现当代文学论文-关于霍桑作品的基本主题.doc

现当代文学论文-关于霍桑作品的基本主题Abstract：NathanielHawthorneswholelifeisperplexedbyhumanbeingssinandevil.Hisdeep-rootedconsciousnessofPuritanismisshowninhisworks,andtheseextraordinaryworkshaveasimilartheme,namely,theprocessfromtheoriginalsintoredemption.Inthefirstpartofthispaper,theauthordiscussesthebasicthemerepresentedinHawthornesshortstoriesincludingYoungGoodmanBrown,TheMinistersBlackVeil,EgotismortheBosomSerpent,RogerMelvinsBurialandhismasterpieceTheScarletLetter.Moreover,theauthorsummarizesdiscrepanciesamongthesefiveworksalthoughtheyhaveacommonsubjectofsin.ThesecondpartfocusesonthereasonswhyNathanielHawthornechoosessuchabasictheme.HawthorneisadescendantofthePuritansandlivesinaPuritantown,sothePuritanheritageplaysalargepartinhislifeandliteraryworks.Andthethemeisinfluencedbyhisfamilylifeaswellashisownhermitlife.Furthermore,thefrequentrecollectionofhissinfulancestorsurgesHawthornetosetsuchagloomybasictheme.Andthelastreasonistomoralizepeopletogetawayfromsinfulbehavior.Inthelastpartofthispaper,theauthorilluminatesthesignificanceofHawthornesbasictheme.ThewholepaperisaimedathelpingreaderstobetterunderstandandappreciateHawthornesworks.Keywords:basictheme,sin,expiation,redemption,Puritan,Calvinism论文摘要:纳撒尼尔霍桑是美国19世纪影响最伟大的浪漫主义小说家，同时又是一个深受新英格兰清教传统影响的作家。他多以加尔文教派的善恶观念来认识社会和整个世界，几乎倾其一生致力于探讨人性中的罪恶这一问题。他的作品反应了他根深蒂固的清教主义思想，因此很多作品都表现了一个相似的基本主题原罪-赎罪-救赎。该论文的第一部分以霍桑的五部作品为例-好人布朗、胸中的蛇、教长的黑面纱、罗杰麦文的葬礼、以及最著名的红字来探讨他的上述基本主题，并归纳出这五部作品的精神意义。论文的第二部分通过霍桑家乡的所在地，家庭背景，和霍桑祖先的行为分析了霍桑选择这一主题的原因和清教徒迫害异端的事件对霍桑的思想所产生的深刻影响。而在最后一部分，论文阐释了霍桑这一基本主题的社会意义和人文意义。霍桑的作品中渗透着加尔文教派中关于“原罪”、“彻底堕落”等教义的观念”，略显隐晦难懂，本论文的目的在于帮助读者更好的理解和欣赏霍桑的作品及其意义。论文关键词：基本主题原罪悔罪救赎清教加尔文教.IntroductionNathanielHawthorneisagreatbrilliantAmericanwriterfullofinspirationandtalent.HeishonoredasoneofthebestandmostimportantnovelistofAmericainthe19thcenturyand“thegreatestimaginativegeniussinceShakespeare”(W.JLong,392).Nevertheless,manyreaders,whileappreciatinghisexcellentartistictechniques,findhisworksverydifficulttounderstand.Theobstacles,asfarasIamconcerned,areprobablyduetoHawthornesbasicthemewhichisrelatedwithCalvinism；thereforeitisnecessarytodeeplyexploreit.Ibelievethattheresultoftheexplorationwillhelpthereadertounderstandthisgreatgeniusmoredeeplyandtoappreciatehisworksbetter.ThebasicthemeofHawthorneswritingsAccordingtoChristianity,eversinceAdamandEvearedeceivedbySatanintoeatingthefruitandexpelledfromtheGardenofEdenbyGod,evilhasenteredtheworld,andhumanbeingsaredoomedtocarrytheburdenofsin.DeeplyinfluencedbyChristianity,HawthorneputstheCalvinismideaoforiginalsinanddepravityintohisworks.Inmanyofhisshortstoriesandromances,Hawthornepresentsacentralthemeoforiginalsin,togetherwithanaccompanyingthemeofthehungerforconfessionandexpiation.Hisworksmakeusrealizethatpeoplearebornsinfulandeveryonehassomesecretguiltandsinhiddeninheart,thatsinexistseverywhereintheworld,andthathumanlifeisasufferingjourneyofself-redemption.BycitingthefollowingworksofHawthorne,Iwishtofullydisplayhisbasicthemeofsin-expiation-redemption.A.YoungGoodmanBrownDisillusionmentinfaithNathanielHawthornesbestshortstoryYoungGoodmanBrowntellsreadersthestoryofthedisillusionmentinfaith,whichcouldbecomprehendedintwoaspects:thedisillusionmentoftheheroBrownsfaithofhisown,andthatofhisfaithinothers.GoodmanBrownisanhonestyoungmaninpeopleseyes,butislaterseducedbyevil.HeoncegoestoattendthewitchesSabbath,buttherehefindsoutsomeguiltysecretsofotherpeople.Hemeetsalltherespectable,reputable,andpiouspersonsofthevillageincludingtheladyofgovernor,wivesofhonoredhusband,excellentfairyounggirls,andchurchmembersofthevillagefamousfortheirespecialsanctity.Tohisgreatersurprise,heevenseeshisnewlymarriedwife,thepureandsweetestFaith.Therefore,Brownrealizestheevilofothersandcannotbelieveingoodinhimselfandinothers.Inthestory,Hawthornecreatesa“darkfigure”totellBrown,orratherthereadersthefollowingwords:“Thereareallwhomyehavereverencedfromyouth.Yedeemedthemholierthanyourselves,andshrankfromyourownsin,contrastingitwiththeirlivesofrighteousnessandprayerfulaspirationsheavenward.Yetherearetheyallinmyworshipingassembly.Thisnightitshallbegrantedyoutoknowtheirsecretdeeds:howhoary-beardedeldersofthechurchhavewhisperedwantonwordstotheyoungmaidsoftheirhousehold；howawoman,eagerforwidowsweeds,hasgivenherhusbandadrinkatbedtimeandlethimsleephislastsleepinherboson,howbeardlessyouthshavemadehastetoinherittheirfatherswealth；andhowfairdamselsblushnot,sweetones-haveduglittlegravesinthegardenandbiddenmethesoleguesttoaninfantsfuneral.Bythesympathyofyourhumanheartsforsinyeshallscentoutalltheplaces-whetherinchurch,bedchamber,street,field,orforest-wherecrimehasbeencommitted,andshallexulttobeholdthewholeearthonestainofguilt,onemightybloodspot.Farmorethanthis,itshallbeyourstopenetrate,ineverybosom,thedeepmysteryofsin,thefountainofallwickedarts,andwhichinexhaustiblysuppliesmoreevilimpulsesthanhumanpowercanmakemanifestindeed.”(Cowley65)Inthisstory,attendingtheSabbathcouldbeactuallyconsideredas“aspiritualjourneyforexploringthetruthofhumanworld”(Wang3),whichisfilledwithsinandguilt.AndwecanalsoconcludethatthepathintheforestsymbolizesadarkjourneyofBrowntomeetthedeepmysteryoforiginalsin.FromtheangleoforiginalsinofPuritanism,thisjourneymakeshimagonybecausehefindsthedarknessandsininthedeepheartofhumanbeings.Fromthemomenthedecidestoleavehiswife,Faith,Brownbetrayshisfaith.Moreover,whilehelooksathiswifeandotherpeoplearoundhimwithsuspicioussightthenextmorning,theinnocentBrownchangescompletelyintoanotherperson,gloomyandunbelieving.ThoughthisyoungmanisstillcalledGoodmanBrown,thereadersknowthereinnogoodmaninrealityandthateveryoneissinful.B.TheMinistersBlackVeilRevelationofsinHawthornes“TheMinistersBlackVeil”isregardedasoneoftheearliestandgreatestAmericanshortstories.LikemanyofHawthornesstories,thenatureofsecretsinandhumansfallennaturearethemaintheme,whilethisstoryisspeciallyfocusedontherevelationofsininpeoplesheart.Theyoungrespectableministeronedaysuddenlyputsablackveilonhisfaceandcontinuestowearituntilhedies.Thoughseverelycriticized,heneverexplainswhyhedoesso.Yettheauthorgivesthereadersahintthathestartstoweartheblackveilonthedayayounggirlinhisparishdies,leadingthereadertorealizethattheministerhassomesecretguiltconnectingwiththedeadgirl.Atthelastmomentofhislife,theministersaystothepeoplearoundhim,“Whydoyoutrembleatmealone?Tremblealsoateachother!.Whenthefriendshowshisinmosthearttohisfriend；thelovertohisbestbeloved；whenmandoesnotvainlyshrinkfromeyeofhisCreator,loathsomelytreasuringupthesecretofhissin；thendeemmeamonster,forthesymbolbeneathwhichIhavelived,anddie!”(Hawthorne181)Mr.Hoopersdeathbedremarksshowthatheintendstheblackveiltosymbolizethesecretsinwhichallmen“loathsomelytreasureup”intheirhearts.(Wan3)Mr.Hooperrevealshissinbywearingaveilforalifelongtime,andthesinsofpeopleinhisparisharerevealedbyfeelingfrightenedofHoopersveil,becauseonlythosepeoplewhohidetheirsinsdeeplyintheirheartswouldbeafraidofthesightofMr.Hooperbehindhisveil.Onthewedding,“hisframeshudderedhislipsgrewwhitehespilttheuntastedwineuponthecarpetandrushedforthintothedarkness”(Hawthorne180).Hisbehaviorarousesawarenessofthemajorityofpeoplepresentattheweddingthatitisinevitablethateveryoneisasinnerevenincludingtheministerhimself.ThusHoopertearsawaypeopleswrongillusionofapriestwhoisabsolutelyaholyrepresentativeofGod.Heseemstotellthevillagersthat“toerrishuman；toforgiveisdivine”.Hoopergoestogreatlengthstorevealhissininsteadofbeautifyinghimselfjustbecausehehasdiscovered“theEarth,too,hadonherBlackVeil”(Hawthorne181).WhilemanyreadersconsiderHooperacoward,Iprefertoseehimasarelativelyhonestman.Evenhishiddensintothatyoungladyistrue,theactionofcomingtotheladysfuneralstillshowshisgutandrepentanceofwhathedoes.Hisconfessionofhissinthroughwearingtheblackveillastsforalife-timelong,whichpresentshishonesty.Thewearingoftheveil,inmypointofview,doesnotindicatethattheministerdespairsofhisownandhiscongregationssalvation.Onthecontrary,itismotivatedbyhishopeforpeaceofmindintheafterlife:“Itisbutamortalveilitisnotforeternity!”(Hawthorne181)Comparedwiththosewhokeeptheirsinsecretinheart,Mr.Hooperhasthewillingnesstoremedyhismistake,whichismoreadmirableandvenerable.C.Egotism,ortheBosomSerpentPerceptivityonsinsAnotherexample,theshortstoryEgotismortheBosomSerpentalsoclearlyshowsHawthornesblacktheme.Heprovidesaverypowerfulinsightintotheself-obsessionknownasegotism.TheheroRoderickEllistonisestrangedfromhiswife,andfromthenon,asingulargloomspreadsoverhisdailylife.Hebelievesthatthereisaliveserpentinhisbosomperpetuallygnawinghim.Itleaveshimonlywhenheisabletomeethiswifeagainandforgetshisobsessionwithhisownills.Actuallythesnakeisthesymbolofpeoplesinnermostsinfulconsciousness.Asallpeoplearesinful,theyhavesnakesintheirhearts,too.SinceRoderickhimselfkeepstheguiltyandsinfulsenseinhisbosom,hehasabetterperceptivityofthesinscommitted,andhecanseekouthisowndiseaseineverybreast.Whenhemeetsanindividualwhoforthirtyyearshascherishedhatredagainsthisownbrother,heimmediatelyperceivesthatthereisaserpentinthemansheartwhichisgnawinghim,too.Whenheencountersanambitiousstatement,heaffirmsthatthegentlemansserpentmustbeofthespeciesoftheboaconstrictor,“foritsappetiteisenormousenoughtodevourthewholecountryandconstitution.”(Pearson1110)Onceheassures“aclose-fistedoldfellow,ofgreatwealth,butwhoskulksaboutthecityintheguiseofa