《美国文学史》期末论文
2015-2016学年第二学期
论文题目: 论《红字中的象征主义》
英文题目:An Analysis of the Symbolism of the
Scarlet Letter
姓名: 王舒
学号:1345752211
专业: 英语
日期: 2015 年 6 月29 日
An Analysis of the Symbolism of The Scarlet Letter Chapter One Introduction
1.1Research Background
1.1.1 Life Career and Literary Career
1.1.2 The Origin of The Scarlet Letter
1.2Purpose and Significance of the Study
1.3Organization of the Thesis
Chapter Two The Organization of Symbolism
2.1 Symbolic Meaning of the Main Characters’ Names
2.1.1 Hester Prynne
2.1.2 Arthur Dimmesdale
2.1.3 Roger Chillingworth
2.1.4 Pearl
2.2 Symbolic Meaning of the Letter “A”
2.2.1 Adultery
2.2.2 Alone
2.2.3 Angel
2.2.4 Arthur Dimmesdale
Chapter Four Conclusion
An Analysis of the Symbolism of the Scarlet Letter
Chapter one Introduction
1.1Research Background
1.1.1 Life Career and Literary Career
Hawthorne was born in Salem in 1804. His family has a long Puritan tradition. His father is a sea captain, died in Dutch when Hawthorne was only four. And his mother relied on relatives in rearing the children. Besides, some of his ancestors were a judge relate to the Salem Witchcraft Trails of 1692. Therefore, the family gradually fortune declined. Young Hawthorne was witnessed the process and aware of the misdeeds of his puritan ancestors, so he had deep understanding of evil in human life, people called “that blackness in Hawthorne”. This affected many works of him and stated truth in his books.
He aspired to be a writer in his middle age. In 1821, he went to Bowdoin College where he made friends with Wadsworth Longfellow and Franklin Pierce, who was the fourteenth President of the United States. Franklin helped him when he was in financial difficulties. After graduation, he spent 12 years in seclusion on literary apprenticeship, reading widely and practicing writing. In 1839, Hawthorne has worked in Boston customs for two years. Later, he entered into Brook Farmland and contacted with the idea of transcendental. Then, Hawthorne went to Salem customs, in which affected the work “The Scarlet Latter” directly.
In 1842, Hawthorne got married and lived in Concord, made friends with his neighbors, Emerson and Thoreau and others. Finally, he died in 1864 and buried in Sleepy Valley cemetery. Hawthorne’s first novel is about his school life, which was a failure novel. So he burnt all his copies in great rage. Later, he published a collection of short stories, called Twice-Told Tales in
1837, which attracted some popular and critical attention. Another successful short story collection, Mosses from an Old Manse came out in 1846 and brought him great fame and made him finally financially comfortable. In 1850, a novel, The Scarlet Letter came out, which made him known by others and made his name as a writer of no small talent. In 1851, The House of the Seven Gables came out, to be followed by The Blithedale Romance in 1852 and The Marble Faun in 1860.
1.1.2 The Origin of the Scarlet Letter
The story of The Scarlet Letter is very simple but very moving. The story is set in New England in seventeenth century Boston, which is under Puritan command.
A young beautiful woman, named Hester Prynne, is sent ahead to America by his husband-----an aging English scholar. However, for two years, he does not arrive here. But two year later, he is bewildered to see his wife in pillory, wearing a scarlet letter “A” on her breast and holding a baby in her arms. She is considered the guilty of adultery and brought to trial. The old scholar pretends to be a physician and changes his name Rogar Chillingworth. Gradually, he discovered that his wife’s lover is the young clergyman, Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester refuses to name her lover all the time and looked down on by others. Dimmesdale suffered physical and mental torture. But Hester response to the scarlet letter is a positive one. She lives a quiet life with her daughter, Pearl. She helps her fellow creatures as a sister if many of sorts or as a skilled embroiderer in modest manner, and finally wins other’s love and admiration. Because the scarlet letter “A”, the church members suggest Pearl be taken away from Hester, and Dimmesdale has a poor health. She plans to leave America with Dimmesdale, but he refused her help. He dies in the end in her arms while confessing his sin at a public gathering. Chillingworth withers. Pearl is married into a noble family.
1.2 Purpose and Significance of the Study
Symbolism is not only a significant feature of Hawthorne’s works, but also a major feature of Romanticism. Therefore, study of Hawthorne’s masterpiece, the scarlet letter, symbolism can help the readers knows more about the novel and read his works without any difficulties. When we learn a symbolism of a novel, we could study it from the characters, situations, environment and others. It is very important for readers to understand a novel’s thesis.
1.2Organization of the Thesis
In The Scarlet Letter, symbolism is used not only in the main characters but also in the capital letter “A” which symbolism adultery, alone, alienation, angel and Arthur Dimmesdale.
Chapter Two The Organization of Symbolism
2.1 Symbolic Meaning of the Main Characters’ Names
2.1.1Hester Prynne
Hester Prynne is one of the main characters in this novel. Hawthorne endows her name with much symbolic meanings. Firstly, when we see the word “Hester”, we may contact it with Hastier, who is the sister of Zeus in Greek mythology. She is kitchen goodness. She is also very beautiful god. Hawthorne names his main character Hester, which give readers a strong sense that Hester is a beautiful, passionate and warm-hearted woman. In this novel, Hester tries her best to help others and as a skilled embroiderer in an unobtrusive and undemanding manner. Whatever she goes, she is warm-hearted and king. Besides, the sound of “Hester” is similar to “Hastier”, which is difficult to distinct them. Not only is her behavior like goodness, but also her beautiful appearance.
Secondly, Heater is the homophone of the word “Haste”, which means doing something quickly so that you are careless and make mistakes. She gets married to Roger Chillingworth, who is an ugly and old man and devotes all his life to his books, his wife just could get a little love from him. As a young woman, she goes through everyday loneliness without living a normal life. She does not have a baby with Roger. So she feels sexual inhibition. What’s more, her husband sent her to America, while he disappeared for two years without any news. Hester falls in love with Arthur quickly, a young clergyman. As a result, her fortunate life starts with hasty.
Hester’s surname also has its symbolic meaning. First of all, “Prynne”sounds like “Prurient”. Hester’s husband is so old that he could not give her sexual love. Which makes Hester loves the young man so hastily. As a result, she is put into prison and forced to wear the letter “A” all the time and everywhere for the crime. Hawthorne uses Prynne to suggest the origin pain of Hester. What’s more, “Prynne” is similar to “Prune” so that affect reader’s understanding. Hawthorne not only point out the reason for Prynne’s guilty, but also believes that she could recover from the pain in the late of life. When Hester gets out the prison, she never abandons herself, but has courage to face the cold world. She has a positive attitude to face the scarlet letter and the rumors in this town.
The last but not least, “Pry” the first syllable of “Prynne”, which with the meaning of spying on somebody. The author wants to discover the evil from the life of Prynne. In many years without contacting others, Prynne has been thinking her guilty, it also make her aware of the evil spirit beneath the surface of the saints. If you put people’s mind on the table, may be everyone has a scarlet letter. Everyone has sins in their deep mind。
2.1.2 Arthur Dimmesdale
Author Dimmesdale is the main character in this novel who is an admirable clergyman. The abbreviation of his name “AD”represents “adultery”. His name reminds us of Adam who is human being’s ancestor. In the Holy Bible, Adam and Eve, the ancestors of human beings, who live in the Garden of Eden. One day, Eve eats the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden tricked by the serpent. After that, they know the good and the evil, and even to know the sex. From the Bible, we can know the adultery is the original sin of human beings. Arthur is a priest and also the son of the god. But he is a man actually. He is also made by blood and flesh. He can’t refuse the temptation of the evil.
From the point of linguistic, the first syllable of Dimmesdale and its second syllable combinations means “bad luck”. From Hawthorne’s view, Arthur makes a mistake that could not be forgiven. He is differing from Prynne because he hides his love in his mind and lives in depression. “Dim” means dark and weak. His adultery is against Hester. He has no courage to tell others that he loves Hester, just isolated from the community. At the beginning, when the people charge Hester, he also has no courage to confess his sin in the public. Because the fear of the god, he follows others to criticize Hester when she was on scaffold in front of the people of their community. She was made laughed by all the citizens. He did not stand out to tell the truth.
Arthur Dimmesdale is a coward. Just because of his hypocrisy. He has been controlled by Chillingworth, whose revenge makes him more agony and scared. In order to reduce his pains, he sometime does not eat anything to confess to the God. Compared to Hester, he is negative so that gradually he has a bad condition and become weaker and weaker. In the end, he confessed all his sins, which made him peaceful and died in Hester’s arms with smile.
2.1.3 Roger Chillingworth
Roger Chillingworth also has many symbolic meaning in this novel. As others names, it also has three meanings. At the first, Roger is a scholar and he represents wisdom and education. The word “Roger” sounds like “Rogue”, which means a man who behaves in a dishonest or criminal way. Of course, he is a rogue in the novel. He knows he couldn’t satisfy Hester but still married with her, and buried her green years. He married Hester not because love but in order to content his feeling of lonely and chilly heart. After marrying Hester, he devotes all his time to working and reading and always is indifferent to her. So the Chillingworth is rogue that destroys Hester’s youth and heart.
Second, the word “Roger” makes people thinks of the Jolly Roger, who is a prate. He is good at revenge. So does the Chillingworth. Though he doesn’t love hi wife, he still want to find the man when he knows the adultery of his wife. When he discovered the man is Arthur, he used his occupation to come into Arthur’s mind。
Finally, his name is made by two segments: “chilling” and “worth”. Chilling from the word “chilly”, which represent Chillingworth is cold-blooded. He constrains Arthur and causes mental stress. In other hand, “worth” shows he has advantages in some ways.
2.1.4 Pearl
Pearl is the daughter of Hester and Dimmesdale. She is the only innocent person in this novel. She likes sunshine and angel. She is the pearl in her mother’s heart. The word “Pearl” is from the Bible, which means valuable things. In the Bible, the God asks a man sells off his property to follow him. And tells him the pearl is his heaven. Next, the author compares Pearl with a lot of beautiful things. She is Hester’s spiritual pillar. Her name brings the whole novel active and
energy. The last meaning is that, “Pearl” and “Purl” is homophones. The author takes Pearl as a purl, which represent a mystery in her life. So she is the very important character in this novel. She is so purity to live in the work.
2.2 Symbolic Meaning of the Letter “A”
The symbolism of this novel is changing all the time. I will explain the meanings from four aspects: Adultery, alone, angel and Arthur Dimmesdale.
2.2.1 Adultery
At the beginning, the meaning of the letter “A” is the first letter of “Adultery”. She is put into the prison and forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” in front of her breast. The letter is a symbol of shame. Everyone knows who she is and looks down upon. The letter “A” makes Hester become a criminal in people’s mind. Therefore, the letter “A” means “Adultery”.
2.2.2 Alone
Hester is very lonely in her life. After she releases from the prison, all the people elude her and she is separated from others. Not only has she felt lonely in the community, but also in her marriage. She marries Chillingworth, but she owed nothing from his husband. When she comes into the execution ground, nobody sympathize her, even her lover, Arthur. Gradually, she is isolated from the community. She faces all the difficulties by herself. So she the letter “A” is also means “Alone”.
2.2.3 Angel
Hester not only brings her daughter by herself, but also kind to everyone in surrounding areas. Her daughter, Pearl is her most beautiful work in her whole life. Hester is so kind to the poor, so
warm-hearted to the people who in troubles, so helpful to the sick. She is like an angel, though she is a fallen angel. But in people’s mind, angel is innocent and purity. Hester is a strong-willed woman. She never hates anyone or revenge to those people who laughed at her. Her appearance likes an angel, so does her spirit. She is so positive when she put into the prison. She overcomes the difficulty of confronting the shame of her sin. From the adultery to angel, she has the ability to change her attitudes and others’. It is so difficult for her to win the admiration from people.
2.2.4 Arthur Dimmesdale
The letter “A” also stands her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, who is Pearl’s father. After she is released from the prison, she has the chance to remove to other place, where no one knows her and her event. But she doesn’t leave away alone. Because Arthur in this place. From her behavior, we can know she loves her lover very much. Though she was despised by others, she still stays here with her courage and strength. At the beginning, on scaffold, she refuses to tell the name of her lover, Arthur. Though, Arthur has been died, Hester also choose to live in her cottage till the end of her life. All what she has done is for her lover. After she died, she is buried with her lover. So, the letter “A” in Hester’s eyes is a symbol of her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale.
Chapter Three Conclusion
Hawthorne is good at using symbolism, which leads the way to an independent literary genre. It is called symbolic novel. We noted the symbolic significance of the scarlet letter earlier on in our discussion of The Scarlet Letter. The name of its characters, Hester Prynne and Pearl, as well as Arthur Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are symbolic. Especially the letter “A” in the novel has
lot meanings, such as adultery, alone, alienation, able, angel and Arthur. All this symbolic makes reader pay more attention to the further meaning of this novel. People can get deep understanding of this novel and the idea of the author. In a word, Nathaniel Hawthorne has an excellent use of symbolism in his masterpiece.
From the four characters, we can know what they present and the author’s thoughts. Though Hester is a guilty woman, but she is also very innocent and beautiful. She is brave and has a positive attitude to the bad condition. It is valuable for us to inmate. Arthur is a coward. Some readers may hate the characteristic of him. He is full of guilty in his whole life. He loses his lover and the love from the God. But Hawthorne gives him a good result that died on Hester’s arms. He confesses to all the people at the end with his courage. Chillingworth is the only negative character in this novel. Expect books, he has nothing. Of course, he only loves his books. The most beautiful girl is Pearl. She is young and purity. She has a good result that marries into a noble family. The guilty of the old generation is not affecting her. She just likes an angel in appearance and spirit. Her result also shows the positive attitude to all the people’s life.
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
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
《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
Captain John Smith (first American writer). Anne Bradstreet；The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America （colonists living） Edward Taylor(the best puritan poet) John Cotton ”the Patriarch of New England” teacher spiritual leader Benjamin Franklin The Autobiography Poor Richard’s Almanack Thomas Jefferson： Political Career Thoughts The Declaration of Independence we hold truth to be self-evidence Philip Freneau“Father of American Poetry” The Wild Honey Suckle American Romanticism optimism and hope Nationalism Washington Irving“Father of American Literature short story”The first “Pure Writer” A History of New York The Sketch Book marked the beginning of American Romanticism! “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”Rip Van Winkle James Fenimore Cooper Father of American sea and frontier novels Leather stocking Tales The Last of the Mohicans The Pioneers The Prairie The Pathfinder The Deerslayer Edgar Allan Poe father of detective story and horror fiction Tales of the Grotesque and the Arabesque “MS. Found in a Bottle” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” “The Fall of the House of Usher”“The Masque of the Red Death”“The
History And Anthology of American Literature （6） 附：作者及作品 一、殖民主义时期The Literature of Colonial America 1．船长约翰·史密斯Captain John Smith 《自殖民地第一次在弗吉尼亚垦荒以来发生的各种事件的真实介绍》 “A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony” 《弗吉尼亚地图，附：一个乡村的描述》 “A Map of Virginia: with a Description of the Country” 《弗吉尼亚通史》“General History of Virginia” 2．威廉·布拉德福德William Bradford 《普利茅斯开发历史》“The History of Plymouth Plantation”3．约翰·温思罗普John Winthrop 《新英格兰历史》“The History of New England” 4．罗杰·威廉姆斯Roger Williams 《开启美国语言的钥匙》”A Key into the Language of America” 或叫《美洲新英格兰部分土著居民语言指南》 Or “A Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New England ” 5．安妮·布莱德斯特Anne Bradstreet 《在美洲诞生的第十个谬斯》 ”The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America” 二、理性和革命时期文学The Literature of Reason and Revolution 1。本杰明·富兰克林Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) ※《自传》“ The Autobiography ” 《穷人理查德的年鉴》“Poor Richard’s Almanac” 2。托马斯·佩因Thomas Paine (1737-1809) ※《美国危机》“The American Crisis” 《收税官的案子》“The Case of the Officers of the Excise”《常识》“Common Sense” 《人权》“Rights of Man” 《理性的时代》“The Age of Reason” 《土地公平》“Agrarian Justice” 3。托马斯·杰弗逊Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) ※《独立宣言》“The Declaration of I ndependence” 4。菲利浦·弗瑞诺Philip Freneau (1752-1832) ※《野忍冬花》“The Wild Honey Suckle” ※《印第安人的坟地》“The Indian Burying Ground” ※《致凯提·迪德》“To a Caty-Did” 《想象的力量》“The Power of Fancy” 《夜屋》“The House of Night” 《英国囚船》“The British Prison Ship” 《战争后期弗瑞诺主要诗歌集》 “The Poems of Philip Freneau Written Chiefly During the Late War” 《札记》“Miscellaneous Works” 三、浪漫主义文学The Literature of Romanticism 1。华盛顿·欧文Washington Irving (1783-1859) ※《作者自叙》“The Author’s Account of Himself” ※《睡谷传奇》“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” 《见闻札记》“Sketch Book” 《乔纳森·欧尔德斯泰尔》“Jonathan Oldstyle” 《纽约外史》“A History of New York” 《布雷斯布里奇庄园》“Bracebridge Hall” 《旅行者故事》“Tales of Traveller” 《查理二世》或《快乐君主》“Charles the Second” Or “The Merry Monarch” 《克里斯托弗·哥伦布生平及航海历史》 “A History of the Life and V oyages of Christopher Columbus” 《格拉纳达征服编年史》”A Chronicle of the Conquest of Grandada” 《哥伦布同伴航海及发现》 ”V oyages and Discoveries of the Companions of Columbus” 《阿尔罕布拉》“Alhambra” 《西班牙征服传说》“Legends of the Conquest of Spain” 《草原游记》“A Tour on the Prairies” 《阿斯托里亚》“Astoria” 《博纳维尔船长历险记》“The Adventures of Captain Bonneville” 《奥立弗·戈尔德史密斯》”Life of Oliver Goldsmith” 《乔治·华盛顿传》“Life of George Washington” 2．詹姆斯·芬尼莫·库珀James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) ※《最后的莫希干人》“The Last of the Mohicans” 《间谍》“The Spy” 《领航者》“The Pilot” 《美国海军》“U.S. Navy” 《皮袜子故事集》“Leather Stocking Tales” 包括《杀鹿者》、《探路人》”The Deerslayer”, ”The Pathfinder” 《最后的莫希干人》“The Last of the Mohicans” 《拓荒者》、《大草原》“The Pioneers”, “The Praire” 3。威廉·卡伦·布莱恩特William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878) ※《死之思考》“Thanatopsis” ※《致水鸟》“To a Waterfowl” 4。埃德加·阿伦·坡Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) ※《给海伦》“To Helen” ※《乌鸦》“The Raven” ※《安娜贝尔·李》“Annabel Lee” ※《鄂榭府崩溃记》“The Fall of the House of Usher” 《金瓶子城的方德先生》“Ms. Found in a Bottle” 《述异集》“Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque” 5。拉尔夫·沃尔多·爱默生Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) ※《论自然》“Nature” ※《论自助》“Self-Reliance” 《美国学者》“The American Scholar” 《神学院致辞》“The Divinity School Address” 《随笔集》“Essays” 《代表》“Representative Men” 《英国人》“English Traits” 《诗集》“Poems” 6。亨利·戴维·梭罗Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) ※《沃尔登我生活的地方我为何生活》 1
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
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
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
目录 摘要-----------------------------------------------------------4 Abstract-------------------------------------------------------5 引文-----------------------------------------------------------6 一、红字的象征意义----------------------------------------------8 （一）通奸（Adultery）---------------------------------------8 （二）孤独（Alone）------------------------------------------9 （三）女斗士（Amazon）---------------------------------------9 （四）艺术（Art）、能干（Able）、天使（Angle）-----------------9 二、人物的象征意义----------------------------------------------11 （一）海斯特的象征意义---------------------------------------11 （二）丁梅斯代尔的象征意义-----------------------------------11 （三）齐灵沃斯的象征意义-------------------------------------11 （四）小珠儿的象征意义---------------------------------------12 （五）贝灵汉总督的象征意义-----------------------------------13 三、场景的象征意义----------------------------------------------14 （一）刑台---------------------------------------------------14 （二）监狱、墓地---------------------------------------------14 （三）小溪---------------------------------------------------14 四、总结--------------------------------------------------------16
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