霍桑红字的意义

1、 In the 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. A symbol of sin A symbol of alone and alienationA symbol of able, angel and admirable. Adultery The letter A, worn on Hes

2、ters 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 puritan 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

3、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 her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment(P74)“ Hester is ashamed of her sin, but she chooses not to show it. She commit

4、s this sin in the heat of passion, and fully admits it because, though she is ashamed, she also receives her greatest treasure, Pearl, out of it. She is a very strong woman to be 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 he

5、r great sin. Hester chooses to stay though, 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 to stay in a place where her daughter is referred to as a devil child, either has some sort of psychological problem,

6、 or is a very tough woman. Alone and Alienation The scarlet letter A also stands for Hesters lonely life in New England. After she is released, Hester lives in a cottage near the outskirts of the city. It had been built by an earlier settler, and abandoned, because the soil about it was too sterile

7、for cultivation, while its comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that social activity which already marked the habits of the emigrants. (P75) Hesters social life is virtually eliminated as a result of her shameful history. Hester comes to have a part to perform in the world with her nat

8、ive 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 she came to contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited anothe

9、r sphere, or communicated with the common nature by other organs and senses than the rest of human kind. She stood apart from moral interests seemed to be the sole portion that she retained in the universal heart.(P78) Hester has no friends in the world, and little Pearl is the only companion of her

10、 lonely life, so the scarlet letter A also is a symbol of the words alone and alienate.Able, Admirable and Angel Later, the scarlet letter A changes its meaning into being able, angel and admirable. The townspeople who condemned her now believe the scarlet letter to stand for her ability to her beau

11、tiful 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 do and power to sympathize - that many people refuses to interpret the scarlet letter A by its original signification.(P148) The townspe

12、ople soon begin to believe that the badge 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. Unselfishly offering her time and love to those who need her most proves that s

13、he is not worthy of the fate which has been dealt to her.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, so helpful to the sick, so comforting

14、to the afflicted!(149) 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 woman who goes through more emotional torture that most people go through in a lifetime.More：Biblical Archet

15、ype 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 the scarlet letter A on Hesters clothing as an ornament and a decoration. The scarlet letter has a different individual meaning to the various characters. To Hester, the A is a symbol of unjust humiliation. To the Puritan community, it is a mark of just punishment. To Pearl, the A is a bright and mysteriou