紅字英文介紹The-Scarlet-Letter

thescarletletter2021/5/91NathanielHawthorne納撒尼爾·霍桑

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

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

ImportantWork

Novels:Fanshawe(1825，《范肖》）TheScarletLetter(1850,《紅字》）HouseoftheSevenGables(1851,《七個尖角閣的房子》)TheBlithedaleRomance(1852,《福谷傳奇》)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

唯信仰論者：主張基督徒可以廢棄道德，依靠信仰來拯救靈魂。Quaker

教友派：靠內(nèi)心意識指引的教派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，中國的研究主要是文學(xué)研究，而美國則關(guān)注于作品中的科學(xué)原理。雖然研究眾多，但是讀者在思考霍桑的宗教態(tài)度時候總是認(rèn)為霍桑處于兩難境地，是背叛信仰還是抑制人性。但是在《紅字》中，霍桑其實已經(jīng)找到了兩者之間的平衡點——他把宗教當(dāng)成是一種具有調(diào)節(jié)社區(qū)的工具而不是純粹的信仰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