OntheSymbolismintheScarletLetterWord文档格式.docx

OntheSymbolismintheScarletLetterWord文档格式.docx

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October2010

Acknowledgement

Iwouldliketoexpressmyappreciationformyclassmates,myteacherandmyLecturerZheng.Withtheirhelp,Iachievedthisessay.Thankstomyclassmateswhogiveencouragementandreferencebooksforme.IalsoacknowledgemycomprehensiveEnglishteacherwhogivesmeavailableinformationandadvices.AndIwantgivemyspecialgratefulnesstoMr.Zheng,heprovidesalotofeffectivesuggestionsformythesis,andsuggestsmehowtoperfectmyessay.Finally,Igenuinelyoffermyacknowledgementtothem.

Abstract

Asafamouswriterofromanticism,NathanielHawthorneisskillfulattheusingofsymbolisminhisworks.

ThevarioususageofsymbolisminTheScarletLettermakesthenovelasaworkoftheworld.Thenovelrevolvesaroundonemajorsymbol:

theScarletLetter.Besides,thefourmajorcharacters:

HesterPrynne,ArthurDimmesdale,RogerChillingworthandPearlhavetheirsymbolicmeanings,Moreover,someotherobjectsthataredescribedinthenovelalsohavetheirsymbolicmeanings.Inaword,TheScarletLetterisanovelofmuchsymbolism.

Keywords:

theScarletLetter,symbolic,scaffold

摘要

作为一名浪漫主义作家，纳撒尼尔·

霍桑在他的作品中很巧妙的运用了象征主义。

在《红字》这部小说中他广泛地运用象征主义，从而使这部小说成为了世界名著。

《红字》中围绕着一个主要象征：

红字。

另外，还有四个主要人物：

海斯特、丁梅斯代尔、齐灵渥斯以及珍珠都有他们各自的象征意义。

而且，在文中描写的一些景物景色也有其深刻的象征意义。

总之，《红字》是一部充满象征主义的小说。

关键词：

红字、象征主义、刑台

Chapter1Introduction

1.1Literaturereview

NathanielHawthornewasbornonJuly4,1804inSalem,Massachusetts,thedescendentofalonglineofPuritanancestors,includingJohnHawthorne,apresidingmagistrateintheSalemwitchtrials.Afterhisfatherlostatseawhenhewasonlyfouryearsold,hismotherbecameoverlyprotectiveandpushedhimtowardmoreisolatedpursuits.Hawthorne'

schildhoodlefthimoverlyshyandbookish,andmoldedhislifeasawriter.TheScarletLetterwhichmakeshimknownallaroundtheworldisoneofhismostfamousworks.Thenovelpublishedin1850s,whichisnotableforitsallegoryandsymbolismandisregardedasthefirstsymbolicnovelinAmericanliterature.TheScarletLetterrecountsthestoryofHesterPrynnewhoisayoung,recentlymarriedwoman.SheissenttostartanewlifeinAmericawhileherhusbandremainsinEngland.InAmericashefallsintolovewithanothermanandgivesbirthtoababy.Thisbehaviorisagainstforthepuritanlaw,soshehasbeencaughtandaskedtotellthetruth.However,shedoesnotrevealthenameofherloverafterapublictrial,andsheisforcedtowearascarletletter"

A"

whichismarkingherasanadulteress.Unknowntoherorherlover,herhusbandstandsamongthecrowdwhocondemnsher.Hester’shusbandacold-heartedmanwhodecidestofindthefatherofthebaby,andtakesactionsofhisplantorevenge.Whenfindingthetruth,hebeginstotormentDimmesdale.Inthissituation,hehastoagreewithHester'

sescapeplan.Butitfails.Finally,Dimmesdale,withHesterandPearl,gotothescaffold.HeadmitsthatheisthefatherofthePearlanddies.Later,Chinngworthalsopassesaway.WhileHesterisacknowledgedthroughherintergrityandatticfaithofthelife.

1.2Thesignificance

AsagreatromanticnovelistinAmericain19thcentury,Hawthorneisoutstandinginhandlingtheapplicationofsymbolism.TheScarletLetterisHawthorne'

sthemostimportantsymbolicnovel,whichstandsasthebestworkofHawthorneandoneoftheindubitablemasterpiecesofAmericanliterature.Thisessayaimsattheexplorationoftheusageofthesymbolisminthenovel.Itmainlydiscussesthedeepsymbolicsignificanceofthescarletletter"

thefourmajorcharacters,andtheobjects.Thescarletletteristhecentralsymbolofthenovel.Itissymbolicmeaningchangesfrom"

adultery"

to"

able"

even"

angel"

inthenovel.ItalsoexaminesthesymbolicmeaningsoflittlePearlandsometypicalnaturalsurroundingssuchasthejail,theforest,thescaffoldandsoon.Thisnovelhasaveryimportantsymbolicsignificance.

Meanwhile,theScarletLetterdepictsthreekindsofcriminalsinthepuritansociety;

theyareHesterwhomakesasinofadultery,Dimmesdalewhomakesasinofcheating,andChillingworthwhomakesasinofvengeance.Itprobesdeeplyintotheessenceofthepuritancommunity,revealsthecrueltyoflawintheCapitalistsociety,thereligiouscheatingandhypocriticalmorality.

Chapter2TheSymbolismoftheLetter"

2.1"

for"

Adultery"

"

shame"

and"

humannature"

ThenovelopenswithHesterbeingledtothescaffold.Theletter"

whichisworninHester'

schestisasymbolofheradulteryagainstRogerChillingworth.Asapuritanpunishmentwayoftheadultery,itisherpunishmenttoweartheletter"

.Andsheisforcedtowearthescarletletteronherbosomallthetime.AndthepurposeofthisletterisashametowearforHester,andmakesherunset."

Here,shesaidtoherself,hasbeenthesceneofherguiltthereshouldbeasceneofherearthlypunishment…….<

NathanielHawthorne.ThescarletLetter.2001.P74>

"

.Hesterisashamedathersin,butshechoosesnottodisplayit.Sheadmitsthiscrimeintheheartofpassionandfullyrecognizes.Thoughshefeelscompunction,shealsoacceptshermostvaluabletreasure---Pearl.Withthissituation,manypeoplewillleaveBostontofindaplacewhereisremoteandnooneknowshersin,andhidehercharacterandidentityunderanewexterior,orshecanemergeintoanotherstatewhereshecouldalooffromthelawthatcondemnsher.However,Hesterchoosestostaywhichindicatesthatshehasalotofstrengthandintegrity.What'

smore,theletter"

isnaturalratherthanbeingexoticandluridasthecommunitysees,andthosethingsassociatedwiththem---passionandsexualityinparticular---arenaturaltohumannature.ifweseetheletter"

asasymbolofhumannature,thenHesterseestheletter"

aspunishmentandshame,thecommunityshowsitashumannatureespeciallypassion,tobedevilish.

2.2"

Able"

Angel"

Arthur"

Then,Theletter"

A"

standsforAble,Angel,andArthur.ThevillagersnowchangetheirmindstobelievethatthescarletletterstandsforHester'

sabilityandherbeautifulneedlework."

Theletterwasasymbolofhercalling.Suchhelpfulnessisfoundinhersomuchpowertodoandpowertosympathize---thatmanypeoplerefusedtointerpretthescarletletter"

."

（P148）.SotherearemanypeoplerealizedthatHesterhasanoblecharacter.thentheletter"

symbolizesangelratherthanadultery.Hesterprovidestimeandloveforthepersonwhoneedshermost,whichprovesthatshehasnotdefeatedwhensheencountersmanysuffers.InHester'

seyes,theletter"

alsorepresentsherlover"

.SothescarletlettercanberegardedasthebadgeoftheardentlovebetweenHesterandArthur.ThisisshownbyHester'

sappearanceatthescaffoldwithaproudsmileatthebeginningofthestory.Hesterdoesnotfeelshamedfortheletterbutthinksofitasasymboloftheirgreatlove.

Thesechangesinscarletletterareverysignificant.Theyshowhersin,herabilityandherbeauty.Hesterisapowerfulwomanwhoismoreadmirabletogothroughtheemotionaltorture,asmostpeoplegothroughlife.

Chapter3Theexpressionofsymbolisminthecharacter

3.1Pearl:

Alivingscarletletter

Pearlisoneofthemostcomplexandmisunderstoodsymbolsinthenovel.SheisthedaughterofHesterandArthur.Pearlwasasourceofmanydifferentkindsofsymbolism.

ThemostsignificantsymbolicmeaningofPearlinthenovelisherassociationwiththescarletletter"

A"

.WhenHesterrealizesthisinthefirstscaffoldscene,sheresiststhetemptationtoholdPearlinfrontofthescarletletter"

A"

"

andindeed,ofthechild‘swholeappearance,thatitirresistiblyremindedthebeholderofthetokenwhichHesterPrynnewasdoomedtowearuponherbosom"

.（P93）Pearlreallyisthescarletletterwhichisinanotherformandendowsthescarletletterwithlife.

Asasymbol,PearlalwayskeepsHesterawareofhersin.PearlalwayskeepsHesterawarethatthereisnoescapefromherpassionatenature.Thepuritanswouldcallthatnatural"

sinful"

Inchapter6,Hawthorneemploysanoften-usedtechniqueforthatpassion.Hawthornehandlesmirrorimages,Hesterlooksinto"

theblackmirrorofPearl’seyes"

andshesees"

aface,fiend-like,fullofsmilingmalice,yetbearingthesemblanceoffeaturesthatshehadknownfullwell,thoughseldomwithasmile,andneverwithmaliceinthem"

Isthisherownface,neverwithmalice,butiscontortedbyevil?

Ifso,Pearlistheembodimentofthatpassion.

Moreover,PearlisthepersonwhoeventuallymakesDimmesdaleadmithiscrime,sheconstantlyaskswhytheministerkeepsputtinghishandoverhisheartandfiguresoutitisthesamereasonthathermotherwearsthescarletletter,Herroleasalivingscarletletteristoannouncetothewholeworldwhotheguiltparentsare,whenDimmesdalestandsonthescaffoldwhereHestersufferedherpublichumiliationseveralyearsbefore,hemeetsHesterandPearlwhohavebeenatGovernorWinthrop'

sdeathbed,takingameasurementsforaroe.Heinvitesthemtojoinhimonthestand.Thenwhentheylatermeetintheforest,HestersaystoPearl,"

Helovesthee,mylittlePearl,andlovesthymothertoo.Wiltthoulovehim?

Pearlsays,"

Dothheloveus?

thenasks,"

wilthegobackwithus,handinhand,wethreetogether,intothetown?

Theansweris"

notnow"

.SowhenDimmesdaleimpressesakissonherbrowbeforetheyleavetheforest,"

Pearlbrokeawayfromhermother,and,