The Scarlet letter红字
具体分析作品的语言风格、主题展现、所属文学流派、作者的创造风格等；（35%）
Scarlet letter Nathaniel Hawthorne
Literary Genre: 19th C American Romanticism –Dark Romanticism
style –typical romantic writer
a man of literary craftsmanship，extraordinary in
1 the use of symbol: The symbol serves as a weapon to attack reality. It can be found everywhere in his writing
2 the use of ambiguity: to keep the reader in the world of uncertainty – multiple point of view
3revelation of characters’ psychology4 the use of supernatural
Writing Skills
Allegory Ambiguity supernaturalism symbolism
Symbolism:Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent things such as ideas and emotions.
Hawthorne’s Style
?an anatomist of the heart
?using symbols and setting to reveal the psychology of the characters
?soft and flowing style
?ambiguity
Major Themes
?Public Guilt vs. Private Guilt
?Punishment vs. Forgiveness
?Sin and Judgment
?Civilization vs. Wilderness
?The Town vs. the Woods
Sin &knowledge
The story of Hester and Dimmesdale is similar to that of Adam and Eve. In both cases, sin results in expulsion and suffering. But it also results in knowledge—specifically, in knowledge of what it means to be human. For Hester, the scarlet letter functions as ―her passport into regions where other women dared not trea d,‖ leading her to ―speculate‖ about her society and herself more ―boldly‖ than anyone else in New England. As for Dimmesdale, the ―burden‖ of his sin gives him ―sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his heart vibrate[s] in unison with theirs.‖ His eloquent and powerful sermons derive from this sense of empathy.
The Nature of Evil
The characters in the novel frequently debate the identity of the ―Black Man,‖ the embodiment of evil. Over the course of the novel, the ―Black Man‖ is associated with Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Mistress Hibbins, and little Pearl is thought by some to be the Devil’s child. It may implies that evil is an inseparable part of human being. The characters also try to root out the causes of evil. First, it is the true love between Hester and Dimmesdale that seduces them into evil. Second, the adultery between Hester and the minister arouses Chillingworth’s hate which accounts for his carefully plotted and precisely aimed revenge on Dimmesdale. Thus, the book argues that true evil arises from the close relationship between hate and love.
?Identity and Society
Though Hester is publicly shamed and forced by the people of Boston to wear a badge of humiliation, she is reluctant to leave the town. Not being physically imprisoned, she can go somewhere else to resume a normal life. Surprisingly, Hester reacts with dismay when Chillingworth tells her that the town fathers are considering letting her remove the letter. To Hester, running away or removing the letter would be an acknowledgment of society’s power over her: she would be admitting that the letter is a mark of shame and something from which she desires to escape. Instead, Hester stays, refiguring the scarlet letter as a symbol of her own experiences and character. Her past sin is a part of who she is; to pretend that it never happened would mean denying a part of
herself. Thus, Hester very determinedly integrates her sin into her life.
Summary—Chapter 5: Hester at Her Needle
The narrator covers the events of several years. After a few months, Hester is released from prison. Although she is free to leave Boston, she chooses not to do so. She settles in an abandoned cabin on a patch of infertile land at the edge of town. Hester remains alienated from everyone, including the town fathers, respected women, beggars, children, and even strangers. She serves as a walking example of a fallen woman, a cautionary tale for everyone to see. Although she is an outcast, Hester remains able to support herself due to her uncommon talent in needlework. Her taste for the beautiful infuses her embroidery, rendering her work fit to be worn by the governor despite its shameful source. Although the ornate detail of her artistry defies Puritan codes of fashion, it is in demand fo r burial shrouds, christening gowns, and officials’ robes. In fact, through her work, Hester touches all the major events of life except for marriage—it is deemed inappropriate for chaste brides to wear the product of Hester Prynne’s hands. Despite her suc cess, Hester feels lonely and is constantly aware of her alienation. As shame burns inside of her, she searches for companionship or sympathy, but to no avail. She devotes part of her time to charity work, but even this is more punishment than solace: those she helps frequently insult her, and making garments for the poor out of rough cloth insults her aesthetic sense. Symbolism
?Nathaniel Hawthorne is a master of symbolism
?The Scarlet Letter : the first symbolic novel to be written in the United States.
The letter “A”
―A‖ stands for the crime adultery.
?To the puritans it is a symbol of just punishment
?to Hester, a device of unjust humiliation
?to Dimmesdale, a piercing reminder of his guilt
?to Chillingworth, a spur to the quest of revenge
?to Pearl, a bright and mysterious curiosity
―A‖ varies its meaning as the development of the story
Adultery
Alone and Alienation
Affection, Agony
Able and Angel
Admirable（Prynne's iron and her behavior
Adultery
It is originally meant to be a symbol of shame and infamy.
―Man had marked this woman’s sin by a scarlet letter, which had such potent and disastrous efficacy that no human sympathy could reach her, save it were sinful like herself.‖—chapter 6
―From first to last, in short, Hester Prynne had always this dreadful agony in feeling a human eye upon the token; the spot never grew callous; it seemed, on the contrary, to grow more sensitive with daily torture.‖—chapter 5
Able
As time goes by, Hester has added to the letter another meaning through her own efforts.
―None so self-devoted as Hester, when pestilence stalked through the town. In all seasons of calamity, indeed, whether general or of individuals, the outcast of society at once found her place...There glimmered the embroidered letter, with comfort in its unearthly ray. Elsewhere the token of sin, it was the taper of sick-chamber.‖
—chapter 13
―such helpfulness was found in her, so much power to do, and power to sympathize, that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with woman’s strength.‖-chapter 13
Angel
―But did your reverence hear of the letter in the sky, the letter A, which we interpret to stand for Angel.‖—chapter 12
―the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world’s scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too…people brought all their sorrows and perplexities, and besought her counsel, as one who had herself gone through a mighty trouble…
―The angel and apostle of the coming revelation must be a woman indeed, but lofty, pure, and beautiful…showing how sacred love should make us happy, by the truest test of a life successful to such an end!‖—chapter 24
Symbol of Names
Hester Prynne
?Hestia
the Virgin Goddess of the hearth, of the right ordering of domesticity and the family in Greek mythology
symbol of chastity and virtue
showing the author’s praise to Hester’s beauty and saint, Goddess-like beauty.
?Hastier
her marriage is haste
her love with Dimmesdale is haste
her joy with the priest is haste
(1)Hester Prynne
?Prurient (desire for physical love), which is considered as the root of sin and crime.
?Prune (purify or get rid of), which foreshadows Hester’s self-save from the sin or crime.
?Pry (probe into), probe into the human nature (sin)
(2) Arthur Dimmesdale
?The initials AD are the beginning of ―Adultery‖;
?―Dim‖ means lack of light; ―dale‖ means valley
He commits adultery but dares cowardly to confess his sin or crime, and has to conceal it in the shadow and suffer it interiorly.
It symbolizes the minister’s dim-interior world of his love and the shadow of sin and guilty of his mind.
(3) Roger Chillingworth
?Rogue (hoodlum, scoundrel, bully)
?Jolly Roger
Pirates’ nature is to explore treasures and revenge
Chillingworth’s act to his wife and to Dimmesdale
?―Chilling‖ means chilly. He is a man deficient in human warmth. He is a cruel and cold-blooded man.
?―Worth‖tells us Roger’s act is, to some extend, worth/valuable----the author’s contradictory psychology to Puritanism.
(4) Pearl
?Treasure--- the treasure to her mother
?Comes out of an ugly shell but is beautiful
?Comes out of an torturing process
Symbol of Characters
Hester Prynne—exposed sin
?Hester’s sin is revealed.
Arthur Dimmesdale—concealed sin
?His humanity is been constrained by the Puritan society.
?His sin is not adultery but not having the courage to admit that he had adulterated.
Arthur Dimmesdale also symbolizes the Puritan society.
?He is chosen to give a moving speech to Hester in the public of scaffold because the people think he is perfect and nearest person to God. But ironically he is the other sinner and sufferer.
?Puritan views themselves as ―chosen people‖, and persecutes ―Pagans‖ who are considered sinners in the Puritan society.
?Hawthorne views that people are all sinners, the Puritan are no exception. The deeper Puritans conceal their sin, the further they are from God. Only do they admit and atone for their sin, they could be forgiven and been redeemed by God.
Roger Chillingworth—true sin/evil
?He is a merciless avenger. He lives in the side of Dimmesdale every day and scarifies his own life to punish the young minister.
?The real sinner of morality in this novel. But he is judged no blemish according to Puritan’s creed. Pearl——the human symbol of the sin
?The human symbol of the sin of adultery in the fact that she leads Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale to accept and admit to their sin.
?She is also the living symbol of the scarlet letter. Hawthorne: ―the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life.‖
?The cloth shows the sin so does Pearl. She is a far stronger device for punishing Hester than the piece of cloth o n Hester’s chest.
The contrast of the main characters
Hester and Pearl
Hester
?Beautifull, strong-minded
?Married a much older man and be sent to Boston
?Fell in love with a minister for the loneliness
?Be setenced and forced to wear the letter ―A‖
?When she was released, she did not escape and lived there with Pearl.
?Working on the needles
?Devote all her youth on penance.
Pearl
?Much more impetunous and wild
?Do what she pleases
?Imagine the forest as her play thing
?Be upset about her banishment and resented the people who she viewed as enemies.
The depiction of the decorations of the mother and the daughter
―her own dress was of the coarsest material and the most somber hug‖
―the child’s attire, on the other hand, was distinguished by a fanciful‖
----chapter5 ―Hester at her needle‖
Pearl: perversenness, wildness, loveliness
Hester:self-restraint, silence, tolerance
Contrast ending between mother and daughter
Hester:
?Had spend more on her ―purified love‖
?tolerating all the punishment of her fate
?Lived silently until death
Pearl:
?Married and lived overseas in europe
?Happy ending
Hester and Dimmesdale
Courageousness Cowardice & weakness
Discuss the relationship between the scarlet letter and Hester's identity.
Why does she repeatedly refuse to stop wearing the letter? What is the difference between the identity she creates for herself and the identity society assigns to her?
For Hester, to remove the scarlet letter would be to acknowledge the power it has in determining who she is. The letter would prove to have successfully restricted her if she were to become a different person in its absence. Hester chooses to continue to wear the letter because she is determined to transform its meaning through her actions and her own self-perception—she wants to be the one who controls its meaning. Society tries to reclaim the letter's symbolism by deciding that the ―A‖ stands for ―Able,‖ but Hester resists this interpretation. The letter symbolizes her own past deed and her own past decisions, and she is the one who will determine the meaning of those events. Upon her return from Europe at the novel's end, Hester has gained control over both her personal and her public identities. She has made herself into a symbol of feminine repression and charitable ideals, and she stands as a self-appointed reminder of the evils society can commit.
Literary style
Hawthorne's works belong to romanticism or, more specifically, dark romanticism,[87] cautionary tales that suggest that guilt, sin, and evil are the most inherent natural qualities of humanity.[88] Many of his works are inspired by Puritan New England,[89] combining historical romance loaded with symbolism and deep psychological themes, bordering on surrealism.[90] His depictions of the past are a version of historical fiction used only as a vehicle to express common themes of ancestral sin, guilt and retribution.[91] His later writings also reflect his negative view of the Transcendentalism movement.
小说The Scarlet Letter中字母“A”的象征意义
小说The Scarlet Letter中字母“A”的象征意义 发表时间：2012-06-28T10:19:50.390Z 来源：《时代报告（学术版）》2012年5月（上）供稿作者：赵楠 [导读] The Scarlet Letter 是Nathaniel Hawthorne的代表作。 赵楠河南省轻工业学校河南郑州 450006 中图分类号：I712.074文献标识码：A 文章编号：41-1413（2012）05-0000-01 摘要：The Scarlet Letter 是Nathaniel Hawthorne的代表作。Nathaniel Hawthorne是美国浪漫主义文学时期的著名作家。他的小说的主要特色就是象征手法的运用。小说中字母“A”作为贯穿全文的主要线索，在主要人物和情节发展中起了重要的连接作用，随着故事情节的发展，字母“A”的象征意义也在不断的变化，通过对字母“A”象征意义的分析，读者能对这部经典的小说有一个更好的理解。 关键词：红字“A”；象征；象征意义 一、 Nathaniel Hawthorne简介 Nathaniel Hawthorne(1804--1864)是美国浪漫主义文学时期最著名的作家之一。他是一个多产的小说家,有着追根究底的想象力和一种强烈的心灵冥想力。他的大部分小说都对罪恶有着详尽的描述。他认为，每个人的心里都存在罪恶的念头，心灵和灵魂的罪恶比肉体的更普遍。在读他的小说的时候，你能够体会到作者悲观的态度以及内心的挣扎，在小说The Scarlet Letter中尤为明显。 二、The scarlet letter中的象征符号 红字“A”作为小说中主要的象征符号，被赋予了丰富而深远的意义。在不同的时期，不同的人对字母“A”有不同的理解。作者向读者生动地展示了清教徒群体的生活。这部小说中除了红色字母“A”之外，还有很多其他的象征符号。 生锈的牢门是那个黑暗和残忍的时代的象征。在那种环境下，没有真正的爱情，只有人类的虚伪和人性的自私。由于使用了这个象征符号，整部小说的基调都是悲观的。但是为了能让读者在绝望中读出一点希望，作者用玫瑰花丛及其花香来为阴郁的心里添加了一点明亮的色彩。 另外一个象征符号是Chillingworth。他是这部小说中真正意义上的恶魔。最初，他只是一个无辜的受害者，受到了大家的同情。但是作为本质上非常冷血的人，他预谋了一场邪恶的复仇计划，最终成为真正的罪人。他是无情，邪恶，冷血的代表。所以我们可以推断，他残疾的身体是他残缺灵魂的象征。 三、字母“A”的象征意义。 1.在故事发展的不同时期，人们对字母“A”的不同解读 最初，红色的字母“A”是罪恶和愧疚的象征。它意味着“通奸”或者“奸妇”。当时女主人公Hester被迫在胸前戴着用猩红颜色写的字母“A”。正是因为这个猩红的字母，她被同一社区的人们孤立了起来。从她佩戴这个字母的那一天起，她所经历的只有绝望和无法忍受的孤独。最初，她非常害怕并且不知所措，但是到最后，她意识到担忧、逃避是于事无补的。她选择了坚强、勇敢的面对这个事实，努力地做力所能及的事情来改变她的困境。为了重新建立起她与同社区人的关系，她改变了自己，过着艰苦枯燥的生活。随着时间的流逝，通过不断的努力，她终于重新得到了村民们的接受和尊重。慢慢地人们不再将字母‘A’解读为“通奸”，在人们的心目中，它被赋予了新的意义“能力”。 Hester并没有恨抛弃她的社会和之前伤害过她的村民们。她怀着极大的宽容和慷慨。很多人被她的行为深深地感动了，并且因为她的坚持和努力，人们开始接受她，直到这一刻，这个猩红的字母有了跟修女胸前的红色“十”字一样的意义。因此，人们开始把Hester当成是天使而不再是罪人。这时，这个猩红色的字母有了另外一个意义-----天使。 2.字母 “A” 对于小说中的主要人物来说有着不同的含义 对于Hester来说，这个猩红的字母“A”是她所犯下的罪的一个外在的表现。她有着强烈的欲望来克服所有的困境，并且尽力友善地对待每一个人。由此我们可以看出，这个字母在给她磨难的同时也孕育出一个全新的Hester。正是由于这个字母让她勇敢了起来，她敢于探险其他女人从来不敢踏足的地方，在很多人的心目中，她变成了一个足够勇敢，敢于起来反抗这个残忍世界的女人。 对于Dimmensdale来说，虽然他没有佩戴这个猩红的字母，但是他的心里却经历着巨大的痛苦和悲伤。他把他的罪恶感深藏于心，然而这种罪恶感却使他万分痛苦、忧心和绝望。这个猩红的字母就像是一条鲜血淋漓的鞭子，在不停的抽打他的内心，直到他最终承认他罪恶的那一刻。但是无论他怎么努力，他罪恶的灵魂都不能得到片刻的平静。 对于Chillingworth来说，这个猩红的字母就像是一个羞耻的象征，在不停的提醒着他的耻辱，从而刺激着他向Dimmensdale报仇。看到这个字母，他变得越来越残忍，这个字母给了他无穷的报仇的刺激和动力，他也变得越来越邪恶，从而变成了这部小说中真正的恶魔。在他奄奄一息的时候，他承认了自己的罪恶。 小说中有另外一个重要且突出的人物Pearl。与其说她是小说中的一个人物，不如说她是一个象征符号。 一方面，她是Hester 和Dimmensdale的女儿, 是耻辱的象征。她有着跟那个猩红的字母“A”一样的影响，但另一方面，她又是爱情的结晶，是Hester唯一仅存的财富，正是因为Pearl的存在，Hester才有了足够的力量和勇气去努力的生活，克服所有困难。Pearl是她活下去的唯一希望。 对于Dimmensdale来说, Pearl的存在时刻提醒着他所犯下的罪。他非常地爱Pearl，但他却没有勇气去面对她。Pearl 就像是一个精灵，不仅给他带来了快乐，也带来了悲伤和强烈的罪恶感。 对于Chillingworth来说, Pearl是一个他永远无法忘记的耻辱，每次看到她，他就会想到Hester 和Dimmensdale之间的奸情。所以为了他的面子和自尊，他从这个活着的字母“A”（ Pearl）身上得到了无穷的力量去实施自己的报仇计划。 四、字母“A”的意义。 或许有人会问，为什么这部小说有着如此深远和广泛的影响呢？不仅是因为他的写作风格具有不朽的文学魅力，更重要的是，小说所运用的象征意义的写作方法。象征意义手法是运用象征符号来代表人物的观念、情感等的一种写作手法，象征手法潜在地连接了故事情节的外部发展和主题的关系，它能使抽象的形象化，普遍的具体化，意识形态的实质化。所有这些都有助于读者对小说的理解，也能使读者更易于接受小说中的人物。 象征手法的运用能激起读者的阅读兴趣并激发他们的想象力。当Hester 被迫佩戴字母“A”的时候，读者会感到很吃惊，可能会有一些疑
《红字》中文解读赏析
红字背后成长的野玫瑰 ————论海斯特的孤独、痛苦、罪《红字》是美国十九世纪最有影响力的浪漫主义小说家纳撒尼尔??霍桑第一部长篇小说，该小说情节简明，内容深刻，矛盾突出，构思新颖，手法独到，语言生动，心理描写细致入微，使它成为“心理罗曼史”，美国浪漫主义小说和心理分析小说及象征主义小说的开山之作。该小说讲述了17世纪的波士顿，一个犯了通奸罪的女人（海斯特?普林）和女儿（珍珠）与海斯特情夫（亚瑟?迪梅斯戴尔）、前夫（罗杰?奇林沃思）的爱恨情仇故事。深受清教思想影响的霍桑在《红字》中反复强调生活中悲观的一面，使读者在读完作品后心中留下三个关键词“孤独”、“痛苦”、“罪”。 女主人公海斯特?普林是一个善良、聪明，美丽的姑娘，因与年轻牧师亚瑟?迪梅斯戴尔先生相爱并产下一女而受到政教合一的当局的责罚，罚她胸前永远带着红A字（英文通奸Adultery的缩写）。第二章中，海斯特首次亮相便以其庄重的气质和亮丽的外表使众人无不感到惊讶和震撼，仿佛从牢中走出的海斯特是一位高贵淑女，而非一个罪妇。然而当人们的视线下移，看到她胸前佩戴的闪闪发光的红字时，这红字便即刻产生了一种魔力，使她脱离了一般的人际关系，并自我封闭起来。自此，孤独，痛苦，罪，便陪伴着海斯特走过了余下的生活。 海斯特是如此孤独，为了不使心爱之人遭受连累，她毅然独自担起了所有罪行的惩罚。受到众人的唾弃，海斯特便带着孩子住在远离其他居民区的一间小茅屋里，孤立无援，世上没有一个朋友敢亲近她。由于无法从外界得到解脱，海斯特不得不从内心世界寻求帮助-----她的记忆和想象中的世界。依靠着坚强，她忍受着众人对于她通奸罪的愤慨。整个故事中，海斯特一直都保持缄默，接受着清教徒上至大人下到孩子对她的欺凌，这种态度使海斯特散发出一股孤傲的气质，但显然，孤傲是无奈之举，如不孤傲，海斯特早就会被这种奇特而孤独的痛苦生活摧毁。海斯特是如此孤单，孤单到小珍珠就是她的全世界。当得知某些头面人物想剥夺她的孩子时，她失去了平日的缄默，失声尖叫，显出一副不怕一切的样子，甚至几近疯狂。她被弃于世，所以才会如此激动得决心不惜牺牲一切来保护她的“世界”。 伴随着孤独的是海斯特随处可见的痛苦。从少女时，与罗杰的婚姻就埋葬了海斯特的青春和欢笑。随后与亚瑟的爱情本该是一段才子佳人的美好爱情，但无奈清教教规森严，上帝给了海斯特短暂的快乐后就给了她更为致命的打击。在绞刑架上，她本可以说出亚瑟的名字，得到更大的宽恕，可是她没有这么做，她相信爱情，追求爱情，也勇敢得保护了自己的爱人，情愿用自己单薄的身体去承担双人份的痛苦，独自面对世人对她的咒骂，鄙夷和践踏。A字将海斯特打入了地狱，甚至阳光一旦遇到她和她的红字，就会消失得无影无踪。 罪是书中另一个关键词。是以海斯特的通奸罪为本质，以A字为表现形式，以小珍珠为载体，贯穿了整个小说。前两者较容易理解，小珍珠对于海斯特的意义却并非只有女儿那么简单，她是海斯特的罪恶之花。在第八章中，海斯特向总督陈情时说道，珍珠是她的幸福和希望，也是她的磨难，珍珠就是红字。可见，珍珠一面带给海斯特生的希望，一面又时时刻刻提醒着海斯特自己的罪过。她就像A字，无论海斯特出现在哪，她总在身旁。在第十九章中，当海斯特取下A字时，珍珠拒绝来到海斯特的身边，而当海斯特重新戴上A字时，珍珠才又回来，这是多么有意思的一幕，明显得暗示了珍珠与A字有着很大的共
the scarlet letter
Scarlet Letter Class Activity: Role on the Wall ?Chapter IX-XI, discusses the relationship of Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. By this point in the story, both men have changed internally and externally. Create two large outlines of a body on poster paper to represent Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. ?Inside the outline, write factors that affect the character internally (guilt, jealousy, spirituality, knowledge, etc.) ?Around the outside of the outline, write factors that affect the character externally (role in the community, laws, duty, etc.) ?On the outline itself, identify the factors that have changed these characters over time. Write examples of how these factors are physically affecting the characters (pale face, holds hand on heart, “visage sooty with smoke,” etc.) Quote directly from the text, as well as summarize in your own words.
红字的象征意义
Symbols in the Scarlet Letter The Symbolic Meaning of “A”: From beginning to end in the novel, the most typical symbol is the scarlet letter “A”. As a key to the whole novel, the letter “A” takes on different layers of symbolic meanings as the plot develops and people come up with different interpretations. The letter "A" begins as a symbol of sin. It then becomes a symbol of alone and alienation, and finally it becomes a symbol of able, angel and admirable. 1、Adultery The letter "A", worn on Hester's 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 that commits a terrible crime. This letter is meant to be worn in shame, and to make Hester feel unwanted. 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 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 her 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, or is a very tough woman. 2、Alone and Alienation The scarlet letter "A" also stands for Hester's lonely life in New England. After she is released, Hester lives in a cottage near the outskirts
《红字》中A的象征主义的文献综述
《红字》中A的象征主义的文献综述 摘要:纳撒尼尔·霍桑是十九世纪美国伟大的浪漫主义小说家。作为一位伟大的浪漫主义小说家，霍桑对象征主义手法的运用可以说是独具匠心。他擅长用特殊命名法刻画人物以突出作品的主题。其代表作《红字》便集中体现了这一特点。在这部作品中霍桑对特殊人名和字母A的象征意义的运用，使作品蕴含多重寓意和多元主题。女主人公的名字白兰蕴含着美丽、激情、轻率、欲望灵魂净化以及对人性的研究等意义。丁梅斯代尔的名字含有“一个犯了通奸罪的人因性格怯懦把罪恶隐藏在阴暗的心中”之意。齐灵沃斯的基本寓意是“恶棍、复仇和冷酷”。白兰与丁梅斯代尔的女儿的名字珠儿有“珍贵、美好与纯洁”等人性善的内涵。字母A的含义随着主题的发展而发生变化，作品以字母A开始又以A结尾，它不仅以各种各样的形式出现，而且其象征意义不断变化，从“通奸”到“有能力的”甚至“天使般的”，这诸多变化交织了人性的矛盾、冲突、善恶的转换，罪与罚宽容和爱，可谓意义丰富。从每个人物凸显在书中的行为及心理主线来看，红字也许蕴藏在每一个人的心中，但关键在于罪恶面前人们是怎样对待的。 关键词: 红字；“A”；象征主义 一、红字A的多重释义 红字A是贯穿全书的主线,也是最为典型的象征。在小说中红色的“A”出现以频率之高让读者不禁在读完小说后仍继续深思。从“某一种标记”“A”出现在文中近150次之多。这个红字到底象征着什么意思呢?可以根据故事的情节先后顺序,简单地用一条情节发展线索来解释:apple(象征原罪,恶的根源)——adultery(通奸)ashamed——alienation (疏远)、abnormal、abandon -------able(能力)、affection(慈爱)——angel(天使) -------admire（敬佩）、awakened （觉醒）。在故事开始,当红A字第一次出现在众人的眼前时,它精工细做,人为地赋予光彩和奢华:“它聚集了海丝特衣着唯一,但最合体的装饰品所带来的效果”,它的光辉如同“随划过黑暗的清教徒社会的一缕耀眼的光”。但是对海斯特·白兰来说,就是她自己亲手绣得如此精美的这个火红的A字,却是代表了她的羞耻。故事中,美丽年轻的女孩嫁给了一个伪学者、披着济世外衣的医生丈夫，她在遭遇了年轻的牧师，在清教徒的世界里，她追求这种世人认为不论的不正常的爱情，这种自由的
thescarletletter读后感英文
专业：姓名：学号： 成绩： Abstract: this paper is to talk the female character in the scarlet letter. It describes the whole story at the first section, then the character analysis. And it explains the symbol of the letter “A” which appears all the time. Well it finishes with the standpoint of its author, which refers to me. Wish you be delighted reading my essay. Thank you! In an eternal semester’s Anglo-American movie classes, I’ve appreciated many classical novels. What impressed me most is the first movie we watch called the scarlet letter. First, the story begins in seventeenth-century Boston, and that is in a Puritan settlement. A young woman, Hester Prynne, is led from the town prison with her infant daughter, Pearl in her arms and the scarlet letter “A” on her breast. Hester’s husband, a scholar much older than she is, sent her ahead to America, but he never arrived in Boston. The consensus is that he has been lost at sea. While waiting for her husband, Hester has apparently had an affair, as she has given birth to a child. She will not reveal her lover’s identity. Several years pass. Hester supports herself by working as a seamstress, and Pearl grows into a willful, impish child. When Dimmesdale acknowledge Hester’s child publicly the other day, a meteor marks a dull red “A” in the night sky. Later Hester removes her scarlet letter and lets down her hair. However, Pearl, playing nearby, does not recognize her mother without the letter. Frustrated in his revenge, Chillingworth dies a year later. Hester and Pearl leave Boston, and no one knows what has happened to them. Many years later, Hester returns alone, still wearing the scarlet letter, to live in her old cottage and resume her charitable work. She receives
《红字》中红字“A”的不同象征意义
《红字》中红字“A”的不同象征意义 一、私通（Adultery）的象征 红字“A”挂在海丝特的胸前，象征了她违背她丈夫齐灵渥斯的意愿与别人的私通。这是因为她犯了私通罪而作为罪犯被清教徒惩罚的方式。这种惩罚方式继续，因为，当海丝特走过大街的时候，人们瞧不起她，仿佛她是犯了可怕罪行的从地狱里出来的魔鬼。这个字母的意义必定使佩戴者感到耻辱，使她感到想要摘下来。“她对自己说，这里曾是她犯下罪孽的地方，这里也应是她接受人间惩罚的地方”。海丝特因为她得罪孽而感到耻辱，但是，她选择深藏不露。她在爱情的怀抱犯下了罪孽，而且完全承认这个罪孽，因为，尽管她感到耻辱，但是她也由此获得了最伟大的珍宝———女儿珠儿。她是一个坚强的妇女，尽管她面对非常恶劣的条件，但是，她却能越过越好。像她那样的许多人也许会逃离波士顿，寻找一个没人知道她罪孽的地方。海丝特选择停留，就这一点，就显示了她的坚强和伟大。面对一个鄙视她的这样一个城镇，而且住在一个人们把她女儿叫做“魔鬼的孩子”的地方，她有足够的勇气坚持下去，就表明她是一个坚强不屈的妇女。（1）孤独(Alone)和异化（Alienation）的象征 红字“A”也代表了海丝特在新英格兰孤独的生活。在海丝特释放出来以后，她就住在城市郊区的茅屋里。“这是原先的一位移民建起后又放弃了的，因为那一带土地过于贫瘠，不宜耕种，况且离群索居，而社会活动当时已成为移民的一个显著的习惯。”因为海丝特耻辱的历史，她几乎没有什么社会活动。由于她生性倔强而且才能出众，她在人世上有了自己的一席之地。可是，没有什么东西可以使她感到她好像属于这个世界。“然而，他在同社会的一切交往中，却只能有格格不入之感。同她有所接触的那些人的一举一动、一言一行，甚至他们的沉默不语，都在暗示，往往还表明：她是被排除在外的；而她的孤凄的处境似乎证明：她是生活在另一个世界中的，只有靠与众不同的感官来同其余的人类交流。对于人们感兴趣的道德问题，她避之犹恐不及…‥似乎成了她在世人心目中所保留的惟一份额了。”海丝特在这个世界上没有朋友，小珠儿是她孤独生活的唯一伴侣，因此，红字“A”也是以a 开头的“孤独（Alone）”和“异化（Alienate）”的象征。 （2）能干的（Able）、值得尊敬的（Admirable）和天使（Angel）的象征后来，红字“A”变化了意思，成了“能干的、值得尊敬的和天使的象征”。开始，整个镇上的人谴责海丝特，但是，后来他们认为红字代表了做漂亮手工活的能力和她对于贫穷和生病的人的大公无私的援助。“那字母成了她响应感召的象征。由于从她身上可以得到那么多的支援——她深富同情心又极肯助人——许多人都不肯再按本意来解释那红色的字母“A”了。”到了这时，许多镇上的人意识到，海丝特是一个拥有高贵品质的人。“‘你看见那个佩带刺绣的徽记的好人了吗？’他们会对陌生人这样说。‘她是我们的海丝特——我们这镇上的海丝特，她对穷人多么好心肠，对病人多么肯帮忙，对遭难的人多么有安慰啊！’”镇上的人很快开始相信，这个徽记可以避邪，海丝特也渐渐成了镇上值得尊敬的人。海丝特用她灵魂里的的纯洁和善良克服了她罪孽中的耻辱，她无私的把自己的时间和爱奉献给了那些需要她的人，这证明，她是值得获得她最终的命运的。（3）前进（Advance）的象征 在读完整个小说之后，读者意识到，红字“A”还代表前进。实际上，霍桑在《红字》中关心的是“善”与“恶”的关心。社会现状使他迷惑，他对社会变革产生不解和恐惧，这些与他的宗教信仰产生矛盾，作者把故事中心场景的示
The-Scarlet-Letter-红字读后感讲课教案
T h e-S c a r l e t- L e t t e r-红字读后感
The Scarlet Letter is rich with symbols which can stand for an idea, belief, action, or material entity. It is a characteristic of Hawthorne. He used symbols to reveal the psychology of the characters. So in the essay, I will mainly talk about the symbols in this book. The most important symbol in the book is the “the scarlet letter A”. When I first saw the main character Hester Prynne at the beginning of the book, the image come to my mind was the woman appeared in the bible, the angle “took me away in the Spirit into a waste land: and I saw a woman seated on a bright red beast, full of evil names, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was clothed in purple and bright red, with ornaments of gold and stones of great price and jewels; and in her hand were a gold cup full of evil things and her unclean desires”(revelution 17:3, 17:4). Here the woman “full of evils” was dressed in red, and seated on red. Red, or scarlet color was a kind of symbol of sin. The “scarlet” in this novel, however, can reflect much, not only sin. The color “scarlet” is just like the love between Hester and Arthur Dimmesdale, pure, sincere and enthusiastic. This kind of love is the foundation of the family and the society. It should be cherished if the society is well established. But, the novel was written in the mid-nineteenth century and took the mid-seventeenth century for the events it
红字象征意义分析word版本
红字象征意义分析
吉林工商学院 毕业论文 题目名称：浅谈《红字》的象征意义 院系：外语分院 专业：英语 学生姓名： 656 学号：15 指导教师：454 2012年 5月 14日
毕业论文原创性声明 本人郑重声明：所呈交毕业论文，是本人在指导教师的指导下，独立进行研究工作所取得的成果。除文中已经注明引用的内容外，本论文不包含任何其他人或集体已经发表或撰写过的作品成果。对本文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体，均已在文中以明确方式标明。本人完全意识到本声明的法律结果由本人承担。 论文作者签名：年月日
浅析《红字》的象征意义 摘要：象征主义作为一种文学流派, 出现于19 世纪末至20 世纪30 年代, 是欧美现代派文学的一个重要分支。纳撒尼尔·霍桑(Nathaniel Hawthorn, 1804- 1864) 是美国19 世纪杰出的浪漫主义小说家,其代表作《红字》(The Scarlet Letter)更是将象征主义运用的淋漓尽致，以细致入微的心理分析和寓意深刻的象征手法剖析人类的罪恶根源, 揭示“人性恶”这一古老而永恒的主题。《红字》以17 世纪北美清教(加尔文教) 殖民统治下的新英格兰为背景, 描写两个触犯清教戒律的教徒悔罪的心理历程。《红字》中，霍桑成功地运用多重象征, 从不同的侧面暗示《红字》的主题，包括其中各个人物、不同的场景, 以及红字本身所蕴涵的象征意义, 赋予主题以具体的形象, 从而使整部小说的含义更含蓄、更丰富,《红字》使霍桑成为现代象征主义文学的开创者之一。我将会在论文中从各个方面，不同角度来分析《红字》的象征意义。 关键词：象征写作手法；宗教；意义
红字的象征意义The Symbolic Meaning of the Scarlet Letter
The Symbolic Meaning of the Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne always wears on her chest a scarlet letter “A”, which is the central symbol of the novel. It shows different identities of Hester. And the symbolic meaning changes from “Adultery” to “Angel”. I will analyze it from the following three aspects. 1. Adultery During that time, the strict Puritans rule Boston and they punish the people who break their rules. Hester really commits a crime of adultery. When she stands on the platform, the letter “A”is the sign of punishment of her adultery, and the color scarlet is a symbol of sin. The scarlet looks like blood and fire, which can be regarded as desire. There is passionate love between Hester and the priest, but it brings them misfortune. Hester has to wear the scarlet “A” as a punishment and she will never forget her crime. With the shame, she is regarded as a naughty woman. Red should be regarded as the symbol of love and life, but under the control of Puritan strictness, it’s a symbol of shame and punishment. When Hester first appears, she doesn’t look like a criminal but a loving mother. She is grace and elegant, holding her baby to the chest. She stands proudly to bear her punishment. That is impressive to me. Her spirit is full of disobedience and strength. In addition, from the words I can see the elegantly sewn letter “A” is an art. 2. Alone and Alienation Hester lives a lonely life without friend. Only her daughter Pearl accompanies her. What’s worse, because her crime is still within town, people insult her and treat her badly. Even children are afraid to get close to her. She suffers great from the mental torment. If I were she, I couldn’t stand such kind of pressure. I would leave for a new place where no one knows me and begin a new life. However, she chooses to face the reality rather than escape from it. She is patient to those insulting words and even tries to forgive those people. 3. Able, Admirable and Angle
红字A的象征意义
On the Symbolic Meaning of the Letter “A” in the Scarlet 姓名：胡钰琴班级：1002 学号：2010403210223 Abstract:There are many different views among scholars about the symbolic meaning of the letter “A”in the scarlet letter. For instance, “A”for “adultery”, “angel” and “able”. Contrary to these scholars, this paper holds opinions that the letter “A” is the symbol of “adore”, “alone”“admirable”. This article focuses on these four things to analyze the whole novel. Key words:the Scarlet Letter, symbolism, romantic, Hester 一、Introduction The Scarlet Letter is considered as the most famous novel of the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, who is one of the greatest romantic writers in the 19th century. This novel told us a story about Hester Prynne, who committed adultery with her puritan minister Arthur Dimmesdale and has given birth to a child, Pearl, during the time her husband was disappeared. So, she was forced to wear the letter “A” on her bosom all the time as a punishment. But when Hester’s former husband—Chillingworth knows the adultery after his arrival in Boston, he began to revenge on and torments Dimmesdale until his death. Many years later, Hester dies and she is buried with Dimmesdale. Their love continues after life, and the scarlet letter changes its meaning in people’s heart. In this work, Hawthorne successfully uses symbolism by concentrates on his creative characteristics and experience and make the scarlet letter his most famous masterpiece around the world. Nathaniel Hawthorn was born on the fourth of July, 1804 in Sales, Massachusetts. Some of his ancestors were big shots in seventeenth-century New England, which was under the control of Puritanism. One of them was a colonial magistrate, notorious for his participation in the persecution of Quakers, and another was a judge at the Sales Witchcraft Trail in 1692. Gradually, the family fortune declined. Hawthorne’s father was a sea captain, who died in an accident and left his mother and him behind to struggle to live for themselves. Young Hawthorn was quite aware of the misdeed of his Puritan ancestors, and this awareness made him believe that evil was at the core of human life. To some extent, Hawthorn wrote some of his books, such as The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gambles to try to make up for the sin of his ancestors. He is an extremely renowned American writer of fiction. He not only has
红字象征意义分析
吉林工商学院 毕业论文 题目名称：浅谈《红字》的象征意义 院系：外语分院 专业：英语 学生姓名：656 学号：15 指导教师：454 2012年 5月 14日
毕业论文原创性声明 本人郑重声明：所呈交毕业论文，是本人在指导教师的指导下，独立进行研究工作所取得的成果。除文中已经注明引用的内容外，本论文不包含任何其他人或集体已经发表或撰写过的作品成果。对本文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体，均已在文中以明确方式标明。本人完全意识到本声明的法律结果由本人承担。 论文作者签名：年月日
浅析《红字》的象征意义 摘要：象征主义作为一种文学流派, 出现于19 世纪末至20 世纪30 年代, 是欧美现代派文学的一个重要分支。纳撒尼尔〃霍桑(Nathaniel Hawthorn, 1804- 1864) 是美国19 世纪杰出的浪漫主义小说家,其代表作《红字》(The Scarlet Letter)更是将象征主义运用的淋漓尽致，以细致入微的心理分析和寓意深刻的象征手法剖析人类的罪恶根源, 揭示“人性恶”这一古老而永恒的主题。《红字》以17 世纪北美清教(加尔文教) 殖民统治下的新英格兰为背景, 描写两个触犯清教戒律的教徒悔罪的心理历程。《红字》中，霍桑成功地运用多重象征, 从不同的侧面暗示《红字》的主题，包括其中各个人物、不同的场景, 以及红字本身所蕴涵的象征意义, 赋予主题以具体的形象, 从而使整部小说的含义更含蓄、更丰富,《红字》使霍桑成为现代象征主义文学的开创者之一。我将会在论文中从各个方面，不同角度来分析《红字》的象征意义。 关键词：象征写作手法；宗教；意义