《红字》中丁梅斯代尔的性格解析.docx
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《红字》中丁梅斯代尔的性格解析
TheUniqueCharacterofHesterPrynne
intheScarletLetter
INathanielHawthorneandtheScarletLetter
WiththepublicationoftheScarletLetter,NathanielHawthornebecameoneofthegreatestwriteratthattimeandbuilthisreputationasamajorAmericanauthor.Sincethenpeoplebegantotakegreatinterestinallaspectsofhislifeandbiographicalandcriticalstudieshavebeenwrittenabouthimandhisworks,whichmakehimbecomemoreandmorefamousandpopular.Moreover,manypeoplehaveshownanever-increasinginterestinhisworks.InthehistoryofAmericanliteratureduringtheromantic,NathanielHawthorneranksfirstinalmosteveryone’smind.
HawthornewasbornonthefourthofJuly,in1840inSalem,Massachusetts;someofhisancestorswereprominentinthePuritantheocracyofseventeenthcenturyNewEngland.OneofhisancestorswasacolonialmagistratenotoriousforhisparticipationinthepersecutionofQuakers,andanotherwasajudgeattheSalemWitchcraftTrailin1692.Gradually,thefamilybegantodecline.Hawthorne’sfatherwasaseacaptainwhodiedinanaccidentandlefthismotherandhimselfalone.YoungHawthornewasawareofthemisdeedsofhisPuritanancestorsandgreatinfluencedbythem.
InBowdoinCollegehedevelopedfriendshipwithmanyimportantpersonswhohadallexertedinfluenceonhislifeandcreation.From1825to1837Hawthornelivedinsolitudeandseclusion,andreadwidely.Inprocessofprobingintothenatureofhumanbeings,hesuccessfullycreatedatypicalwomanwholeftdeepimpressiononpeople.
ThestoryoftheScarletLetterbeginsinseventeenth-centuryBoston,apuritansettlement.HesterPrynneisawomanwhoisledfromthetownprisonwithherillegalinfantdaughter,Pearl.HesterPrynneisfoundguiltyofhavingbeenadulterousandissentencedtowearascarletlettertoshowhersin.Hester’shusband,ascholarmucholderthanher,sendsheraheadtoAmerica,butheneverarrivesinBoston,becausehehasbeenlostatsea.Whilewaitingforherhusband,HesterhasaloveaffairwithayoungministerArthurDimmesdale.Hester’shusband,whoisnowpracticingmedicineandcallinghimselfRogerChillingworthtriestorevealthetruecriminalandmakeshisrevenge.Dimmesdaleseekstohidehissin,upholdingtherightnessofhisministryastheexcuse.However,heappearstobewastingawayandsuffersfrommysterioushearttrouble,seeminglycausedbypsychologicaldistress.ThissecretdoesnotfleefromtheterribleperceptionofHester’shusband,Chillingworth.Makinguseofhisprofession,hedestroysDimmesdalestepbystepuntildeathandinthiswayChillingworthchangesfromavictimintoadevil.Inthemeantime,Hesteracquiresarealsignificancewhenshereestablishesameaningfulrelationshipwithherfellowmen.
SincetheScarletLetterwaspublishedithasbeenregardedasoneofthegreatestworksinAmericanliterature.ThroughtheanalysisofthemaincharactersandthedifferentmeaningsofthescarletletterA,wecanseeHawthorneisamasterofsymbolism,andhisinfluencehasbeengreat.
IITheUniqueCharacterofHesterintheScarletLetter
TheScarletLetterfocusesonthethemeofguiltandpunishmentanddescribesamovinglovestory.Theauthorcreatedsuccessfullyatypicalwoman,HesterPrynne,wholeftadeepimpressiononthereaders.
2.1Hester’sFirmness
Hesterisawomanwhohasgreatcouragetodevotetotruelove,awomanwhoexperienceshardlifeandlongsforfreedom.Shelovesherlife,andnomatterhowdifficultitis,shetriesherbesttostruggleagainsttheadversity.
Thebeginningofthestory,whichgivesmanydescriptionsontheappearanceofHesterPrynne.Itreadsthat,
Thedoorofjailbeingflungopenfromwithin,thereappeared,HesterPrynnewhoboreinherarmsachild,ababyofsomethreemonthsold.Onthethresholdoftheprison-door,sherepelledthetown-beadlebyanactionmarkedwithnaturaldignityandforceofcharacter,andsteppedintotheopenairasifbyownfreewill,whenHesterPrynnefinallystandsonthescaffold.Sheiscrowdedbymanypeople.①
WecanseethatHestersustainsherselfundertheheavyweightofathousandandunrelentingeyes,allfixeduponher,andconcentrateuponherbosom.It’salmostintolerabletoher,buttooursurpriseisthatwhenshestoodfullybeforethecrowd,
Withaburningblush,andahaughtysmile,andaglancethatwouldnotbeabashed,lookedaroundathertownspeopleandneighbors.Onthebreastofhergown,infineredcloth,surroundedwithelaborateembroideryandfantasticflourishesofgoldthread,appearedtheletterA.TheYoungwomanwastall.Withafigureofperfecteleganceonalargescalewhowaslady-like.Characterizedbyacertainstateanddignity,ratherthanbythedelicate,evanescent,andindescribablegrace.②
ObviouslyHesterwantedtodisplayherchallengestothewholedismalseverityofthepuritanicalcodeoflaw.
Inaddition,Hester’sdependenceandself-reliancewerealsoreflectedinherhardlife.Afterhavingexperiencedhardlifeandsufferedinsultandpersecution,shewentonlivingbravelyindifficultiesandhardships,andshefacedherexistenceasahumanbeingratherthanescapedandcommittedsuicide.Sheneverquarreledwiththepublic,anddidnotseektoacquireanythingbeyondsubsistence.Withthedevelopmentofthestory,theauthorconstantlyendowstheletterAwithnewmeanings,whichChangesfromasymbolofshametoatokenofbeauty,Hester’slifeeventuallyacquiresarealsignificanceandtheletterAonherbreastchangesfrom“Adultery”to“Able”and“Angel”.
Hester’sfirmconvictionkeepsHesterinBostonclosetoDimmesdaleallthoselong,sadyears.
Thetendencyofherfateandfortuneshadbeentosetherfree…shame,Despair,Solitude!
③
Thosehadbeenherteachers,andshelearnedfromthemandtheyhadmadeherstrong.
2.2Hester’sRebellion
Hesterisrebellious,andinasense,herrebelliousactionsmarkthematurityofherself.Hester’sfirstrebellionisseeninchaptersevenattheGovernor’sHall.InordertodefendherrighttoraisePearl,Hesterdoesn’tfearintheconfrontationwithGovernorBellingham.Althoughsheisaloneintheworldandcastedoffbyit,shefeelsthatshepossessesindefeasiblerightsagainsttheworld,andisreadytodefendthemtothedeath.Furthermore,Pearlisherverylife,heronlytreasurepurchasedwithallshehadandtheonlythingtoconnectherparentsforever,soalthoughHesterisisolatedandcastofffromhelpanditseemsscarcelyanunequalmatchbetweenthePuritanicalMagistrates,HesterPrynnestillsetforthfromhersolitarycottageandgetsreadytodefendherself.AtGovernor’sHallHesterrealizesthatshehastheresponsibilityandcapacitytobringupthechild,sosherepeals,raisinghervoicealmosttoashriek.“Godgaveherintomykeeping;Iwillnotgiveherup!
”④Herextraordinarycourageandrebelliousspiritwererevealedcompletely.
Hester’ssecondrebellionisshowedbyexposingherformerhusband,thetrueidentityofChillingworth.
IthasbeensevenyearssinceHesterPrynnewasreleasedfromthejail.Sevenyearsago,whenHesterPrynnewasstillinprison,herformerhusbandChillingworthcametotheprisonandtalkedwithher,askingHestertohidehistrueidentity.ThelifeandfameofDimmesdalewereinhishands,soinordernottodestroyherlover,HesterhadnochoicebuttomakeapromisetoChillingworth.Insomesenses,HesterPrynnewasrightandwasworthyofunderstanding.Moreover,atthattimeshedidn’tknowCillingworth’srealmotiveofdoingthis.Butwhenshehadwitnessedthemiseryoftheminister,shebegantorealizeherhusband’struepurpose.MoreoverDimmesdalewasalmostonthevergeoflunacy;hegottofurtherinternalizehisguiltandself-punishmentandledtostillmoredeteriorationinhisphysicalandspiritualcondition.Hesterwasupsetinmindandwasafraidoflosingherbeloved.Therefore,shedeterminedtoredeemhererrortostopChillingworthfromhurtingDimmesdalefurther.Weweretoldthatinchapterfourteen,HesterandthePhysician.
WhenwelastspokentogethersaidHesternowsevenyearsago,itwasyourpleasuretoextortapromiseofsecrecy.Astouchingtheformerrelationsbetwixtyourselfandme.Ihavetobesilent,yetitwasnotwithoutheavymisgivingsthatIthusboundmyself.HoweverInpledgingmyselftokeepyourcounselIwasbetrayinghim…ImustrevealthesecretansweredHesterfirmly.⑤
Finally,HesterPrynneresolvedtomeetChillingworth,anddowhatmightbeinherpowerfortherescueofthevictimonwhomhehadsoevidentlysethisgripe.WedaresaythatHester’srupturewithChillingworthjustsymbolized.“Divorce”–theactiononlymodernwomandaretotake.Meanwhile,itmanifestedthatthereexistedindeedfeministideasinHester’smind.
ThethirdrebellionofHesterPrynnewasfiercer,reflectinghertenaciousdesireandradicalthought.ShepersuadedtheministerDimmesdaletopursueanewLifewithher.Nomatterhowdifficultitis,shewantstolookforanewwayoflifewithherbeloved.
Istheworldthen,sonarrow?
DoththeUniverseLiewithinthecompassofyonderlawn;whitherleadsyonderforesttrack?
Therethouartfree!
SobriefaJourneywouldbringtheefromaworldwherethoumayeststillbehappy.⑥
Dimmesdale’sinnerworldwasfullofconflictsbetweennaturalattributeandsocialattribute,suchasimpulseandrepentance,honestyandhypocrisy,loveandreligiousdoctrine,Dimmesdaledidn’twanttoconfessthis,sohechosetoconcealit,thusbecameweakerandmoredependentuponPuritancreedforsevenyears.ItwasmuchtoberegrettedthatDimmesdaleavictimofreligionsbeliefthoughtthathewaspowerlesstogo