高中英语教学论文 如何看待红字的象征意义.docx

1、高中英语教学论文 如何看待红字的象征意义题 目 The Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter说 明本表需在指导教师和有关领导审查批准的情况下，认真填写。说明课题的来源（自拟题目或指导教师承担的科研任务）、课题研究的目的和意义、课题在国内外研究现状和发展趋势。若课题因故变动时，应向指导教师提出申请，提交题目变动论证报告。课题来源：自拟题目The Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter课题研究的目的和意义： 目的：红字是19世纪杰出浪漫主义小说家霍桑的代表作。小说以其思想性艺术性近乎完美的谐和，在美国文学史上占有重要地位。在这部小说中，霍桑采用象征

2、主义手法使作品蕴涵多重寓意和多元化的主题，并通过特殊命名法刻画人物以突出作品主题。本课题研究希望能通过分析四位主人公名字及字母A的象征意义及内涵，揭示出人们圣徒般的外表下潜藏着的罪恶心灵即揭露人性的恶，并且通过描述主人公的悲惨遭遇，反映出清教殖民统治的黑暗残酷，教会的虚伪丑恶以及 其对人性的迫害。意义：通过对红字的研究，获知霍桑综合运用了希腊神话 圣经故事 谐音以及以词述义 首字母暗含 词形相近等方法来给主要人物命名，使字母A以及人名具有十分丰富的象征意义。准确揭示人名和字母A的象征意义将十分有助于把握作品的主题，从而更深刻体现出在清教统治这个大背景下，社会环境对一系列社会道德规范准则和人的思

3、想形成的影响，使读者更清晰了解小说暗含的诸多社会意义。国内外同类课题研究现状及发展趋势：对于红字的研究一直是国内外文学评论家研究的重点之一。近年来，其研究更是走向成熟和细致化，尤其是红字中象征主义的成功运用已引起相关学者的广泛关注。已有诸多文学评论员撰写了一些研究论文作为课题的专项研究。美国评论家尼娜贝姆教授认为红字是一部描写自然人与社会人分歧的小说。主人公的人物性格象征着其具有的自然或社会属性 ，对于人物心理挣扎的描写象征着其自然属性和社会属性的矛盾与冲突 。在我国，越来越多的作家开始倾向于探索分析红字的深层社会背景。张雅琳著有论红字的清教观，深刻的分析了当时的宗教存在的弊端以及其对人们思想

4、的毒害和侵蚀，为小说中主人公的悲惨遭遇埋下了伏笔并且提供了有力依据。总之，在对红字的研究中可以看出20世纪批评史的缩影，可以肯定今后还会有更多的阐释更多的评论研究此书 。题 目 The Symbolism in The Scarlet LetterContentsAbstract 11. The Brief Introduction of the Novel 12. Introduction About Symbolism 12.1 The Origin of Symbolism 12.2 The Definition of Symbolism 23. The Symbolism in Sca

5、rlet Letter “A” 23.1 The Changes of the Symbolic Meaning of The Scarlet Letter “A”: 23.1.1 Adultery 23.1.2 Alone and Alienation 33.1.3 Able Admirable and Angel 33.2 Biblical Archetype of “A” 44.The Symbolic Meaning of the Four Major Characters Names: 54.1 Hester Prynne 54.2 Arthur Dimmesdale 64.3 Ro

6、ger Chillingworth 74.4 Pearl 85. The Symbolic Meanings of the Objects in the Novel. 11Conclusion 12Bibliography 13Acknowledgments 14Chinese Abstract 15The Symbolism in The Scarlet LetterZheng XinAbstract: The Scarlet Letter that is notable for its allegory and symbolism is regarded as the first symb

7、olic novel in American literature. it is a novel of much symbolic. The novel revolves around one major symbol: the scarlet letter. Besides, some other objects that are described in the novel have their symbolic meanings. Moreover, the names of the four major characters also have their symbolic meani

8、ngs. Hester Prynne contains the meaning of beauty， passion， hasty ，desire and so on. Arthur Dimmesdale means weak ，coward .Roger Chillingworth means cold-blooded and dark .pearl contains the meaning of precious， glorious and some other good virtue .the paper analyzes the symbolic meaning of various

9、characters and scenes in Scarlet Letter ,especially the scarlet letter itself .Hawthorne lies in implying the theme of the novel from different angles through the successful application of symbolism .Key words: scarlet letter name symbolism 1. The Brief Introduction of the NovelHawthorne is an outst

10、anding romantic writer in America .his masterpiece-Scarlet Letter begins in 17th-century puritan Boston , it tells the story of Hester Prynne ,who gives birth after committing adultery , refuses to name the father and struggles to creat a new life of repentance and dignity .the book is full of symbo

11、lism . 2. Introduction About Symbolism2.1 The Origin of Symbolism Symbolism, as a kind of literary trend, begins in the late of 19 century and ends in 1930s . It is an offshoot of modern literature between Europe and America . 2.2 The Definition of SymbolismSymbolism is a kind of literary creative m

12、eans that indirectly expresses authors thought and emotion by means of specific images such as colors , sounds , animals and plants in real world . objective stuff is described through metaphor and implication to arouse the readers association instead of being described directly and simply . it give

13、s the commonplace great artistic power because symbolism can arouse readers rich association and has multiple meanings , which may be its unique charm . Then how does Hawthorne open out the rich signification of the novel through the symbolism in Scarlet Letter?3. The Symbolism in Scarlet Letter “A”

14、3.1 The Changes of the Symbolic Meaning of the Scarlet Letter “A”:In this novel, the scarlet letter A changes its meaning many different times. This change is significant. It shows growth in the characters, and the community in which they live. Firstly, The letter A begins as a symbol of sin. It the

15、n becomes a symbol of alone and alienation, and finally it becomes a symbol of able, angel and admirable.3.1.1 AdulteryThe letter A, worn on Hesters bosom, is a symbol of her adultery against Roger Chillingworth. This is the puritan way of treating her as a criminal for the crime of adultery. The pu

16、ritan treatment continues, because as Hester walks through the streets, she will be looked down upon as if she is some sort of demon from hell that commits a terrible crime. This letter is meant to be worn in shame, and to make Hester feel unwanted. Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of h

17、er guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment Hester is ashamed of her sin, but she chooses not to show it. She commits this sin in the heat of passion, and fully admits it . although she is ashamed, she also receives her greatest treasure, Pearl. She is a very strong woman to be

18、able to hold up so well against what she must face. Many will have fled Boston, and seek a place where no one knows of her great sin. Hester chooses to stay here, which shows a lot of strength and integrity. Any woman with enough nerve to hold up against a town which despises her very existence, and

19、 to stay in a place where her daughter is referred to as a devil child, either has some sort of psychological problem, or is a very tough woman.3.1.2 Alone and AlienationThe scarlet letter A also stands for Hesters lonely life in New England. After she is released, Hester lives in a cottage near the

20、 outskirts of the city. It had been built by an earlier settler, and abandoned, because the soil about it was too sterile for cultivation, while its comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that social activity which already marked the habits of the emigrants.” Hesters social life is virtu

21、ally eliminated as a result of her shameful history. Hester comes to have a part to perform in the world with her native energy of character and rare capacity. However, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom s

22、he came to contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere, or communicated with the common nature by other organs and senses rather than the rest of human kind. She stood apart from moral interests seemed to be the sole portion that

23、 she retained in the universal heart. Hester has no friends in the world, and little Pearl is the only companion of her lonely life, so the scarlet letter “A” also is a symbol of the words “alone” and “alienate”.3.1.3 Able Admirable and AngelLater, the scarlet letter “A” changes its meaning into bei

24、ng able, angel and admirable. The townspeople who condemned her now believe the scarlet letter to stand for her beautiful needlework and for her unselfish assistance to the poor and sick. “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness is found in her so much power to sympathize , so man

25、y people gradually refuses to interpret the scarlet letter A by its original signification.” At this point, a lot of the townspeople realize what a noble character Hester possesses. “Do you see that woman with the embroidered badge? It is our Hester the towns own Hester who is so kind to the poor, s

26、o helpful to the sick, so comforting to the afflicted!” The townspeople soon begin to believe that the badge is served to ward off evil, and Hester grows to be quite admirable amongst the people of the town. Hester overcomes the shame of her sin through the purity and goodness of her soul. Unselfish

27、ly offering her time and love to those who need her most proves that she is not worthy of the fate which has been dealt to her. The three changes in the scarlet letter are significant; they show the progressive possession of her sin, her lonely life, and her ability. Hester is a strong admirable wom

28、an who goes through more emotional torture that most people go through in a lifetime.3.2 Biblical Archetype of “A”The scarlet letter A also can be seen the symbol of Adam. It tells us that Hesters sin is the original sin of human being, it is forgivable. The writer shows his sympathy by describing t

29、he scarlet letter A on Hesters clothing as an ornament and a decoration. Hesters making the scarlet letter A into a thing of beauty offends many bystanders, who comment that, it were well if we stripped Madame Hesters rich gown off her dainty shoulders. However, as a young woman observes, not a stit

30、ch in that embroidered letter, but she has felt it in her heart. The feeling of sympathy, only expressed by one of the characters throughout this scene, is used by Hawthorne to criticize the puritans for their strictness. The society is too strict in its ways, and Hawthorne shows his contempt for th

31、e treatment of Hester by constantly reinforcing how cruelly the people talk about her. Hawthorne says at the end of Chapter One, Finding it (rosebush) so directly on the threshold of our narrative, which is now about to issue from that inauspicious portal, we could hardly do other than pluck one of

32、its flowers, and present it to the reader. It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweat moral blossom, that may be found alone , or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow. This kind of sympathy can be seen in the novel everywhere. To Hester, the scarlet letter A also stands for her lover, Pearls father, Arthur Dimmesdale. Her fantastically embroidering the scarlet letter A, which means adultery, is somehow a way she shows her passion for Arthur. Her r