Representation of Islands in 19th-century American Literature: Isolation and Hegemony

在十九世纪美国作家的作品中，关于南塔开特岛的故事和记录，这是一个孤立的小岛，但并非不可接近，在大西洋上，从其移民和捕鲸的历史来看，除了有趣的方面之外，没有别的意义。许多文人都听说过或去过这个岛，并把他们的经历写成了作品，包括赫尔曼·梅尔维尔的《白鲸记》，爱伦·坡的《阿瑟·戈登·皮姆的故事》，以及爱默生和梭罗的日记。对他们作品的审视揭示了对岛屿的浪漫凝视，尽管该岛以捕鲸而闻名，其中可能包含凶残和可怕的暴露。很多文人之所以会被这个岛吸引，应该与他们珍视孤立的心态有关，而美国文化的几代人在外交上也形成了政治孤立主义。

Among the works of nineteenth-century American writers, the tales and records on Nantucket, a small island, isolated but not impossibly approachable, on the Atlantic signify nothing but intriguing aspects with the view to its history of migration and whaling. Many literati heard about or visited this island, and made their experience into the works, including Herman Melville's Moby Dick, Poe's The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, and the journals of Emerson and Thoreau. The examination of their works reveals romantic gaze into the island, although the island was famed for the whaling, which could contain ferocious and terrifying exposure.The reason why a lot of literati were nonetheless attracted to this island should be collateral to their mentality that cherishes isolation, and the generations of American culture have formulated political Isolationism in foreign affairs as well.