OntheSymbolismintheScarletLetter.docx

OntheSymbolismintheScarletLetter.docx

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OntheSymbolismintheScarletLetter

OntheSymbolismintheScarletLetter

Writtenby:

LiYanwei

Supervisedby:

ZhengGaohong

EnglishDepartment

CollegeofAdultEducation

AnhuiNormalUniversity

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

OntheSymbolismintheScarletLetter

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"A",thefourmajorcharacters,andtheobjects.Thescarletletteristhecentralsymbolofthenovel.Itissymbolicmeaningchangesfrom"adultery"to"able",even"angel"inthenovel.ItalsoexaminesthesymbolicmeaningsoflittlePearlandsometypicalnaturalsurroundingssuchasthejail,theforest,thescaffoldandsoon.Thisnovelhasaveryimportantsymbolicsignificance.

Meanwhile,theScarletLetterdepictsthreekindsofcriminalsinthepuritansociety;theyareHesterwhomakesasinofadultery,Dimmesdalewhomakesasinofcheating,andChillingworthwhomakesasinofvengeance.Itprobesdeeplyintotheessenceofthepuritancommunity,revealsthecrueltyoflawintheCapitalistsociety,thereligiouscheatingandhypocriticalmorality.

Chapter2TheSymbolismoftheLetter"A"

2.1"A"for"Adultery""shame"and"humannature"

ThenovelopenswithHesterbeingledtothescaffold.Theletter"A"whichisworninHester'schestisasymbolofheradulteryagainstRogerChillingworth.Asapuritanpunishmentwayoftheadultery,itisherpunishmenttoweartheletter"A".Andsheisforcedtowearthescarletletteronherbosomallthetime.AndthepurposeofthisletterisashametowearforHester,andmakesherunset."Here,shesaidtoherself,hasbeenthesceneofherguiltthereshouldbeasceneofherearthlypunishment…….".Hesterisashamedathersin,butshechoosesnottodisplayit.Sheadmitsthiscrimeintheheartofpassionandfullyrecognizes.Thoughshefeelscompunction,shealsoacceptshermostvaluabletreasure---Pearl.Withthissituation,manypeoplewillleaveBostontofindaplacewhereisremoteandnooneknowshersin,andhidehercharacterandidentityunderanewexterior,orshecanemergeintoanotherstatewhereshecouldalooffromthelawthatcondemnsher.However,Hesterchoosestostaywhichindicatesthatshehasalotofstrengthandintegrity.What'smore,theletter"A"isnaturalratherthanbeingexoticandluridasthecommunitysees,andthosethingsassociatedwiththem---passionandsexualityinparticular---arenaturaltohumannature.ifweseetheletter"A"asasymbolofhumannature,thenHesterseestheletter"A"aspunishmentandshame,thecommunityshowsitashumannatureespeciallypassion,tobedevilish.

2.2"A"for"Able""Angel""Arthur"

Then,Theletter"A"standsforAble,Angel,andArthur.ThevillagersnowchangetheirmindstobelievethatthescarletletterstandsforHester'sabilityandherbeautifulneedlework."Theletterwasasymbolofhercalling.Suchhelpfulnessisfoundinhersomuchpowertodoandpowertosympathize---thatmanypeoplerefusedtointerpretthescarletletter"A"."（P148）.SotherearemanypeoplerealizedthatHesterhasanoblecharacter.thentheletter"A"symbolizesangelratherthanadultery.Hesterprovidestimeandloveforthepersonwhoneedshermost,whichprovesthatshehasnotdefeatedwhensheencountersmanysuffers.InHester'seyes,theletter"A"alsorepresentsherlover"Arthur".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,