A New Interpretation of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter

1、小說(shuō)紅字當(dāng)中象征意義新論a new interpretation of symbolism in the scarlet lettercontentsabstract .1key words.1i. introduction 2ii. literature review .3iii. symbolism in the scarlet letter .41. the symbolic meaning of “the scarlet letter” .42. the symbolic meaning of the four major characters: hester prune; arthu

2、r dimmesdale; roger chillingworth and pearl .51) hester prune .52) arthur dimmesdale.63) roger chillingworth .74) pearl .83. the symbolic meaning of some objects .91) light and darkness .102) meteor .103) prison .104) the rosebush next to the prison door .10iv. conclusion .11references .11a new inte

3、rpretation of symbolism inthe scarlet letterabstract：the scarlet letter, one of the american writer nathaniel hawthorns most outstanding representative works, makes him known all over the world. it is regarded as the first symbolic novel in american literature because of the ingenious using of symbo

4、lism. hawthorne uses the symbolism so skillful that it enhances the artistic effects of his work greatly. 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 ch

5、aracters: hester prune, arthur dimmesdale, roger chillingworth and pearl also have their symbolic meanings. the scarlet letter is a novel of much symbolism. this paper represents the modern symbolism in this novel from the following aspects: the ever changing symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter “

6、a”. the changing symbolic meaning of the major characters and many objects that are described in the novel to make the symbolism clear to the readers in nowadays.key words: the scarlet letter; symbolism; hester 摘 要：作品紅字是美國(guó)小說(shuō)家霍桑的代表作，這部小說(shuō)使他譽(yù)滿全球。它被認(rèn)為是美國(guó)文學(xué)史上第一部具有象征意義的小說(shuō)，作者在作品中采用的象征手法貫穿始終的、無(wú)處不在，加強(qiáng)了作品的藝術(shù)效

7、果。這部小說(shuō)圍繞著一個(gè)主旨象征：紅字。除此之外，一些其他的物體在小說(shuō)中也有象征意義。此外，小說(shuō)中四個(gè)主要人物的名字：海絲特、丁梅斯戴爾、齊靈渥斯和珍珠都有象征意義。本文從紅字的多種象征意義、主要人物的寓意以及景物寓意等方面入手，研究紅字在當(dāng)今社會(huì)背景下的象征意義。關(guān)鍵詞：紅字；象征意義；海絲特i. introductionnathaniel hawthorne is a novelist. he is a son of a sea captain, who died in 1808, after which his mother led the life of a recluse. an ac

8、cident when at play conduced to an early taste for reading, and from boyhood he cherished literary aspirations. his education was completed at bowdoin coll, where he had longfellow for a fellow-student. after graduating, he obtained a post in the custom-house, which, however, he did not find congeni

9、al, and soon gave up, betaking himself to literature, his earliest efforts, besides a novel, fanshawe, which had no success, being short tales and sketches, which, after appearing in periodicals, were collected and published as twice-told tales (1837), followed by a second series in 1842. in 1841 he

10、 joined for a few months the socialistic community at brook farm, but soon tired of it, and in the next year he married and set up house in concord in an old manse, formerly tenanted by emerson, whence proceeded mosses from an old manse (1846). it was followed by the snow image (1851), the scarlet l

11、etter (1850), his most powerful work, the house of seven gables, and the blithedale romance (1852), besides his childrens books, the wonder book, and the tanglewood tales. nathaniel hawthorne is considered to be the first greatest american fiction writer in the moralistic tradition. his work the sca

12、rlet letter that is notable for its allegory and symbolism is regarded as the first symbolic novel in american literature. the novel revolves around one major symbols, pearl is a symbol of hesters transgressions and even has similar qualities as the sin, which she represents. pearls life and behavio

13、r directly reflects the unacceptable and abnormal nature of hesters adulterous sin. “hester is plagued with more than just a letter “a”; she is given a child from her affair that is just as much a reminder of her sin as the scarlet letter. ultimately hester overcomes the shame associated the scarlet

14、 letter and creates a sense of family for herself and pearl” wu fei (2003:119). this relationship is integral to the theme of this novel and the development of its characters. this book, with its compelling tragic power, was no product of eight months, although pen was set to it the eighth of june a

15、nd, despite mourning, illness, and sordid care, the last sheets went to the printer the third of february next. its main elements had long been taking form in the mysterious depths of hawthornes mind. its characters are hardly men and women for whose dooms we grieve. they are such stuff as souls are

16、 made of, -quintessence of conscience and despair. open shame and secret sin, waywardness born of broken law, anguish, cowardice, revenge, -these are the midnight glooms so strangely melted into a dream of austere and terrible beauty.“symbolism is a traditional artistic form; it is also a major feat

17、ure of romanticism” dai weidong (2004:11). as a famous writer of romanticism, hawthorne is skillful at the employing symbolism in his works. the various usage of symbolism in the scarlet letter makes the novel a work of the world. this thesis is written to conduct a research on the symbolism in the

18、scarlet letter in modern times. including the changing symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter, the names of the major characters and many objects that are described in the novel.ii. literature reviewthe research on learning strategy began at the end of the 19th century. the research is on sin, knowl

19、edge, and the human condition, the nature of evil, civilization versus the wilderness, evocative names and so on. comments on the scarlet letter mentioned that when critics commented and analyzed the scarlet letter, because of the different critical methods, they interpreted different meaning from t

20、he novel thus bringing out the so-called “multi-explanation” phenomenon. some of them think the protagonist in this novel cant insist on the views of themselves and therefore get no victory, so they are destined to fail from their resistance against their fate; some of them think the protagonist dim

21、mesdale cant decide on how to select from “the human world, hell, and heaven”, so he falls into loneliness and dead. others think that, if the scarlet letter is a symbol of extreme evil, the behavior that is symbolized by “a” is real evil. the author of comments on the scarlet letter professor caoya

22、jun believes the scarlet letter is a society tragedy of refuse rescue creed. “the tragedy shows the terrible conflict between culture and individual spirit. various kinds of explanation all have their own reasons. some critics consider the symbolism in the scarlet letter and find out three kinds of

23、living conditions: nature, commonality, and soul” hu yingtong (2001:131). in china, when people see the name of this book they often think this is a novel about “l(fā)ove”. some of them often write a thesis on the topic of the characters, such as hester prynne, dimmesdale, roger chillingworth, and pearl

24、; the relationship between these four characters; the love between hester prynne and dimmesdale. they dont know the background of this novel clearly, even they know; they also cant understand it very well. some english major students write a thesis on symbolism of this novel, but most of them have n

25、o idea about new interpretation symbolism in this novel. iii. symbolism in the scarlet letter1. the symbolic meaning of “the scarlet letter”the scarlet letter is on hesters breast. it is a symbol of her adultery against roger chillingworth. this is the puritan way of treating her as a criminal, for

26、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. it meant to be a symbol of shame, but instead it becomes a powerful symbol of identity to hester.

27、 the letters meaning shifts as time passes. originally intended to mark hester as an adulterer; the “a” eventually comes to stand for “able”. finally, it becomes indeterminate: the native americans who come to watch the election day pageant think it marks her as a person of importance and status. he

28、ster 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.

29、 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 refer

30、red to as a “devil child,” either has some sort of psychological problem, or is a very tough woman” liu jianxi (2003:54). pearl is one of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the novel, the daughter of hester prune. pearl, throughout the story, she is a living scarlet letter. she is a physi

31、cal reminder of hesters affair with dimmesdale. but compared with a human child, the letter seems insignificant, and thus helps to point out the ultimate meaninglessness of the communitys system of judgment and punishment. the child has been sent from god, or at least from nature, but the letter is

32、merely a human contrivance. additionally, the instability of the letters apparent meaning calls into question societys ability to use symbols for ideological reinforcement. more often than not, a symbol becomes a focal point for critical analysis and debate.in modern times, against with adultery, th

33、e scarlet letter “a” can be explained as “aspiration”. aspiration means a strong hope or wish for achievement or success. a strong hope of hester, she want seeking true love by shaky off all fetters. although she had got married with roger chillingworth, but thats not her aspiration, she did not lov

34、e him, but we never fully understand why. as a young woman, hester married an elderly scholar, chillingworth, who sent her ahead to american to live but never followed her. she aspirates love, so she had affair with dimmesdale, after which she gave birth to pearl. she wants celebration of feminism.

35、the early chapters of the book suggest that, prior to her marriage, hester was a strong-willed and impetuous young women-she remembers her parents as loving guides who frequently had to restrain her incautious behavior. the fact that she has an affair also suggests that she once had an extremely pas

36、sionate nature.2. the symbolic meaning of the four major characters: hester prune.; arthur dimmesdale; roger chillingworth and pearl1) hester prunehester is the books protagonist and the wearer of the scarlet letter. as a woman, hester married an elderly scholar, chillingworth, who sent her ahead to

37、 america to live but never followed her. while waiting for him, she has an affair with a puritan minister named dimmesdale, after which she gave birth to pearl. pearl is shes illegitimate daughter who tormented so much. when she saw pearl she will remember shes sin. she is an adulterer, a symbol of

38、shame. at first, she gets married to roger chillingworth, an ugly man who gives his best years to feed the hungry dream of knowledge. not having got the news about her husband who should have arrived by ship from england, she falls love with arthur hastily and gives birth to pearl, for which she is

39、condemned to wear on the breast of her gown the scarlet letter “a”, which stands for adultery. but hesters adultery haste is nothing but a very natural thing to do. in the holy bible, adam and eve, the very ancestors of human being, who live in the garden of eden, eat the fruit of the tree that is i

40、n the middle of the garden tricked by the serpent. after that, they begin to know good and evil, and also they begin to know sex. “adultery is nothing but the original sin of human being. gods punishment to them is just sending them forth from the garden of eden. but in the scarlet letter, hester is

41、 tortured physically and mentally for her sin” liu jianxi (2003:67).in todays society, people in china have many different thinking about extramarital affair. in peoples eyes，the person who actually had the extramarital affair may have a feeling of guilt, loneliness, confusion and misdirection along

42、 with many other feelings. the partner who did not have the extramarital affair can have these feelings as well, but the lack of confidence that can come as a result of the other person having an extramarital affair can be one of the toughest parts to deal with. but after reading the novel-the scarl

43、et letter, people may think the behavior of hester also can be accepted, when she has an affair with arthur dimmesdale she also have a feeling of guilt, loneliness, confusion and misdirection. but hesters adultery haste is nothing but a very natural thing to do. in the holy bible, adam and eve, the

44、very ancestors of human being, who live in the garden of eden, eat the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden tricked by the serpent. after that, they begin to know good and evil, and also they begin to know sex. adultery is nothing but the original sin of human being. gods punishment

45、 to them is just sending them forth from the garden of eden. but in the scarlet letter, hester is tortured physically and mentally for her sin. hester says to dimmesdale in the forest later, “what we did had a consecration of its own, we felt so!” hawthorne (1850:179). in essence, their sin is no wo

46、rse than adam and eves. the punishment of puritan society is somehow too hard on a woman who is led by human instinct. in todays china, the extramarital love affairs are becoming more and more common. when their wives or husbands are on a business trip, they often feel hollow in spirit, so they ofte

47、n take part in some public activities and meet someone there. the people she meets maybe her old friends or strangers. thats can not influence their affairs. they talk with each other; they will find the common topic between them. then they contact each other and the relationship between them become

48、s closer and closer. hester is a pitiable person, she does not love her husband but she had got married with him. her husband sends her ahead to american and never followed her, as a young woman, she fell lonely and helpless; she touched with others and falls in love with minister dimmesdale then ga

49、ve birth to pearl. if she lives in todays society, her fate will be different, because it is naturalism. she will be sympathized by others. the affair that hester did was not all her fault.2) arthur dimmesdaledimmesdale is a young man who achieved fame in england as a theologian and then immigrated

50、to america. he is a well-regarded young minister, whose initials are ad, which also stands for adultery. the author obviously tells us author dimmesdale is the partner in sin of hester prune by giving him this name. the word dimmesdale also has many symbolic meanings. dim means dark and weak and dal

51、e means valley, so the dimdale here is actually a symbol of the “dim-interior” of the clergyman. ironically, the townspeople do not believe dimmesdales protestations of sinfulness. given his background and his penchant for rhetorical speech, dimmesdales congregation generally interprets his sermons

52、allegorically rather than as expressions of any personal guilt and self-punishment and leads to still more deterioration in his physical and spiritual condition. “the towns idolization of him reaches new heights after election day sermon, which is his last. in his death, dimmesdale becomes even more

53、 of an iron than he was in life” zhou xiaoxian (1995:277). many believe his confession was a symbolic act, while others believe dimmesdales fate was an example of divine judgment. in our minds, dimmesdale is an intelligent and emotional man, and he is also a weakness man. he was a scholar of some re

54、nown at oxford university. his past suggests that he is probably somewhat aloof, the kind of man who would not have much natural sympathy for ordinary men and women. he was considered to be an eloquent and emotionally powerful speaker and a compassionate leader in the town. in a moment of weakness,

55、he and hester became lovers. he is the father of pearl, but he can only show his passion for her in the forest or in darkness. his response to the sin is to lie. he stands before hester and the rest of the town and proceeds to give a moving speech about how it would be in her and the fathers best in

56、terest for her to reveal the fathers name. though he never actually says that he is not the other partner, he implies it by talking of the father in third person. he concedes his guilt for seven years, although he has never admitted pearl is his daughter, but in fact she is. he has no courage to adm

57、it it. the fact that hester takes all of the blame for their shared sin goads his conscience. he should take the blame for their shared sin with hester together. although he is an identity person, he had responsibility to take the affair that he did. this world is equal; women should be equal to man

58、. why should hester undertake two kinds of pressures? on the one hand, she was derided and insulted by the townspeople; on the other hand, she tortured by her guilt in her heart. dimmesdale just tortured by his sin. the people live in the town didnt know he is pearls father; he is the darkness man. he punishes himself by believing that he can never