《红字》英语论文-Sex--love-and-religion-in-The-Scarlet-Letter.doc

学号编号研究类型文学分类号HUBEI NORMAL UNIVERSITY学士学位论文Bachelors Thesis论文题目Sex, love and religion in The Scarlet Letter作者姓名* 指导教师王松槐所在院系外国语学院专业名称师范英语完成时间2012年3月12日Sex, love and religion in The Scarlet LetterAbstract: The Scarlet Letter told us a tragic romantic story that happened in Boston, America in 1620s.The Master Dimmesdale and the young, beautiful Hester fell in love with each other and have a baby, which against the Puritans ethics, as a result, Hester was published by putting on a scarlet “A” ,the first letter of Adultery, on her colpus forever. Later, her husband arrived and was determined to scheme a set of plots to revenge them. At the end of the story, Dimmesdale stood out with Hester and Pearl to admit his sin and died of exhaustion, and Chillingworth also died one year later, while Hester and pearl have a comparatively good ending. After Hester died, people engraved a scarlet “A” on her tombstone. The author was good at symbolism and psychological description. The novel exposes us to the cruelty and hypocrisy in colonial society of unification of the state and church, and it also think about the sin, morality and philosophy.摘要： 红字向我们讲述了一个发生在1620年左右的波士顿的一个爱情悲剧，丁梅斯戴尔牧师和年轻貌美的海斯特彼此相爱并且有了孩子，然而，他们的相爱违背了清教的伦理道德，因此，海斯特被罚永远在胸前佩戴那个代表“通奸（Adultery）”的鲜红的大写首字母“A”。后来，她的丈夫来了并且决定策划一系列阴谋来报复她和牧师。在故事的结尾，丁梅斯戴尔和海斯特、珠儿一起站出来承认他的罪行然后心力交瘁而死，齐灵沃斯一年后也死了，海斯特和珠儿有一个相对较好的的结局。海斯特死后，人们在她的墓碑上刻了一个鲜红的“A”字。作者擅长用象征手法和心理描写，小说暴露了政教合一体制下殖民地社会的残酷和虚伪，还思考了关于罪恶和人性的道德、哲理问题。Key words:Calvinism, Puritanism, adultery, sex, morality, asceticism, atonement关键字：加尔文主义，清教主义，通奸，性，道德，禁欲主义，救赎 Outline1. Puritanism and the influence of Calvinism P41.1 Calvinism1.1.1 Origin1.1.2 Beliefs1.1.3 Its influence1.2 Puritanism P41.2.1 Origin1.2.2 Beliefs1.2.3 Puritans in America2. Nathaniel Hawthorne P62.1 Introduction2.1.1 His family2.1.2 His childhood2.2 Some comments on him3. Roles in the novel P7 3.1 Meaning of their names4. Fight between soul and religion P84.1 The sign- A4.2 The meaning of their names4.2.1 Perspective of Hester4.2.2 Perspective of Dimmesdale4.2.3 Perspective of Pearl4.3 Human nature and religious dogmas4.3.1 Sex, love against asceticism4.4 The influence of religion5. Conclusion P10Sex, love and religion in The Scarlet Letter1. Puritanism and the influence of Calvinism1.1 Calvinism1.1.1 Origin In 1520s, Religious Reformation was started from German and then quickly spread in the whole Europe. In 1517, Martin Luther, a German professor of theology, put up “95 Thesis” on the church door in protest against abuses and corruption in the church. He argued that Pope had no rights to sell “indulgences” for the remission of sins. The only guide to the will of God was the Bible. Soon after Martin Luther began his revolt, John Calvin, a Frenchman, who strongly protested the corrupted Roman Catholic Church and was prosecuted by them, so he fled to Switzerland and started his reform movement. Calvinism was named for Calvin and was originated in Switzerland and developed in the west Europe. It greatly influenced the Religious Reformation in Europe.1.1.2 Beliefs Calvinism has five main points. Total inability, they believe that human was born with sin. Unconditional election, they think human beings are predestined by God before they were born. Some are Gods chosen people while others are predestined to be damned to hell. Limited atonement, Jesus cross is prepared for the predestined, but not everyone. Perseverance of the saints, if you have gained the Gods grace, God will keep you in his mind. In England, King Henry VIII, because of the political disputes with Roman Catholic Church and his personal marital problems, broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and set up the Church of England, and he became the head of the Church of England himself. Their religious reforms had much in common and liberated peoples minds from the rigid Roman Catholic Church in some extend, but it also became rigid and limited latterly. 1.1.3 Its influence It greatly influenced the Religious Reformation in Europe. They think Bible is the supreme authority of belief and live. They aimed to convert to the original Christian religious doctrine and rigorously ruled their church, it avoided the chaos of church and bring gospel to Europe. At the beginning of 17th century, they believed that the degeneration of soul was more serious than the physical diseases, so they made a series of doctrines to brainwash childrens mind. 1.2 Puritanism1.2.1 OriginPuritan came from the Latin word, Purus, means cleanness. The name was given to those more radical protestants who thought the religious reformation in England hadnt brought sufficient justice, because although Henry VIII set up his own church, but there was no reform in religious beliefs and practices, so a group of people thought that the Church of England was too catholic and wanted to “purify” the church, hence, the name “puritans”. These puritans were Protestants who followed the doctrine preached by John Calvin.1.2.2 BeliefsThey had some different religious beliefs from the Catholic Church. They believed that God was incomprehensible to man, and the power of God was all-knowing, yet hidden and unknown to man, while Catholics believed that God could be reach through his representative on the earth the Pope. Puritans believed that everyone had a calling, which was given by God. The success of ones work or the prosperity in his calling was the sign of Gods elect. Therefore everyone must work hard, spend little and invest for more business. Working hard and living a moral life were their ethics. They concluded that the Bible was the authority of their doctrine. 1.2.3 Puritans in America After James becoming the King of England in 1603, the leader of Puritans asked him to make some reforms, but most of the requests were rejected in Hampton Court Meeting in 1604. Later, the Puritanism in England was becoming more and more pressed and its beliefs were heretical to the Church of England, so they were cruelly persecuted. Some Puritans decided to move to Holland where there was religious freedom, but later they found they couldnt get as equal the rights of the native people. They decided to move again. In 1620, 35 Puritans and 67 non-Puritans took the ship Mayflower for North America and they settled in Massachusetts, and Boston. Perry Miller said: If we can not understand Puritanism, we can not understand America.Professor Zuo Jinmei elaborated the Puritanism in her book American Literature. She listed some Puritans good characters that do good for the education and social reform, such as independence, morality, enthusiasm and democracy. First, they believe original sin and fatalism. They advocate the respect and obedience to God. They think human nature is evil and we are born with sin. Because of the great influence of Calvinism, they firmly believe fate. Second, they believe what the most important thing for an ordinary man is to prove himself the Gods election, so they think they are responsible for manager the government affairs and work hard, restrain themselves with strict moral rules, so the Americans are enthusiastic of elections. Third, they advocate individualism and entrepreneurship, which have greatly stimulated the development of capitalism. They have a high sense of mission and strong desire for success, and most of them dare to explore the unknown. We can see this character from the American Dream, which means equality and freedom and attract a large number of young people to make their fortune in this new land. Americans are ambitious and optimistic about their work and work. The women in American are very independent and most of them have their own career. Americans attribute their prosperity and richness to these merits. 2. Nathaniel Hawthorne 2.1 Introduction2.1.1 His familyHawthorne was born in Salem Town, Massachusetts, the base camp of Puritans. His family name was Hathorne. His family was gentlefolk and his forefathers were crazy Puritans. Its said that his fifth forefather John Hathorne was one of the three judgers in the notorious case of driving wizard of Salem in 1692 which had been recorded in the book The Salem Witch. This incident made a deep impression on little Hawthorns heart and he felt shameful for his forefather. “At all events, I, the present writer, as their representative, hereby take shame upon myself for their sakes, and pray that any curse incurred by themas I have heard, and as the dreary and unprosperous condition of the race, for many a long year back, would argue to existmay be now and henceforth removed.”, he said in The Custom-House. Because of the sense of guilty, he added a “A” in his name and made it Hawthorne to differ from his forefathers. Now it is easy to understand why Hawthorne inclined to writing stories about sin. 2.1.2 his childhood His family was becoming declining when he was a child. In 1808, he was only 4 years old and his father died of disease in Dutch Guiana, so he and two sisters had to live with his mother in his uncles home. When he was nine, he broke his leg and left sequela, which made him feel inferior, so he indulged himself in books and determined to be a writer. He said, “I dont want to be a doctor and live by mens disease, nor a minster to live by their sins, nor a lawyer to live by their quarrels. So, I dont see that there is anything left for me but to be a author. ” Obviously, the declining family, his fathers death and broken leg had great influence on shaping his character. After his fathers death, his mother felt very lonely and unwilling to communicate with other. Like his mother, he also had a sense of loneliness and it always accompanied him and existed everywhere in his novels.2.2 Some comments on him “There could be no more perfect work of the American imagination than The Scarlet Letter”, said D.H.Lawrence. HermanMelville inscribed his Moby Dick to Hawthorne to “show my admiration to his talent” in 1851. In Hawthorne and Mosses from an Old Manse, he sincerely showed his respect and admiration to Hawthorne and even he was as great as Shakespeare. The famous novelist Henry James in 19th also said, “His work will be handed down from generation to generation. His name will be immortal”. 3. Roles in the novel3.1 meaning of their names Hawthorne was good at symbolism and often described roles by naming them in his novel, which could be entirely seen in The Scarlet Letter. Hester had two meanings: the Goddness Hestierand hastier. “The young woman was tall, with grace and elegances. She had a great amount of dark hair that shown in the sunlight, and a face more beautiful than any other, with dark mysterious eyes. She was polite and well-mannered, with a tender look. She had never looked as elegant and ladylike than ever before when she was taken out of the prison. Many in the crowd were astonished that her look of grace and confidence remained after her long stay in the prison of terrors. Her beauty shone through her misfortune.” Hastier means hasty. She married “misshapen from my birth-hour”, “a man already in decay” with hasty, and then she felt lonely and stressed, so she darely loved the Master Dimmesdale. Also, Dimmesdale is meaningful. Dim means faint and dark and dale means valley. It stand for his dim-interior, because he didnt dare to declare his love to Hester in public, though he loved her. He regretted his degeneration and wanted to confess his sin, but he was a coward in his inner heart. He was living in contradiction and finally died of the mental torture. Roger Chillingworth was a villain in the novel. Roger sounded like rogue, and actually he was. As a husband, he indulged himself in books and became “the bookworm of great libraries”. He held “the idea that intellectual gifts might veil physical deformity in a young girls fantasy” and he just wanted her to fire “a household fire” to warm his “lonely and chill” heart. The only power spurred him to work was revenge. Pearl was originated from the Bible, which meaned very cherish thing. In the novel, Hester regarded Pearl as her most valuable thing and she couldnt live with Pearl. Pearl was a alive “A” in her live. “This badge hath taught me, - it daily teaches me, - it is teaching me at this moment, - lessons whereof my child may be the wiser and better, albeit they can profit nothing to myself.” The author described Pearl as “like a little elf”, “Pearls wild eyes”, “laughing image of a fiend” and “scarlet vision”. Pearl stood for pure, good and kind image. “Virtues is like a rich stone, best plain set.” 4. Fight between soul and religion4.1 The signAOnce mentioned The Scarlet Letter, the image of Hester, with a scarlet “A” and little Pearl in her bosom will appear in our mind. The colored “A” was a window for us to know about the society, human nature and the religion. 4.2 The meaning of “A”4.2.1 Perspective of HesterThe governor and master stood for the mainstream of society who thought Hester was guilty of adultery, so they urged her to put on a scarlet “A” to confess her sin. ButHester made a elaborate “A” to show her silent protest and she didnt feel painful from the “A”, but from her husbands torture. At the end of the story, people changed their mind to the “A” and it was regarded as the symbol of holy.4.2.2 Perspective of DimmesdaleAlthough Hester had a tangible “A” in her bosom, shes heart had no any burden. Conversely, Dimmesdale was not punished, but he had big burden in his mind. He had a intangible “A” in his bosom, so he always “put his hand to his heart”. It was the consciousness of self redemption as well as the result of Rogers revenge. 4.2.3 Perspective of PearlPearl was a frank and brave girl, with “wild eyes” and full of energy. She was the only image as “scarlet” as the fire. She was always curious about the scarlet “A” in her mothers bosom, which made Hester very embarrassed and sad. 4.3 human nature and religious dogmas 4.3.1 Sex, love against asceticism, happiness against ethics In the novel, author discussed the contradiction between human nature and the rigid religious dogmas. He modeled Hester as a fighter to fight against the irrational marriage and struggle for the freedom and true love. Her pursuit for true love expressed Hawthornes dreaming of romanticism. He never mentioned sin in the novel but he told us what the sin was and where the sin existed. In the eyes of Puritans, they thought sex was sin, so they advocated asceticism and requested people to restrain themselves with strict moral rules. He criticized the harshness and inhuman of the religion. In 17th century, the puritans fled to the New England. They prosecuted their enemies and pressed the human nature by the name of God. The Scarlet Letter mostly showed the social problems that Puritanism constrained human nature by the moral rules. In cruel government of the colony, religion was equal to the government and its the magisterium that domain peoples mind and judgment. Although Puritans was to build up a clear and bright society initially, they went wrong in the process of measurement. 4.4 The influence of religion Religion plays an important role in our live in all ages. It is a rule means to assist the governor to strengthen his governance. Once it control peoples mind it will cause serious results, and need to think twice about the function of the religion. Take the Buddhism as example, in the whole history of China, people always admire and revere the spirits, but none of us could make sure that whether they really exist or not. Confucianism helped many Kings in ancient China ruled the country effectively, because the people were brainwashed by the settled dogmas and obeyed the governor unconditionally. This also apply to the Puritanism. In the early time, they brought some good things to people, such as increasing the literacy, stimulating the development of capitalism, but it unavoidably twist its initial beliefs and twist its b