关于霍桑作品的基本主题1.docx

关于霍桑作品的基本主题1.docx

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关于霍桑作品的基本主题1

关于霍桑作品的基本主题

（1）

　　Abstract：

NathanielHawthorne’swholelifeisperplexedbyhumanbeings’sinandevil.Hisdeep-rootedconsciousnessofPuritanismisshowninhisworks,andtheseextraordinaryworkshaveasimilartheme,namely,theprocessfromtheoriginalsintoredemption.Inthefirstpartofthispaper,theauthordiscussesthebasicthemerepresentedinHawthorne’sshortstoriesincludingYoungGoodmanBrown,TheMinister’sBlackVeil,Egotism or theBosomSerpent,RogerMelvin’sBurialandhismasterpieceTheScarletLetter.Moreover,theauthorsummarizesdiscrepanciesamongthesefiveworksalthoughtheyhaveacommonsubjectofsin.ThesecondpartfocusesonthereasonswhyNathanielHawthornechoosessuchabasictheme.HawthorneisadescendantofthePuritansandlivesinaPuritantown,sothePuritanheritageplaysalargepartinhislifeandliteraryworks.Andthethemeisinfluencedbyhisfamilylifeaswellashisownhermitlife.Furthermore,thefrequentrecollectionofhissinfulancestorsurgesHawthornetosetsuchagloomybasictheme.Andthelastreasonistomoralizepeopletogetawayfromsinfulbehavior.Inthelastpartofthispaper,theauthorilluminatesthesignificanceofHawthorne’sbasictheme.ThewholepaperisaimedathelpingreaderstobetterunderstandandappreciateHawthorne’sworks.

　　Keywords:

basictheme,sin,expiation,redemption,Puritan,Calvinism

　　论文摘要:

纳撒尼尔••霍桑是美国19世纪影响最伟大的浪漫主义小说家，同时又是一个深受新英格兰清教传统影响的作家。

他多以加尔文教派的善恶观念来认识社会和整个世界，几乎倾其一生致力于探讨人性中的罪恶这一问题。

他的作品反应了他根深蒂固的清教主义思想，因此很多作品都表现了一个相似的基本主题——原罪-赎罪-救赎。

该论文的第一部分以霍桑的五部作品为例--《好人布朗》、《胸中的蛇》、《教长的黑面纱》、《罗杰麦文的葬礼》、以及最著名的《红字》—来探讨他的上述基本主题，并归纳出这五部作品的精神意义。

论文的第二部分通过霍桑家乡的所在地，家庭背景，和霍桑祖先的行为分析了霍桑选择这一主题的原因和清教徒迫害异端的事件对霍桑的思想所产生的深刻影响。

而在最后一部分，论文阐释了霍桑这一基本主题的社会意义和人文意义。

霍桑的作品中渗透着加尔文教派中关于“原罪”、“彻底堕落”等教义的观念”，略显隐晦难懂，本论文的目的在于帮助读者更好的理解和欣赏霍桑的作品及其意义。

　　论文关键词：

基本主题 原罪 悔罪 救赎 清教 加尔文教

　　Ⅰ.Introduction

　　NathanielHawthorneisagreatbrilliantAmericanwriterfullofinspirationandtalent.HeishonoredasoneofthebestandmostimportantnovelistofAmericainthe19thcenturyand“thegreatestimaginativegeniussinceShakespeare”.Nevertheless,manyreaders,whileappreciatinghisexcellentartistictechniques,findhisworksverydifficulttounderstand.Theobstacles,asfarasIamconcerned,areprobablyduetoHawthorne’sbasicthemewhichisrelatedwithCalvinism;thereforeitisnecessarytodeeplyexploreit.Ibelievethattheresultoftheexplorationwillhelpthereadertounderstandthisgreatgeniusmoredeeplyandtoappreciatehisworksbetter.

　　Ⅱ.ThebasicthemeofHawthorne’swritings

　　AccordingtoChristianity,eversinceAdamandEvearedeceivedbySatanintoeatingthefruitandexpelledfromtheGardenofEdenbyGod,evilhasenteredtheworld,andhumanbeingsaredoomedtocarrytheburdenofsin.DeeplyinfluencedbyChristianity,HawthorneputstheCalvinismideaoforiginalsinanddepravityintohisworks.Inmanyofhisshortstoriesandromances,Hawthornepresentsacentralthemeoforiginalsin,togetherwithanaccompanyingthemeofthehungerforconfessionandexpiation.Hisworksmakeusrealizethatpeoplearebornsinfulandeveryonehassomesecretguiltandsinhiddeninheart,thatsinexistseverywhereintheworld,andthathumanlifeisasufferingjourneyofself-redemption.BycitingthefollowingworksofHawthorne,Iwishtofullydisplayhisbasicthemeofsin-expiation-redemption. 

　　A.YoungGoodmanBrown——Disillusionmentinfaith

　　NathanielHawthorne’sbestshortstoryYoungGoodmanBrowntellsreadersthestoryofthedisillusionmentinfaith,whichcouldbecomprehendedintwoaspects:

thedisillusionmentoftheheroBrown’sfaithofhisown,andthatofhisfaithinothers.GoodmanBrownisanhonestyoungmaninpeople’seyes,butislaterseducedbyevil.Heoncegoestoattendthewitches’Sabbath,buttherehefindsoutsomeguiltysecretsofotherpeople.Hemeetsalltherespectable,reputable,andpiouspersonsofthevillageincludingtheladyofgovernor,wivesofhonoredhusband,excellentfairyounggirls,andchurchmembersofthevillagefamousfortheirespecialsanctity.Tohisgreatersurprise,heevenseeshisnewlymarriedwife,thepureandsweetestFaith.Therefore,Brownrealizestheevilofothersandcannotbelieveingoodinhimselfandinothers.Inthestory,Hawthornecreatesa“darkfigure”totellBrown, or ratherthereadersthefollowingwords:

　　“Thereareallwhomyehavereverencedfromyouth.Yedeemedthemholierthanyourselves,andshrankfromyourownsin,contrastingitwiththeirlivesofrighteousnessandprayerfulaspirationsheavenward.Yetherearetheyallinmyworshipingassembly.Thisnightitshallbegrantedyoutoknowtheirsecretdeeds:

howhoary-beardedeldersofthechurchhavewhisperedwantonwordstotheyoungmaidsoftheirhousehold;howawoman,eagerforwidow’sweeds,hasgivenherhusbandadrinkatbedtimeandlethimsleephislastsleepinherboson,howbeardlessyouthshavemadehastetoinherittheirfather’swealth;andhowfairdamsels—blushnot,sweetones---haveduglittlegravesinthegardenandbiddenmethesoleguesttoaninfant’sfuneral.Bythesympathyofyourhumanheartsforsinyeshallscentoutalltheplaces---whetherinchurch,bedchamber,street,field, or forest---wherecrimehasbeencommitted,andshallexulttobeholdthewholeearthonestainofguilt,onemightybloodspot.Farmorethanthis,itshallbeyourstopenetrate,ineverybosom,thedeepmysteryofsin,thefountainofallwickedarts,andwhichinexhaustiblysuppliesmoreevilimpulsesthanhumanpowercanmakemanifestindeed.”

　　Inthisstory,attendingtheSabbathcouldbeactuallyconsideredas“aspiritualjourneyforexploringthetruthofhumanworld”,whichisfilledwithsinandguilt.AndwecanalsoconcludethatthepathintheforestsymbolizesadarkjourneyofBrowntomeetthedeepmysteryoforiginalsin.FromtheangleoforiginalsinofPuritanism,thisjourneymakeshimagonybecausehefindsthedarknessandsininthedeepheartofhumanbeings.

　　Fromthemomenthedecidestoleavehiswife,Faith,Brownbetrayshisfaith.Moreover,whilehelooksathiswifeandotherpeoplearoundhimwithsuspicioussightthenextmorning,theinnocentBrownchangescompletelyintoanotherperson,gloomyandunbelieving.ThoughthisyoungmanisstillcalledGoodmanBrown,thereadersknowthereinnogoodmaninrealityandthateveryoneissinful.

　　B.TheMinister’sBlackVeil——Revelationofsin

　　Hawthorne’s“TheMinister’sBlackVeil”isregardedasoneoftheearliestandgreatestAmericanshortstories.LikemanyofHawthorne’sstories,thenatureofsecretsinandhumans’fallennaturearethemaintheme,whilethisstoryisspeciallyfocusedontherevelationofsininpeople’sheart.Theyoungrespectableministeronedaysuddenlyputsablackveilonhisfaceandcontinuestowearituntilhedies.Thoughseverelycriticized,heneverexplainswhyhedoesso.Yettheauthorgivesthereadersahintthathestartstoweartheblackveilonthedayayounggirlinhisparishdies,leadingthereadertorealizethattheministerhassomesecretguiltconnectingwiththedeadgirl.Atthelastmomentofhislife,theministersaystothepeoplearoundhim,“Whydoyoutrembleatmealone?

Tremblealsoateachother!

...Whenthefriendshowshisinmosthearttohisfriend;thelovertohisbestbeloved;whenmandoesnotvainlyshrinkfromeyeofhisCreator,loathsomelytreasuringupthesecretofhissin;thendeemmeamonster,forthesymbolbeneathwhichIhavelived,anddie!

”Mr.Hooper’sdeathbedremarksshowthatheintendstheblackveiltosymbolizethesecretsinwhichallmen“loathsomelytreasureup”intheirhearts.

　　Mr.Hooperrevealshissinbywearingaveilforalifelongtime,andthesinsofpeopleinhisparisharerevealedbyfeelingfrightenedofHooper’sveil,becauseonlythosepeoplewhohidetheirsinsdeeplyintheirheartswouldbeafraidofthesightofMr.Hooperbehindhisveil.Onthewedding,“hisframeshuddered—hislipsgrewwhite—hespilttheuntastedwineuponthecarpet—andrushedforthintothedarkness”.Hisbehaviorarousesawarenessofthemajorityofpeoplepresentattheweddingthatitisinevitablethateveryoneisasinnerevenincludingtheministerhimself.ThusHoopertearsawaypeople’swrongillusionofapriestwhoisabsolutelyaholyrepresentativeofGod.Heseemstotellthevillagersthat“toerrishuman;toforgiveisdivine”.Hoopergoestogreatlengthstorevealhissininsteadofbeautifyinghimselfjustbecausehehasdiscovered“theEarth,too,hadonherBlackVeil”.

　　WhilemanyreadersconsiderHooperacoward,Iprefertoseehimasarelativelyhonestman.Evenhishiddensintothatyoungladyistrue,theactionofcomingtothelady’sfuneralstillshowshisgutandrepentanceofwhathedoes.Hisconfessionofhissinthroughwearingtheblackveillastsforalife-timelong,whichpresentshishonesty.Thewearingoftheveil,inmypointofview,doesnotindicatethattheministerdespairsofhisownandhiscongregation’ssalvation.Onthecontrary,itismotivatedbyhishopeforpeaceofmindintheafterlife:

“Itisbutamortalveil—itisnotforeternity!

”Comparedwiththosewhokeeptheirsinsecretinheart,Mr.Hooperhasthewillingnesstoremedyhismistake,whichismoreadmirableandvenerable.

　　C.Egotism, or theBosomSerpent——Perceptivityonsins

　　Anotherexample,theshortstory‘Egotism or theBosomSerpent’alsoclearlyshowsHawthorne’sblacktheme.Heprovidesaverypowerfulinsightintotheself-obsessionknownasegotism.TheheroRoderickEllistonisestrangedfromhiswife,andfromthenon,asingulargloomspreadsoverhisdailylife.Hebelievesthatthereisaliveserpentinhisbosomperpetuallygnawinghim.Itleaveshimonlywhenheisabletomeethiswifeagainandforgetshisobsessionwithhisownills.Actuallythesnakeisthesymbolofpeople’sinnermostsinfulconsciousness.Asallpeoplearesinful,theyhavesnakesintheirhearts,too.SinceRoderickhimselfkeepstheguiltyandsinfulsenseinhisbosom,hehasabetterperceptivityofthesinscommitted,andhecanseekouthisowndiseaseineverybreast.Whenhemeetsanindividualwhoforthirtyyearshascherishedhatredagainsthisownbrother,heimmediatelyperceivesthatthereisaserpentintheman’sheartwhichisgnawinghim,too.Whenheencountersanambitiousstatement,heaffirmsthatthegentleman’sserpentmustbeofthespeciesoftheboaconstrictor,“foritsappetiteisenormousenoughtodevourthewholecountryandconstitution.”Onceheassures“aclose-fistedoldfellow,ofgreatwealth,butwhoskulksaboutthecityintheguiseofascarecrow,withapatchedbluecoat,brownhatandmouldboots,scrapingpencetogetherandpickinguprustynails”thathisserpentisacopper-hand,andhasbeengeneratedbytheimmensequantitiesofthatbasementalitywithwhichhedailydefileshisfingers.Onanotheroccasionhetellsanenviousauthor,whodepreciatesworkswhichhecouldneverequal,that“hissnakeistheslimiestandthefilthiestofallthereptiletribebutisfortunatelywithoutsting”.Hewarnsafairyounggirlthatshecherishesaserpentofthedeadestkindwithinhisbosom,andafewmonthslater,thepoorgirldiesofloveandshame.Hemakestwoladies,“rivalsinfashionablelife,whotormentedoneanotherwithathousandlittlestingsofwomanishspite”,understandsthateachoftheirheartsis“anestofdiminutivesnakewhichdoesquiteasmuchmischiefasonegreatone”.Inthisway,hemakeshisownserpent,ifherea