dual personalities in the Scarlet LetterWord文件下载.docx

dual personalities in the Scarlet LetterWord文件下载.docx

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1Introduction

It’suniversallyacknowledgedthatNathanielHawthorneisoneofthemostoutstandingwritersintheliteraryhistoryofAmericaandthewholeworld.Hawthorne’sworkisbroaderinrangeandhasmoredepthofthought.Hisabilitytocreatevividandsymbolicimagesthatembodygreatmoralquestionsappearsstronglyinhisnovels,especiallyinhismasterpiece,TheScarletLetter,whichhasbeenseenasamilestoneinAmericanliteraturehistory.Withitsirresistibleartisticcharm,TheScarletLetterhasconqueredthousandsofreadersallovertheworldsinceitspublication.

SinceTheScarletLetterhasdrawnattentionofthewholeworld,manycriticshavestudiedthethemesandcharacterizationinmanydifferentperspectives.However,inthepreviouscriticisms,themaincharactersinTheScarletLetterhavebeeneitherpraisedasbeingutterlygoodorcriticizedasbeingextremelyevilbymanycritics.However,throughreadingHawthorne’sTheScarletLettercarefully,wefindthathischaracterizationofthecharactersisfarfromsimplicity.Thecharactersareportrayedinadualperspective,showingtheirgoodelementsaswellastheirbadones.

Toelaboratethisthesis,we’llfirsthavealookatHawthorne’slifeexperience,whichprovidedliterarymaterialsandbackgroundfortheproductionofTheScarletLetter.Then,ourfocuswillshifttocharacteranalysisoftheirdualpersonalities.Fromthispaper,readerscangetabetterunderstandingofthemaincharactersinTheScarletLetter.What’smore,thispapercanalsogiveaglimpseofHawthorne’strueandobjectiveviewofhumannature.

NathanielHawthorne（1804-1864）,oneofthefirstgreatAmericannovelists,hasgreatimpactontheliteratureofAmericanaswellasthewholeworld.HewasborninSalemandgraduatedatBowdoinCollege.Aftertheinitialperiodofanonymity,Hawthorneattainedgreataccomplishmentasanauthorofshortstories,romances,essaysandchildren’sbooks.Inhislifetime,hecreatedmanyinfluentialworksincludingsomelongfictionssuchasTheHouseoftheSevenGables,TheMarbleFaun,TheScarletLetterandseveralallegoricalstories:

TheGreatStoneFace,YoungGoodmanBrown,andTheAmbitiousGuest.Amongalltheseworks,TheScarletLetterisfrequentlyregardedasthemostimportantworkofHawthorne’saswellasgreatestnovelinAmericanliteraryhistory.

It’sbelievedthattheproductionofTheScarletLetterhasacloserelationtoHawthorne’sfamilyhistory.WilliamHathorne,theauthor’sgreat-great-great-grandfather,aPuritanwasanimportantmemberoftheMassachusettsBayColonyandheldmanypoliticalpositionsincludingmagistrateandjudge,becominginfamousforhisharshsentencing.AndHawthorne’sgreat-great-grandfather,JudgeHathornepresidedatthenotoriousSalemwitchtrialsandwasputunderacursebythehusbandofoneoftheconvictedwitches.Havinglearnedaboutthis,Hawthorneaddedthe“w”tohissurname,inefforttodissociatehimselffromhisnotoriousancestors.Fromthis,wecanobviouslyfindHawthorne’shatredtoPuritanrelentlessprinciplesandseverepunishment,whichisapparentlypresentedinhisworksaswell,especiallyinTheScarletLetter,whichisatragedyhappenedinaPuritansociety.

2DualPersonalitiesintheNovel

2.1DualPersonalitiesofHester

2.1.1ASinnerinPuritan’sEye

Atthebeginningofthestory,cameourheroine,Hester,withherbabyoutoftheprison.Shewastakentothescaffold,whereshesufferedpublicignominybecauseshehadanadulteryaffairwiththeclergymanDimmesdaleandbecamepregnant.ShewaspunishedtowearascarletAonherbosomtoproclaimhershamefuladultery.Thiswasbecauseinthepuritan’seye,havingbrokentheholyTenCommandments,Hesterwasanunpardonablywickedsinnernotonlytoherhusband,butalsotothewholePuritansociety.Shewasgivenachancethatifshespokeoutthenameofheradulterer,shemightavailtotakethescarletletteroffherbreast.ButHester,forherbelovedlover,refusedfirmlywithoutanyhesitation.

ThepunishmentonHesterdidnotbringmuchpaintoherbody,buttheagonyHestersufferedpsychologicallyneverstops,evengettingmoreseveredaybyday.

“Continually,andinathousandotherways,didshefeeltheinnumerablethrobsofanguishthathadbeensocunninglycontrivedforherbytheundying,theeveractivesentenceofthePuritantribunal.Clergymanpausedinthestreettoaddresswordsofexhortation,thatbroughtacrowd,withitsmingledgrinandfrown,aroundthepoor,sinfulwoman[…]”

Fromtheexcerpt,itseemedthattherewasnoplaceforHestertoescapefromtheanguish,nomatteronthestreet,inthechurchorsomewhereelse.Evenstrangerandthemostinnocentchildrenwereinformedofhershame.ThegazeofaneweyeoranaccustomedeyeatthescarletletterwouldcauseHesterfeeltheanguish.Thespotnevergrewcallous;

itseemed,onthecontrary,togrowmoresensitivewithdailytorture.

2.1.2APioneerinHumanism’sPerspective

It’srighteoustopunishanadulterer,likeHester,accordingtothePuritandoctrine.ButwhenwelookatthewholethinginHumanism’sperspective,Hesterisregardedasapioneerwhoisbraveenoughtopursuefreedomandtruelove,andemancipatehernatureandsheisnotsinfulatall.

Facedwithpublicignominy,Hester,alonelyandhelplesswomanstoodonherhumandignitywithcalmness.InTheScarletLetter,Hawthornenarrated:

“…neverhadHesterPrynneappearedmorelady-like,intheantiqueinterpretationoftheterm,thanassheissuedfromtheprison.Thosewhohadbeforeknownher,andhadexpectedtobeholdherdimmedandobscuredbyadisastrouscloud,wereastonished,andevenstartled,toperceivehowherbeautyshoneout,andmadeahaloofthemisfortuneandignominyinwhichshewasenveloped.”

Hester,alone,receivedthepunishmentforherbelovedloverwithoutanycomplaint.Shewasforcedtowearthescarletletter,asymboldeclaringhershame.Asaresult,shewasisolatedfromotherpeople.Withoutanyfriendtoconfidehersecretandanguish,shehadtoreflectonandrepentofwhatshehaddonealone,sufferinglonelinessandalienation.ButHesterwasnotcrushedbyallthesedifficulties,onthecontrary,shetooktheresponsibilityofcaringherdaughterwithgreatcourage.Hercapacityforneedleworkgotherpraisedbythepublic.What’smore,sheschooledhertostandalltheinsultandpersistedtodowhatevershecantohelpothers,whichfinallywonheracknowledgementamongthepublic.ThebadgeofshameAwasthesymbolofhercalling,andmanytownpeoplerefusedtointerpretthescarletAbyitsoriginalmeaning.Theysaidthatitmeant“Able”.

Asayounggirl,knowingnothingabouttrueloveandmarriage,HesterwasintroducedtoknowMr.Prynnebutdidn’tlovehimatall.Latershewarwroughtupontomarryherhusband,“amanwithpale,thin,scholarlikevisageandwasslightlydeformed,withtheleftshouldertriflehigherthantheright.”Afterhermarriage,Hester’shusband,Chillingworth,gavehisbestyearstofeedthehungrydreamofknowledgebyspendingmostofhistimeingreatlibrariesoronthinking.Thebook-wormlovedbooksbetterthanlovingHester,whichmadeHesterfeelnolovethatshouldbegivenbyahusbandandheryouthfulvigorwasruinedbythetwistedmarriage.

HesterarrivedatNewEnglandtwoyearsearlierbeforeherhusbandand“notidingshavecomeofthislearnedgentleman”withinthatperiods.So,itisnaturalforyoungandbeautifulHestertofallinlovewithahandsomeyoungman.HerlongingforperfectmarriageandhusbandexistinginherunconsciouspartwasarousedbyDimmesdale.TheimpulsesofherpassionbrokethroughthecontrolofmoralityandinhibitionandmadeherlosehersensesbyhavinganadulterousaffairwithMasterDimmesdale.Hester’ssin,actually,isasinofpassion,whichisinharmonywithnatureandhumannature.Heraffectionisanoutletofherinstinctandamanifestationofhervigor.Fromthisunderstanding,wemaysaythatHesterisnotsinfulatall.And,Hesterispraisedbymostcriticsforhervirtues.Shewasregardedasa“tragedyheroine”byArthurMiller.Shewasalsocalled“SinfulAngel”bytheChinesecriticDuanHuaiqing.AndHesterwas,inthewordsofRenXiaojingandWeiLing,“anindomitableAmazon.”

HesterhadastrongercharacterthanChillingworthandDimmesdalebecauseheraffectionbestowedherpowerofhumannatureandspiritofrebellion.ThispowerofhumannaturegaveHesteranewspirituallife,makinghertreatherpassionanddesireaffirmatively.HerrecognitionofhumannaturegaveherstrengthtohelpDimmesdalefromthetortureofChillingworth,tellingDimmesdale’sviciouspurpose,planningtorunawaytogetherandaccompanyingDimmesdalewhenhegavehislastconfession.Alltheseincidents,alongwithHester’sbeauty,loyaltytolove,couragetopursuehappiness,andhercalmnessanddignitypresentedindifficulties,reflectHester’sperfecthumannaturethoroughly.

2.2DualPersonalitiesofDimmesdale

2.2.1ACowardlySinner

Aftertheadulteryaffairwasbroughttolight,beingcowardly,Dimmesdaledidn’tdaretostepforward,however,Hester,awomanusuallyconsideredweak,inordertoprotectDimmesdale,tookallthepunishment,theresponsibilityfortheinfantalone.Therefore,Dimmesdalebecameasinner,theoriginalreasonwasthathedeniedhisrelationshipwithHesterandPearl,hisdaughter,whichisthemostnaturalandharmonioushumanrelation.Heabandonedlove,andchosetheworldlyindifferencetoreturnforHesterandPearl’saffection.Hesometimesimpliedhissinandgavevagueconfessiononthepulpit,whichonlybroughtanothers