A CORPUS BASED LEXICAL AND SEMANTIC MAPPING OF HERMAN MELVILLE’S MOBYDICK

Abstract

This study explores how digital tools, specifically Voyant Tools, can enhance literary analysis through computational approaches. By applying Digital Humanities (DH) methods to Herman Melville’s Moby Dick or The Whale (1851), the research combines quantitative text analysis with qualitative interpretation to uncover linguistic and thematic patterns. Using Voyant’s modules such as Cirrus (word cloud) Trends (frequency graph) and Contexts (keyword in context) the study examines recurrent words and ideas to identify the novel’s central motifs including whale, sea, captain, man, go and queequeg. These frequently occurring terms highlight major themes such as the struggle between man and nature, obsession and fate, faith and divinity and cultural diversity aboard the Pequod. The research employs a mixed method framework, aligning Franco Moretti’s concepts of “distant reading” and “close reading.” Quantitative results from Voyant are used to guide interpretive analysis revealing how Melville’s symbolic and philosophical concerns are reflected in his lexical choices. The visualization of word frequencies shows how narrative focuses shifts across chapters from early maritime descriptions to later moral and metaphysical reflections. The findings demonstrate that computational text analysis complements traditional literary study by revealing hidden structures and connections. Rather than replacing human interpretation, digital tools extend it, providing new ways to engage with complex texts. This study contributes to the broader field of Digital Humanities by modeling an accessible and reproducible approach for analyzing classic literature. It shows how technology can enrich literary scholarship and encourage digital literacy among researchers and students alike.