红字英文介绍The-Scarlet-Letter

thescarletletter2021/5/91NathanielHawthorne纳撒尼尔·霍桑

(1804-1864)AnAmericannovelistandshortstorywriterinthe19thcentury.HisfictionworksareconsideredpartoftheRomanticmovementand,morespecifically,darkromanticism（黑色浪漫主义).2021/5/92Manyofhisworksfeaturingmoralallegories(寓言）withaPuritaninspiration.Amanofliterarycraftsmanship,extraordinaryintheuseofsymbol:

★symbolsserveasaweapontoattackreality.Itcanbefoundeverywhereinhiswriting.Histhemesoftencenterontheinherentevilandsinofhumanity.Hisworksoftenhavemoralmessagesanddeeppsychologicalcomplexity.2021/5/93

ImportantWork

Novels:Fanshawe(1825，《范肖》）TheScarletLetter(1850,《红字》）HouseoftheSevenGables(1851,《七个尖角阁的房子》)TheBlithedaleRomance(1852,《福谷传奇》)TheMarbleFaun(1857,《玉石雕像》)

Shortstories:Twice-ToldTales（1837，《故事重述》）MossesFromanOldManse(1846,《古屋青苔》)2021/5/94Background17thCenturyBoston,Massachusetts,NewEnglandcolonyPuritan

清教徒:PuritansbelievedGodandSatanwerepresentineveryone’ssoul.Theywereconstantlyfightingagainsteachother.Theybelievedthattherelationshipofanindividualtothecommunitywasanimportantconcern.Antinomian

唯信仰论者：主张基督徒可以废弃道德，依靠信仰来拯救灵魂。Quaker

教友派：靠内心意识指引的教派Witch

巫女2021/5/95TheScarletLetter:Background

ThesettingofTheScarletLetterisBostoninthe1640s.PersecutedinEngland,thePuritanscametoNorthAmericatoformtheirowncommunities.LifeintheColonieswasharsh,butitgavethePuritanstheopportunitytoformasocietybasedontheirreligiousideals.Puritanssoughtthefreedomtolivebytheirbeliefs.However,thePuritanleadersdidnottoleratereligiousbeliefsthatdifferedfromtheirown.2021/5/96IntroductionTheScarletLettertoldastoryofapuritanwomanHesterPrynnewhowaspunishedtowearascarletAwhichstoodforthecrimeofadultery.TheprettyyoungladytriedtosettledowninBostonwithheroldanduglyhusbandChillinggworth,ascholar.Butthelatterdidnotappearforyears.Duringthistime,HestercommittedadulterywithalocalMinsterDimmesdale,andgavebirthtoagirlPearl.Facingtheterriblepunishment,Hesterrefusedtogiveherlover’snameawaytoprotecthim.Yearslater,thehusbandChillinggworthcametothetownandfoundoutthewholetruth,andheoperatedanhorrorrevengeonDimmesdale,withhidinghisowntruename.Yet,asthestorygoing,HesterandDimmesdalebecamesympatheticfigures,whileChillinggworthwasadevilatlast.Justbecauseoftheending,TheScarletLetterwasdefinedasnothingbutacoarseandvulgarbookwithideasthatwouldpervertthemindsofreaders,whenitwaspublishedatfirst.Howeverpeoplerealizedthatitwasathoughtfulbookwithgreatvalueandworthytostudyagainandagain.2021/5/97Theachievementsofthenovel⑴TheAnalysisofVariousSubjectsOnthethinkingside,thetopicsofthoseachievementsvariedaswidelyasfromfeminismtonineteenth-centurymaleidentities,fromPuritanismtoRaceandSlavery,fromTranscendentalismtoPolicy.Forinstance,fromthepointofreligion,FengGuolingsaidthereligiousethicsstoppedtheauthorfromunitingtheloverswithwedlock,⑵TheStudyofWritingSkillsItisthefirstpointthathewasgoodatputtingsymbolsintofullplay.Thesecondoneisthephantasmagoriathatwasimbeddedintohisnovel.⑶TheUseofIntertextualReadingThismodecoverstwopartsthatintertextualreadingofdifferentliteraryworksaswellasofliteraryworksandhistory.2021/5/98Incontrast,thestudiesofHawthorneinAmerica,putfocusontheconceptofromancewithdrawingontheachievementsofsciencecommunity,likeelectrictheory.Therearesomanygreatachievementsconcerningallkindsofideas,however,whenreadersthinkofHawthorne’sattitudetoreligion,theyarelimitedtotheideathatHawthornewasinadilemma:eitherbetrayhisreligionordepressthenature.ButinfactHawthornefoundthebalancebetweentheminTheScarletLetterwhenhetreatedreligionasatoolofregulationfunctionratherthanpurebelief.相比之下，中国的研究主要是文学研究，而美国则关注于作品中的科学原理。虽然研究众多，但是读者在思考霍桑的宗教态度时候总是认为霍桑处于两难境地，是背叛信仰还是抑制人性。但是在《红字》中，霍桑其实已经找到了两者之间的平衡点——他把宗教当成是一种具有调节社区的工具而不是纯粹的信仰2021/5/99MajorcharactersinTheScarletLetterHesterPrynne

ArthurDimmesdaleRogerChillingworth

daughterloverhusbandheroinePearl2021/5/910

Charactersinthethescarletletter

HesterPrynneHesterisportrayedasanintelligent,capable,woman.Shespeculatesonhumannature,socialorganization,andlargermoralquestions.Hester’stribulationsalsoleadhertobestoicandafreethinker.Shecaresforthepoorandbringsthemfoodandclothing.

ArthurDimmesdaleDimmesdalewasascholar.ThefactthatHestertakesalloftheblamefortheirsharedsingoadshisconscience,andhisresultantmentalanguishandphysicalweaknessopenuphismindandallowhimtoempathizewithothers.ThepersonalguiltdrivesDimmesdaletofurtherinternalizehisguiltandself-punishmentandleadstostillmoredeteriorationinhisphysicalandspiritualcondition.2021/5/911

Charactersinthethescarletletter

RogerChillingworth

RogerChillingworthisamandeficientinhumanwarmth.Histwisted,stooped,deformedshouldersmirrorhisdistortedsoul.Heisinterestedinrevenge,notjustice,andheseeksthedeliberatedestructionofothersratherthanaredressofwrongs.HisdesiretohurtothersstandsincontrasttoHesterandDimmesdale’ssin.PearlPearl，Hester’sdaughter，makesusconstantlyawareofhermother’sscarletletterandofthesocietythatproducedit.Pearl’sinnocent,orperhapsintuitive,commentsabouttheletterraisecrucialquestionsaboutitsmeaning.2021/5/912SymbolismintheNovel★NathanielHawthorneisamasterofsymbolism★TheScarletLetter:thefirstsymbolicnoveltobewrittenintheUnitedStates.2021/5/913TheSymbolicMeaningoftheFour

MajorCharactersHester

--beauty“Theyoungwomanwastall,withafigureofperfectelegance,…”

--strongwillandendurance“Iwillnotspeak.Itistoodeeplybranded.Yecannottakeitoff.AndwouldthatImightendurehisagony,aswellasmine!”--kindness2021/5/914ArthurDimmesdale--ArthurDimmesdaleADAdultery--weakandcowardRogerChillingworth--“chill”cool--heartlessandmerciless--hismisshapenbodyreflectsorsymbolizestheevilinhissoul,whichbuildsasthenovelprogresses.

TheSymbolicMeaningoftheFour

MajorCharacters2021/5/915★SymbolsofTheLetter“A”“A”firstlystandsforthecrimeAdultery.Tothepuritansitisasymbolofjustpunishment.toHester,adeviceofunjusthumiliation.toDimmesdale,apiercingreminderofhisguilt.toChillingworth,aspurtothequestofrevengetoPearl,abrightandmysteriouscuriosity“A”variesitsmeaningasthedevelopmentofthestory,Adultery---AloneandAlienation---Able---AngelandAward.

2021/5/916SymbolsoftheNamesHesterPrynne

HestiaTheVirginGoddessinGreekmythology,symbolofbeautyandvirtue,showingtheauthor’spraisetoHester’sbeautyandsaint,Goddess-likebeauty.

2021/5/917HastierhermarriagetoChillingworthishasty.herlovewithDimmesdaleishasty.herjoywithDimmesdalethepriestishasty.2021/5/918HesterPrynne

Prurient(desireforphysicallove),whichisconsideredastherootofsinandcrime.Prune(purifyorgetridof),whichforeshadowsHester’sself-savefromthesinorcrime.Pry(probeinto),probeintothehumannature(sin)2021/5/919

ArthurDimmesdaleTheinitialsADarethebeginningof“Adultery”;

“Dim”meanslackoflight;“dale”meansvalleyItsymbolizestheminister’sdiminteriorworldofhisloveandtheshadowofsinandguiltofhismind.2021/5/920RogerChillingworthJollyRogerPirates’natureistoexploretreasuresandrevenge.Chillingworth’sacttohiswifeandtoDimmesdale.2021/5/921

RogerChillingworth“Chilling”meanschilly.Heisamandeficientinhumanwarmth.Heisacruelandcold-bloodedman.2021/5/922PearlPrynneTreasure---thetreasuretohermotherComesoutofanuglyshellbutisbeautifulComesoutofantorturingprocess