浅析红字中的象征主义手法

An Analysis of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter

By

Tang Guaiguai

Under the Supervisor of

Zhu Liping

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of Bachelor of Arts

English Department School of Foreign Languages

Lanzhou Jiaotong University

June 2015

摘要

纳桑尼尔.霍桑是美国19世纪浪漫主义小说家.处在美国文艺复兴时期的霍桑，崇尚民主与自由,而同时又不能完全摆脱心灵深处清教思想的束缚。因而他既是一个清教势力的批判者，又是清教思想的继承者。《红字》是霍桑长篇小说的代表作。其突出的艺术特色是其丰富的象征主义，因此被称为第一部象征主义小说. 小说中各种事物的象征寓意都呈现出多义性、系统性、和隐晦性。本文拟从小说红字“A”,这一贯穿全文的意象，主要人物的名字以及场景描写等这三方面来探讨其多重的象征主义。通过分析作品中的各种象征主义来揭示作者的创作意图,从而更好地理解小说的主旨。

第一章主要介绍了霍桑和《红字》及相关研究，并简单解释了象征主义及其作用。主体部分分为三部分，第一部分分析红色字母A随着故事情节发展而具有的不同的象征意义即通奸—痛苦—能干—天使。第二部分详细阐述了四个主要人物名字的象征意义，美丽直率的海斯特，孤僻忧郁的丁梅斯代尔，冷漠无情的奇灵渥斯，以及阳光女孩珠儿。第三部分主要对作品中描述的意象的象征意义具体分析。结语部分总结全文。

关键词：霍桑；《红字》；象征主义

Abstract

Nathaniel Hawthorne is a famous American romantic novelist in nineteenth century. As in American Renaissance, Hawthorne advocates democracy and freedom, but at the same time, he is bounded and cannot completely get rid of the deep influence of Puritanism. Therefore, he is a critic of Puritanism, and is the successor of Puritanism. The Scarlet Letter is the masterpiece of Hawthorne’s long novel. The prominent artistic feature of The Scarlet Letter is its rich symbolism; therefore it is called the first symbolism novel. The symbolism meanings of all kinds of objects in the novel show the polysemy, motility, and even contradictory.

This paper will explore the multiple symbolic meaning from the scarlet letter “A”, the names of t he main characters and objects that described in the novel. Through the analysis of various symbolisms, we can reveal the composing intention of author, and better understanding of the novel's theme. This paper consists of the three parts including introduction, main body and conclusion.

The introduction part mainly introduces Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter and the related researches. The main body includes three parts. The first part chiefly analyses the different symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter “A” that changes with the development of the story. The second part expounds the symbolic meaning of the four main characters’ names. Beautiful and candid Hester, unsocial and gloomy Dimmesdale, cold and detached Chilingworth and sunny girl Pearl. The third part mainly describes the symbolic meaning of the images that written in the novel, such as prison, scaffold, and rose-bush and forest. The final part is conclusion.

Key words: Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, symbolism

Contents

摘要 ............................................................................................................................... I Abstract ........................................................................................................................ I I Contents ..................................................................................................................... III Chapter One Introduction. (1)

1.1 Introduction to Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter (1)

1.2 Literature Review (2)

1.3 Significance of the Study (3)

Chapter Two The Symbolic Meaning of the Scarlet letter “A” (4)

2.1 Adultery (5)

2.2 Anguish (5)

2.3 Able (6)

2.4 Angel (7)

Chapter Three Symbolic Meaning of the Main Characters’ Names (8)

3.1 Hester Prynne (8)

3.2 Arthur Dimmesdale (9)

3.3 Roger Chillingworth (10)

3.4 Pearl (11)

Chapter Four The Symbolic Meaning of the Objects and Settings (13)

4.1 The Prison (13)

4.2 The Scaffold (13)

4.3 The Rose bush (14)

4.4 The Forest (15)

Chapter Five Conclusion (16)

References (18)

Acknowledgments (19)

Chapter One Introduction

1.1 Introduction to Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne is a famous American novelist and short story writer. He is the most important American romantic representative in the late nineteenth century, and also one of the greatest novelists in the history of American literature. Hawthorn's works belong to romanticism or, more specifically, dark romanticism. Many of his works are inspired by Puritan New England, combining historical romance loaded with symbolism and deep psychological themes, bordering on surrealism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. His published works include novels, short stories, and biography. His later writings also reflect his negative view of the Transcendentalism movement.

The Scarlet Letter is the representative work of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s long novel, which focuses on the performance of the author’s thought and artistic features. When this book was published, it achieved a success. Hawthorne used symbolism widely in The Scarlet Letter and made four major figures together skillfully with the only word “A”. The use of symbolism in the story is full of mystery that enriches the ideological content of the works, and also increases the novel’s artistic charm. It leaves imaginative space and infinite aftertaste to readers. The Scarlet Letter’s biggest success is the skillful use of symbolism and the excellent control ability. Hawthorne’s rich and unique symbolism opened a symbolic novel as an independent literary variety precedent. Hawthorne became one of founders of modern literature of symbolism, also makes the scarlet letter became the first American’s cross-border book, and won the world reputation in literary works.

1.2 Literature Review

Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the most influential American romantic novelists in the nineteenth century. Because of Hawthorne’s moral ambiguity, his rich visual imagination, his deep exploration of the dreams capes of individuals, communities, and the nation, and especially his “power of blackness” as Melville called it, his works keep intriguing great interests and huge passion of the critics of different times and different perspectives.

The Scarlet Letter is considered as one of the greatest works in American literature. The reasons why it is so famous are that its ambiguous connotations, delicate representations, mystical imaginations, thrilling moral implications as well as its ambiguous attitude towards women. Critics study it from different angles and levels, but all the critics gave the highest evaluation to The Scarlet Letter. In recent years, there are many domestic and foreign academic attics which are writing the scarlet letter, for example, Bianjun has studied the psychological description in the scarlet letter; Yang Xiaomei has analyzed Hawthorne’s ambivalent attitude towards women in the scarlet letter; Jin Xiaowei has studied Hawthorne’s Christian thoughts, and so on.

However, another attraction is Hawt horne’s skillful use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism is one of the most important writing skills, which endows the concrete images with abstract meaning to enlighten the reader’s imagination and to express a deeper meaning. If we want to explore the deeper significance through the surface, it is not a simple thing. It must involve in many disciplines and theoretical problems, so this paper will study the symbolism of The Scarlet Letter.