A Study of the Love Between Prynne and Dimmesdale.docx

A Study of the Love Between Prynne and Dimmesdale.docx

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AStudyoftheLoveBetweenPrynneandDimmesdale

AStudyoftheLoveBetweenHesterandDimmesdaleinTheScarletLetter

班级：

1434150102

姓名：

王榕榕

学号：

2013041104057

Content

Part1IntroductionofNathanielHawthorne

1.1NathanielHawthorne’sbackground

1.2ThecreationbackgroundofTheScarletLetter

Part2AnalysisofHesterandDimmesdale’scharacters

2.1AnalysisofHester’scharacters

2.2AnalysisofDimmesdale’scharacters

Part3LovebetweenHesterandDimmesdale

Part4Conclusion

Abstract

Mythesisisconcernedwiththestudyofthemaincharactersof:

HesterPrynne,ArthurDimmesdale,andthelovebetweenthem.Thisthesisconsistsof4parts,thefirstpartistheintroductionofthewriterandthebackground,thesecondpartistheanalysisofHesterandDimmesdale’scharacters,thirdpartisthelovebetweenthem,lastpartistheconclusion.

Theprotagonistofthenovelwasabeautifulandcharmingyounglady,whowasconsideredasanadulterousbadwoman.ThereligioncourtputherintotheprisonandpunishedhertoweararedletterAonherchest（whichwasthefirstletterofadultery）tohumiliateher.Prynnedidn’tspeakoutthenameofthemanallthetime.Aftertwoyears,Hester’shusbandcamebackbutseethescenethatshewaswearingtheletterA,carryingababytobehumiliated.Hepretendedasanolddoctortosearchforthetruth.Atlast,hehadknownthatitwasthepastorwhowastheman.Hetormentedthepastormentallytorevenge.

Astimepassed,thepastorwasonthebrinkofcollapseandhewantedtoredeemhimselfbyhurtinghimself.Afterapreachoneday,hecalledupallhiscouragetoadmithehadtheprivaterelationshipwithHester.Finally,hereleasedhimselfeventuallyanddiedpeacefullyinHester’sarms.

Part1IntroductionofNathanielHawthorne

1.1NathanielHawthorne'sbackground

HewasborninMassachusetts,in1804,diedin1864.Helosthisfatherwhenhewasachild.Helivedwithhismotherinhisgrandfather’shome.Theunluckinessandatmosphereofhischildhoodmadehimalwaysfeellonelyandpainful.HisgrandfatherwasinbeliefofPuritanismandinturn,whichleadhimtobeinfluenced.

HewasanAmerican romanticnovelistandshortstorywriter,alsoakeyfigureinthedevelopmentofAmericanliteratureforhistalesofnation’scolonialhistory.HewasadescendantofPuritanancestors.

HejoinedthetranscendentalistutopiacommunityatBrookFarmin1841.Thisexperimentaimedtopromoteeconomicself-sufficiencyandtranscendentalistprinciples.Hislaterworkshadshownsometranscendentalistinfluence,includingabeliefinindividualchoiceandconsequence,andanemphasisonsymbolism.

In1852,hewasgraduatedfromBowdoinCollege,afterthathecreatedandpublishedscoresofstoriesandshortnovels.Atthesameyear,hewrotethecampaignbiographyofhisoldfriendFranklinPierce’selectionaspresident,laterrewardedwiththepositionofUnitedStatesconsulinLiverpool.HeworkedinSalemCustomsformanyyears,andthelifetherehaddirectlyinfluencedthecreationofTheScarletLetter.

1.2ThecreationbackgroundofTheScarletLetter

ThepuritanscametoNorthAmericatoformtheirnewcommunitiesandfoundtheirownspiritualsustenance.Theirfirsttravelwasnotforsearchingtreasureorforcedtoleavetheirhometown.Theysailedtothenewworldjustfortheirreligiousbelief.ManypuritanswasinvolvedinthegroupsofimmigrantsandtraveledtotheNorthAmerica,livingintheso-called“NewEngland”.Theytooktheirreligiousbeliefthereaswell.Theyworkedandlivedintheirownmanner,obeyingtheirownprinciples.Duringtheimmigrationofpuritans,theybothhadthegorgeoustimeandthemiserabledays.ThestoryofTheScarletLetterisasadmemoryoftheearlyimmigrationofpuritans.

Part2AnalysisofHesterandDimmesdale’scharacters

2.1AnalysisofHester’scharacters

InTheScarletLetter,HestercametothenewworldtowaitthearrivalofhishusbandwhohassomethinglefttodealwithinBritainsothathecouldn’tcometogetherwithHester.Herparentswerepoorbutupright.Hishusbanddidn’thaveanymessageswithin2years,whichwassaidtobesunkinthesea.ThissituationmadethelovebetweenHesterandDimmesdaleseemreasonable.However,theylivedthere,peopletherefoughtagainstthepopeandtheautocracy.Theyagainstthesocialcorruption.Theypromotedtheidealsandbanneddesire.Theywishedtheycanusetheirhardworktowashtheirsin.Theypersecutedeverybodywhowerenotconsistentwiththeirreligiousbeliefs,evenasmileofthewomaninthestreetwillbejailed.Childrenmightbelashediftheyplayedandlaughed.Inthissituation,Hesterwasthoughttobetheintolerablephenomenoninpuritans.

Shewasbraveenoughtoberesponsibleforallthedutiesandhumiliation.

2.2AnalysisofDimmesdale’scharacters

PastorDimmesdalewasayoungsaint,anorthodoxman,arealmonk,andatheologian.HiseruditionenjoyedthehighreputationandnoblestatusinOxford.Hewasasuccessfulreligiouspeople.Manypeopledescribedhimas"Hissayingswerelikethevoiceofanangelwhichtouchedyoumost",peopleregardhimastheholypeoplewhichwasgivenbytheGod,eventhinkthatthelandthathadbeenwalkedbyhisfeetissacred,girlswantedtomarryhim,oldmandesiretobeburiednexttohim.HeisadevoutChristian,withthefearofgodcan’tbereachedbyanyone.Afterallhewasahumanbeing,hewouldhavethedesireandpassion.

Dimmesdaleiscontradictory:

ontheonehand,becauseofhumannature,duetothemomentofpassion,hebetrayedhisbeliefinreligion,betrayedtheGod,ontheotherhand,becauseofhisreligiousbeliefandhisownweakcharacter,hewantedtoadmittheguiltybuthedarednot,hewasthebestpastorinhuman’smind.Hewaschainedtightly.Buthecouldnothingbuttocontinuetopreach.Thishadcreatedhisdualpersonality,withpublicandhiddentwosides,divinityandhumanity,theimpactofthefaithandlove.

Part3LovebetweenHesterandDimmesdale

Iwanttocomparethelovebetweenthemtothedaisywhichmeansthetolerantlove.TheloveofHesterwasreallytolerantandgreat.Iwanttoanalysisitfromthreeperspectives.

Thefirstperspectiveisfromherdaughter,Pearl.Ifawomandidn’tliketheman,hewouldnotaccepthischildandtookgoodcareofher.Givehersuchapreciousnameisnotbecauseherappearancewaslikethepearl,buthervalueinHester’sheartisasmuchasthatofthepearl.AstheBiblesays,thegodletthemerchantsellswhathehasalltobuyonepearlofgreatvalue.HestersacrificedallherthingstogetPearl,hersociallife,hernormallife,herfameandsoon.

AssheheardsomeonewouldliketotakePearlawaybecauseshewastheevidenceofherguilty.Hesterstoodouttoprotectherandappliedtogivehereducation,herdaughterwasnotguilty,sheisn’tsupposedtoberesponsibleforhermother’sfault.Bellinghamwassaidtobeoneofthemostbusy.Hethoughtifthatchildwascapableofmoralandreligiousgrowth,theywouldchooseabetterguardianshipforher.Pearlinthenovelwasagirlfullofmagic.Sheseemedbeabletoknoweverything.Pearlactuallyhadalreadybecomethelivingscarletletter,however,Hesterchosetoprotecther,thisbehaviorhadindicateshewouldloveDimmesdaleforeverandwouldn’tletothersknowhim.

ThesecondperspectiveisfromDimmesdale.Becauseofthedeeplove,hewasalwaysstrugglinginthedilemma.Hewantedtoadmithisownguilty,buthewasalsorestrainedbyreligiousconsciousness.Thisbookpaidmoreattentiontothepsychologicaldescriptions,especiallyDimmesdale.OnceshemetwithDimmesdaleintheforest.Sheexpressedherfeelingstowardshim,andremovedthescarletletterfromherchestanddroppeditintothestream,toshowherdetermination.DimmesdalewhoareunderthepressureofPuritanconsciousnessthatelopementissin,hedidn’twanttodosomethingtoincreasehissin,sohewashesitated,butheeventuallyreluctantlyagreed,andplannedtoleaveafterhecelebratedSelectionSunday.ThisscenehadshownthedeterminationofDimmesdale,itwasveryhardforhimtodothedecision.Hewassuchaloyalpastor,butforhislove,heabandonedhisreligiousbelief.

HawthornearrangedtheescapeattheSelectionSunday,thereisapurpose,bythemouthofthepastorhewantedtoshowtheChristiandoctrines,itwasthatasinnercannotredeemaccordingtohisowndesire,hissoulsalvationonlydependsonthe"choice"ofgod.Atthesametime,HawthornewouldliketorevealthehypocriticalreligionthroughDimmesdalewhowantedtofulfilhisobligations.Hetriedhisbestandallhiseffortstopreach.Thenwhenhewaspassingbythemarket,hishandstightenedHesterandPearl'shand,gowiththemtotheexecutionground,whereHesterwaspunished7yearsago.Atthesametimeandthesameplace,heusedtopretendtopersuadeHestertosayouttheman’sname,buthehidhisownguilty.Attheverybeginningofthenovel,IwassureDimmesdalewasabadman,notworthlovingandweakfromhisappearanceandactions.Butgradually,iknowthat,ifhedidn’tloveHester,hewouldn’tbetormentedbythedoctorandalsohimself.Hesaidhedidn’tloveandtobeindifferent,butallhisperformancehasshownthelove.

Nearlyattheendofthenovel,theauthorhadarrangedameetingneartheriver.Onlyunderthebigtree,theycouldbelovers,oncetheycamebacktothesettlement,Hestermusttakeupagaintheburdenofherignominy,andthepastorthehollowmockeryofhisgoodname.Ithinkofthelovebetweenthemdeeplyandtastedtheloveagainandagain.Ihaveseenmanytragicnovelsorstories.Theyallhavethesamefeature,tooearlyor