英语专业毕业论文《红字》赏析全英文.doc

摘要 红字是一部关于爱情，清教，复仇的美国经典浪漫主义文学作品，无疑是文学史上的一大巨作。小说的主题是“罪恶”。它向我们展示了主人公“净化”心灵的历程。通过自己的善行和努力，主人公改变了自己在人们心中的形象，甚至将原来表示“通奸”的标志“A”字，变成了德行的象征，赢得人们的尊敬。该作品大量引用象征主义创作手法，并且引起读者的关注和共鸣。也正是由于象征手法的运用，红字成为美国文学史上最早的也是最重要的浪漫主义文学作品之一。红字为美国文学的发展和繁荣立下了不朽的功勋。本文从红字的多重象征意义，主要人物的人名寓意以及景物等方面入手，研究红字的象征主 义手法。关键词: 霍桑 ;红字; 象征AbstractThe Scarlet Letter, the powerful tale of passion, Puritanism，and revenge is one of the foremost classics of American literature. Its main theme is sin and guilt and the novel exhibits us the process of the heroines heart-purification. Through her kindness and great effort, she changed her image and even changed the symbol of the letter A from “Adultery” and disgrace into virtue and respect. There are many usage of symbolism in the novel，which inspires contemplation and feeling on the part of the readers. And it is just this feature that promotes The Scarlet Letter to be one of the earliest and the most significant novels of romantic style in America. The Scarlet Letter made great contribution to the progress and prosperity of America. This thesis researches the symbolism in this novel from the following three aspects: the changing symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter, the name of the major characters and many objects that are described in the novel to make the symbolism clear to the readers.Keywords: Hawthorne ; The Scarlet Letter; symbolismChapter One Introduction The definition of symbolism and the summary of the storySymbolism is a traditional artistic form which uses something concrete to express abstract concept. As a famous writer of romanticism, Hawthorne is skillful at the using of symbolism in his work. The various usage of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter makes the novel a great work of the world. The Scarlet Letter was set in Puritan Boston. The beautiful Hester Prynne falls in love with a young and respectable minister Dimmesdale, and gave birth to her daughter, Pearl; as a result, she committed adultery and was banished from the main stream of the community. While her sinner lover, Dimmesdale, was unpunished and worshipped more and more by the multitude often people. Hesters husband, Chillingworth found out about the guilty minister and took every chance to torture Dimmesdales soul. Seven years later, Hester was accepted again by the masses due to her devoted services for the community, and Dimmesdale was brave to stand with Hester and his daughter, openly admitted his sin, and then he died.Chapter Two Different meanings of the scarlet letter A2. 1 The Changes of the Symbolic Meaning of the Scarlet Letter AIn this novel, the readers can see the glittering “A” for many times, and the scarlet letter A changes its meaning many different times. The letter A begins as a symbol of sin. It then becomes a symbol of being alone and alienation, and finally it becomes a symbol of being able, angel and admirable. The three changes are rather significant. They show the progressive possession of Hesters sin, her lonely life and her ability. Hester is a strong admirable woman who goes through more emotional torture that most people go through in a lifetime.2.1.1AdulteryThe letter A, worn on Hesters bosom, is a symbol of her adultery against Roger Chillingworth. This is the puritan way of treating one as a criminal, for the crime of adultery. The puritan treatment continues, because as Hester walks on 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. Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment(霍，2000：74) 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. She is a very strong woman to be able to hold up so well against what she must face. Many will have fled from Boston, and seek a place where no one knows of her great sin. But Hester chooses to stay there, which shows a lot of strength and integrity.2.1.2. Alone and AlienationThe scarlet letter A also stands for Hesters lonely life in New England. The letter separates her from the common circle of her neighborhood, since children find it offensive; strangers consider it queer while community people frown upon it. After she is released, Hester lives in a cottage near the outskirts of the city. It had been built by an earlier settler, and abandoned, because the soil about it was too sterile for cultivation, while its comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that social activity which already marked the habits of the emigrants. (霍，2000：75) Hesters social life is virtually eliminated because of her shameful history. Hester comes to realize that she is no longer part of the world. “However, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came to contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere, or communicated with the common nature by other organs and senses than the rest of human kind. She stood apart from moral interests seemed to be the sole portion that she retained in the universal heart.(霍，2000：78) Hester has no friends in the world, and little Pearl is the only companion of her lonely life, so the scarlet letter A also is a symbol of the words alone and alienate.2.1.3. Able, Admirable and AngelLater, the scarlet letter A changes its meaning into being able, angel and admirable. Because she intends to do good for the colony that once banishes her, more for her clear conscience than for the purpose to return to the society. The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness is found in her so much power to do and power to sympathize - that many people refuses to interpret the scarlet letter A by its original signification.(霍，2000：148) At this point, a lot of the townspeople realize what a noble character Hester possesses. Do you see that woman with the embroidered badge? It is our Hester the towns own Hester who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comforting to the afflicted!(霍，2000：149) The townspeople soon begin to believe that the badge served to ward off evil, In sorrow and seclusion Hester grows stronger .Her charity to the poor, her comfort to the broken-hearted, her brave presence in times of trouble most prove that she is not worthy of the fate which has been dealt to her.Chapter Three The Symbolic Meaning of the four Major Characters Names3.1Hester PrynneHester Prynne is one of the major characters in The Scarlet Letter. The writer gives her much symbolic meaning by giving her this name. And her name reflects her characteristic. Firstly, Hester sounds like Hestier, Zeus sister in Greek mythology, who is a very beautiful goddess. This gives us a sense that Hester is a passionate beautiful woman. In this novel, she is the symbol of the truth, the goodness and the beauty. Nathaniel Hawthorne describes her in Chapter Two like this: The young woman was tall, a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale, she had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam, and a face which, besides being beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion, had the impressiveness belonging to a marked brow and deep black eyes( 霍，2000：50)Due to the adultery, Hester is compelled to wear the infamous letter A, to move to the edge of the community, and worst of all to be alienated from the society. But her sin leads her to a moral growth. Instead of running from the hostile colonists, Hester withstands their insolence and pursues a normal life. She proves her value with her uncommon sewing skills and provides community service. At last, the colonists come to think of the scarlet letter as the cross on a nuns bosom, which is not small accomplishment.Secondly, Hester is the homophone of the word haste. At first, she gets married to Roger Prynne, 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 in love with Arthur hastily and gives birth to Pearl, for which she is forced to wear the disgraceful scarlet letter A on her dress, which stands for adultery. Besides, prynne also has its symbolic meaning. Prynne is the homophone of the word purifying. The author not only explores the root of Hesters sin, but also believes that she can purify herself. After releasing from prison, she has the chance to move to another place .But she still choose to live in the place where she committed sin. Finally, the townpeople even think her as the symbol of angel.3.2. Arthur DimmesdaleArthur Dimmesdale 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 Prynne by giving him this name. The word Dimmesdale also has many symbolic meanings. Dim means dark and weak and dale means valley, so the dimdale here is actually a symbol of the dim-interior of the clergyman. He loves Hester deeply, and he is the father of Pearl, but he is a coward. Dimmesdale is not courageous enough to tell the town that he was the one who committed adultery with Hester and the one who deserved to stand in the scaffold with Hester and Pearl while they are being punished openly by the town-peoples stares and whispers. In contrast he tries to be a double-dealer, the honorable minister in the daylight and only show his passion for her in the forest or in darkness. The punishment for him is not as obvious as that of Hestersits the remorse rooted in his own conscience and the torture sinuously imposed by the malicious revenger Chillingworth. The interior remorse and the exterior torture lead to the psychological and physical destruction of the hypocritical minister. In this sense, “Dimmesdale suffers as much as Hester did; for a passionate yet illicit love, Hester loses all her happiness and fame, while Dimmesdale his life”（刘，2009:76）.3.3. Roger ChillingworthRoger Chillingworth, Hesters husband, like all of Hawthornes main characters, is complex and difficult to see through. He is a small and thin old man with dim eyes, a wrinkle face and deformed shoulders, and what is more, he is hypocritical .As for his name, the words chilling and worth compose the surname Chillingworth. Chilling comes from the word chilly, which means this man is a merciless avenger. In the first place, he appears with the identity of a victim. But in fact, the hurt he suffers does not come from other people, but from the secret evil deep in his soul. Firstly, he married Hester, a woman with youth and beauty, deluding himself with the idea that intellectual gifts might veil physical deformity in a young girls fantasy. He married Hester not because he loved her but because he wanted to light a household fire in his lonely and chilly heart. He is a bookworm who spends his best time in libraries, and shows no love to his young wife. Then, when he discovered his wifes adultery, he visits Hester in prison and pleaded for her not to reveal the fact that he is her husband. He has been ashamed to marry a disgrace woman. Instead of standing out, he soon becomes obsessed with his new mission in life, and when he targets reverend Dimmesdale as the possible partner, he disguises himself as one trust friend of the minister, attaching himself to him as a parishioner. For seven years, he digs into the ministers heart with keen pleasure. He searches the ministers thoughts; he causes the poor minister to die daily a living death. He searches into the ministers dim interior for a long time, and turns over many precious a tread, and as wary an outlook, as a thief entering a chamber where a man lies only half asleep, or, if it may be, broad awake, with purpose to steal the very treasure which this man guards as the apple of his eyes,(霍，2000：119) When he finally found the scarlet letter A on the bosom of the minister, he busted out a ghastly rapture. When he does these, he is turning from a victim to a sinner. Chillingworth also means that the avengers life is worthless. When he finds his wife betrays him, he spends all his time on revenge. He gives up his identity, and his largest sacrifice is his own life. After spending so much time dwelling on his revenge, Chillingworth forgets that he still has a change to lead a life of his own. So after Dimmesdale reveals his secret to the world, All his strength and energyall his vital and intellectual force seemed at once to desert him; in so much that he positively withered up, shriveled away, and almost varied from mortal sight, like an uprooted weed that lies wilting in the sun. （霍，2000：236) Chillingworth dies less than a year later because he has nothing left to live for. The poor forlorn creature is more wretched than his victim is the avenger had devoted himself. In all, Chillingworth is a horrible man of revenge and is also the symbol of evil.3.4. PearlPearl is one of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book, Pearl, is the human symbol of the sin of adultery in the fact that she leads her mother, Hester Prynne, and Arthur Dimmesdale to accept and admit to their sin. Pearl is the beautiful daughter of Hester and Dimmesdale. She is the living symbol of the scarlet letter and has unique traits that make her sometimes appear as a demon.The most significant symbolic meaning of Pearl in the novel is her association with the scarlet letter A. When Hester stood fully revealed before the crowd, it is her first impulse to clasp Pearl closely to her bosom; not so much by an impulse of motherly affection, as that she might thereby conceal a certain token, which was wrought or fastened into her dress.(霍，2000：50) In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm( 霍，2000：50 ) Hester embroidered the scarlet letter with gold thread fantastically, and she had allowed the gorgeous tendencies of her imagination their full playing contriving Pearls garb. and, indeed, of the childs whole appearance, that it irresistibly reminded the beholder of the token which Hester Prynne was doomed to wear upon her bosom.(霍，2000：93) Pearl really was the scarlet letter, the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life.Pearl is a girl of rich and luxuriant beauty. There was fire in her and throughout her; she seemed the unpremeditated offshoot of a passionate moment.(霍，2000：93) Hester named the infant pearl, as being of great price, purchased with all she had, her only treasure! if Pearl had never been born, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery, and thus never would have had to wear that burden upon her chest. Without that burden, Hester would have led a much better life than the one she had throughout the novel. Although Hester has so much trouble with Pearl, she still feels that Pearl is her treasure. Pearl is really the only thing that Hester has in her life. Once and a while, Pearl will bring joy to Hesters life and that helps her to keep on living. If Pearl isnt in Hesters life, Hester will almost surely have committed suicide. This can be proved in Chapter 8, The Elf-child and the Minister. After Hester gets the permission to still keep Pearl at her side, Mistress Hibbins invites her to go to the forest to meet the Black Man together with her. But Hester refuses and says, with a triumphant smile, I must tarry at home, and keep watch over my little Pearl. Had they taken her from me, I would willingly have gone with thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Mans book too, and that with mine own blood! (霍，2000：98) It is Pearl that saves Hester from Satans snare.Pearl is equally a symbol for Dimmesdale. In Pearls eyes, until Dimmesdale acts like her father she will not accept him in her life. In order to act like a father, Dimmesdale must accept his sin and come open to the public. But wilt thou promise, asked Pearl, to take my hand and mothers hand, to-morrow noontide?(霍，2000：105). In this quote Pearl is asking Dimmesdale to stand with them, and come open to the public. Doth he love us? said Pearl, looking up with acute intelligence into her mothers face. Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into town?( 霍，2000：145). Pearl is again implying that she wants Dimmesdale to come out in the open with his love and sin. In the end, he bravely stands on the scaffold, and publicly confesses his sin in the light of day. The confession finally gives him a sense of peace. Pearl is transformed at the end of the novel when Dimmesdale stands with her on the scaffold and makes his confession. It is obvious that the child has longed for his love and acceptance in the open public. When he asks her for a kiss this time, she willingly gives it. Her sense of human identity is established in her acceptance of Dimmesdales paternity. As a result, she cries with real human emotion for the first time in the book, foreshadowing that her past is put away and she will be able to live a normal life in the future. Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her fathers cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor forever do battle with the world, but be a