An Analysis of Puritanism and Hawthornes Contradictory.docx

An Analysis of Puritanism and Hawthornes Contradictory.docx

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AnAnalysisofPuritanismandHawthornesContradictory

AnAnalysisofPuritanismandHawthorne’sContradictory

ReligiousThoughtsinTheScarletLetter

1.Introduction

NathanielHawthorne（1804—1864）isanoutstandingrepresentativeofAmericanRomanticwritersinthelateof19thcenturyandoneofthefoundersofAmericanliterature.Intheearlyof17thcentury,Hawthorne’sancestorshadimmigratedtotheUnitedStates.Hisfamilywasprominentandrichmorethantwocenturiesandbegantodeclineuntilthe19thcentury.GenerationsofhisancestorswerefanaticalPuritan,whichtwogenerationsofancestorsweretheleadingfiguresoftheocraticauthorityofNewEngland.StrongreligiousatmosphereandtheintensestruggleofreligiousdenominationsaredeeplyaffectedHawthorne’snovelcreation.

Atpresent,alargenumberofdomestictranslationsandstudiesofHawthorne’sworkshaveyieldedfruitfulresults.WhenreviewthestudiestowardsHawthornethroughoutthedecades,althoughsomepeopleexplorethePuritanismandreligiousthoughtsreflectedinhisworks,thatisfarfromsystematicandcomprehensive.ThearticleattemptstoprobeintothePuritanismandHawthorne’scontradictoryreligiousthoughtsreflectedinTheScarletLetteronthebasisofpreviousstudiesandtomakemorepeopleknowHawthornedeeply.

2.Puritanism

PuritanismisoneoftheProtestantfactions.ItstartsinthesixteenthcenturyasamovementtoreformtheChurchofEngland.Becauseofthedissatisfactionwiththereformofchurch,Puritansrequiredpunishingthecorruption,buttheyfailedandfledtotheAmericancontinent.Atthattime,thePuritansconstitutedthemainpartoftheNorthAmericanimmigrantsandPuritanismbecamethecommonvalueofpeople.Theypromotetheconceptofpiety,humility,seriousness,honesty,diligenceandfrugality.Inspiredbythesevalues,thePuritansovercamedifficulties,andsoonharvestedprosperityandwealth.Therefore,theyaremoreconvincedofPuritanism,andexpandedtheirterritoryambitious,andAmericanhistoryisindeedthehistoryofcontinuouswestwardexpansion.WestwardMovementisnotonlymakingtheUnitedStatesbecomeagreatcountry,butalsospreadthevalues​​ofPuritanismtoabroaderspace.

Puritanismisnotastrictsenseoffactions,justanattitudeandavalue.Puritanarethemostdevoutandholyprotestants.TheybelievedthathumanbeingswerepredestinedbyGodbeforetheywereborn.SomewereGod'schosenpeople.Thesuccessofone'sworkortheprosperityinhiscallingisgivenbytheGod.Therefore,everyonemustworkhard.Workinghardandlivingamorallifeweretheirethics.TothePuritans,apersonbynaturewaswhollysinful,sotheyalsoadvocatedself-disciplineandintrospection.TheyregardedBibletobetheauthorityoftheirdoctrine.TobeabletoreadtheBibleandunderstandGod'swill,educationwasessentialforPuritans.

Puritansadvocateforcommercialandindustrialactivities.Incommercialactivities,theyarehonestandtrustworthy,andcherishtheirreputations,neverswindling.Puritanentrepreneursarenotonlytomaximizetheprofit,butalsotoassumesocialresponsibilityandsupportsocialjustice.Theymake​​agreatcontributiontosocialpublicwelfareundertakings.

Tosumup,Puritanismisnotonlyareligiousconcept,butalsoaphilosophy,awayoflifeandavalue.Thepuritansalwaysdeveloptheirbusinessandpioneerterritorywithasenseofmissionandsanctity.Theyalwaysliveaholyandrighteouslife.TheymakegreatcontributiontoAmericaandalsotothedevelopmentofthemarketeconomy.

3.ThePuritanisminTheScarletLetter

PuritanismacceptedtheinterpretationsofJohnCalvinonthenatureofman,freewillandpredestination,andotherbasicconcepts,whichhadaprofoundinfluenceonthesocial,political,ethical,andtheologicalideasofEnglandandAmerica.ThePuritansbelievedintheBible,strictlyinaccordancewiththeBibletobuildtheirtheologicalsystem.Duetofamily,socialandbackground,Hawthorne’snovelswerepermeatedwithstrongatmosphereofthePuritanism.

3.1Awarenessofthe“originalsin”inTheScarletLetter

TheBiblesays“Therefore,justasthesincameintotheworldthoughonemananddeathcamethoughsin,andsodeathspreadtoallbecauseallhavesinned.Sinwasindeedintheworldbeforethelaw,butsinisnotreckonedwhenthereisnolaw.YetdeathexerciseddominionfromAdamtoMoses,evenoverthosewhosesinswerenotliketransgressionofAdam,whoisatypeoftheonewhowastocome.”（TheBible,1998:

270-271）BecauseofthesinofAdamandEve,EveryonehastheoriginalsinandthisisabasicdoctrineofChristianity.Hawthorne’smoralityisbasedonthisreligiousdoctrineandthesenseof“originalsin”occupiesthecentralpositioninhisethics.HebelievesthateveryoneisguiltyanddeservesthepunishmentfromtheGod.Hawthorneregardedtheevilasasnakeintheheartwhichtortureshumansoulallthetime.

OpeningHawthorne’smasterpieceTheScarletLetter,whatcatchesthereaders’eyeisthefollowingsentences“Thefoundersofanewcolony,whateverUtopiaofhumanvirtueandhappinesstheymightoriginallyproject,haveinvariablyrecognizeditamongtheirearliestpracticalnecessitiestoallotaportionofthevirginsoilasacemetery,andanotherportionasthesiteofaprison.”（Hawthorne,2005:

2）ThisindicatesthebasicattitudeofHawthornethateveryonehastheoriginalsin.ThecharactersofTheScarletLetteralsoconfirmedthisview.WhetherthemartyrasHesterPrynneortheserpentasRogerChillingworth,weatherthegovernorortheordinaryspectators,theyareallguilty.However,thesinsofsomepeoplelikeHesterPrynnecanbeseen;andthesinsofsomepeopleliketheArthurDimmesdaleishided;butmorepeoplesuchasChillingwortharenotawareoftheirownsin.Heisoriginallyavictim,buthismindwasoverwhelmedoftheideaofrevenge,eventuallycommittedtheunpardonablesin---destroyedothers’soul.

WecanseefromTheScarletLetter,Hawthornepaidmoreattentiontoexploretheevilwhichhidesinpeople’sheartwhenstudythesinofhumanbeings.Hebelievesthateveryonehashiddensin,andthepurityofappearanceisjustanillusion.Humanbeingsarethecarriersofsin.Theevilabsolutelyexist,justperformsindifferentways.

ArthurDimmesdaleinTheScarletLetterisarepresentativeofhiddensin.Henotonlyhadnocouragetoadmithissin,butalsofoundexcusesforhimself.Hesetatheorytoescapethesanctionsofmoralityandlaw,however,hisheartsubjectedtothepunishmentfromtheGodallthetime,sufferingthetortureofconscienceuntilnervousbreakdown.Beforehisdeath,hefinallysummoneduptopublichissin,andtookhisbehaviorasanexampletomakepeoplebelievethatintheheartoftheGod,weareallsinners.

Hawthorne’screationwasdeeplyinfluencedbythe“originalsin”.The“originalsin”madehimknowthenatureofthehumanbeingsmoreclearly,andalsomadehimhasadifferentunderstandingofpeople’sevil.However,duetotheaddictionto“originalsin”,Hawthornecan’tunderstandthesocietyobjectively,onlystayedintheabstractdiscussionofit.Heattributedallsocialcontradictions,conflictsandvariousmanifestationsofcrimetotheevil.Thisresultedthatheoftenhoveredinthetragedyandholdapessimisticattitudetowardshumanbeingsandlife.Sohisnovelsoftentakeonnegativeandgloomyatmosphere.

3.2Self-redemptionofthesin

Calvinthinkseveryonehasthesin,sotheyneedtoredeem.However,theonlywayofredemptionistobelieveinJesus.Jesusdiedforhumanbeings,contactingthemwiththeGod,andmadetheGodreconcilewithhumans.AsthechaptersixofRomansinNewTestamentofBiblesaid“DyingandRisingwithChrist”（TheBible,1998:

271）.Hawthornealsobelievesthatthesincanberedeemed.Hethinksthatpeopleshouldconsciouslytoredeemandmakethesoultobesaved.Headvocatesredeemingthroughconfessionandgooddeeds.InTheScarletLetter,HestercouldhavelefttheNewEnglandandstartedanewlifeinotherplaceaftershewasreleasedfromprison,however,shedidnotchoosetoleavetheNewEngland,theplacewhereshecommitted.Shewantedtoseekforgivenessinhere.Shemovedtothecottagealongseaside,awayfromthehubbub,quietlylivingarepentantlife.Inthislongperiodofsevenyears,shewasovercomelonelinessandcontemptwhichtheordinarypeoplecan’tstand.SheearnedmeagerincomebysewingtofeedthePearl,andcontinuetoaidthepoor.Hergooddeedsandbeautifulvirtuesreducedhersinandpurifiedhersoul.Thescarletletter“A”wearingonherchestwasnolongerasignofadultery,butbecameasymbolofAbleandAngel.

Hawthornefurtherstressedthatpeopleshouldbehonesttofacetheirownsin,sothattheyhavehopetobesaved.ArthurDimmesdaleasapastorintheearlystageoftheNewEnglandcolonialenjoyedahighsocialstatus.Heiswisdom,knowledgeableandhissermonsalwaystouchedmanyparishioners.However,whatbehindtheholyreputationwasasinnerwhowassufferingthetormentofthesoulallthetime.Hehadbeenawareofhissins,butdidnotwanttolosethereputationandstatus.Overtheyearshisconsciencehadnotbeenabletoovercomethehypocrisyandselfishness.Forfearofbeingcastside,hehadnocouragetostandouttobearsinwithHester.HetoldChristiansthattheyshouldrepent,whileinhisheartconcealedabigsecret.Inordertopunishhimselfandrepentsins,hefasted,introspectedandwhippedhimselfbehindcloseddoor.Hispainevenreachedtosuchanextent:

itseemsthatbecauseofhisdishonesty,theentireworldishypocritical.However,thepainofthebodycouldnotpurifyhimselfandrel