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The World of Action: On the Aesthetic Style of Moby-Dick and Melville’s Anxiety of Modernity

Xizi Li
Vol. 6, No. 10, pp. 118-124, 2026 DOI: 10.54691/7qee4z65 October 19, 2026
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Abstract.With its unique ''anti-form'' aesthetic style, Moby-Dick constructs ''the world of action.'' This literary phenomenon is manifested not only in the novel’s integration and innovation of diverse genres—scientific knowledge, drama, opera, political critique, and philosophical essay—but also in its demonstration of Melville’s profound reflection on the pursuit of certainty through an argument for abundance. The formation of this aesthetic style is rooted in multiple anxieties embedded in the modernization of nineteenth-century America dominated by ''action'': interpretive anxiety in confrontation with uncertainty; the experiential writing of ''a nation of doers'' and the historical anxiety of ''the disenchantment of the world''; the ''anxiety of influence'' in constructing an American voice against the background of European literary traditions; and aesthetic anxiety from the perspective of the Other. Elevating the spirit of action in Western literature into a modern philosophy of life, Moby-Dick resonates profoundly with thinkers such as Nietzsche, demonstrating its prophetic vision and intellectual depth beyond its era.
Keywords. Abundance, anxiety, the world of action.
APA Citation Xizi Li (2026). The World of Action: On the Aesthetic Style of Moby-Dick and Melville’s Anxiety of Modernity. Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences, 6(10), 118-124. https://doi.org/10.54691/7qee4z65

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