalist philosophy. They are very much alike in that respect. On the other hand, Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne are very similar with regard to their vision of evil. Melville's view of the universe is far more existential than is Thoreau's.

It is interesting that Emerson's positive view of the universe was the most accepted one during the middle portion of the nineteenth century. However, Melville's more negative view of mankind existed side by side with the transcendentalist point of view. In these modern times, Melville's position seems more realistic and closer to life as it really seems to be.

The tragic perspective of Melville is constructed upon the idea that mankind is radically imperfect. This is a very Calvinistic concept not to be discovered at all in Thoreau, whose view of humanity was that there is a correspondence between human beings and nature. The closer one comes to nature, the closer one comes to God, who i.s immanent and within everything.

Of course, Melville also saw a correspon

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we should all live more simply than we have in the past: "Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails." (Thoreau 70) Wherever Thoreau looked for further confirmation of his belief that true beauty reveals necessity, he saw that 'Nature is a greater and more perfect art.' Thoreau thought, like Emerson, that 'man's art has wisely imitated those forms into which all matter is most inclined to run, as foliage and fruit.' However, unlike Emerson, Thoreau analyzed more examples in detail. Certainly, all Thoreau had to do was to look from his door to provide him with fresh evidence from nature. And so, Thoreau was led - to feel that 'true art is but the expression of our love of nature.' Nature is supreme over art. MELVILLE AND THE TRAGIC VISION We have just examined the transcendental and optimistic view of humanity and nature as found in Thoreau's metaphysics. Conversely, Herman Melville presents a considerably darker view of mankind's existence in the universe. In spite of humanity's shortcomings, Thoreau did not see people as corrupt and depraved. But, in contrast, Melville was highly aware of the evil and depravity within t
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Approximate Word count = 2059
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)