英美文学PPT课件6.NathanielHawth

NathanielHawthorne（July4,1804May19,1864),Americannovelistandshortstorywriter,MuchofHawthorneswritingcentersaroundNewEngland,manyworksfeaturingmoralallegorieswithaPuritaninspiration.HisfictionworksareconsideredpartoftheRomanticmovementand,morespecifically,darkromanticism.Histhemesoftencenterontheinherentevilandsinofhumanity,andhisworksoftenhavemoralmessagesanddeeppsychologicalcomplexity.,FeaturesofHisWorks,A.senseofsinandevil(sinandpunishment)B.tensionbetweenhead(intellect)andheart(emotion),TheScarletLetterNathanielHawthorne,TheScarletLetter(1850)isanovelwrittenbyNathanielHawthorne,consideredtobehismasterpiece.Setin17th-centuryPuritanBoston,ittellsthestoryofHesterPrynne,whogivesbirthaftercommittingadulteryandstrugglestocreateanewlifeofrepentanceanddignity.,Aboutthenovel,Hawthornecreatesasenseofambiguityoruncertaintyinreaders,usingmetaphorstocreatethiseffect.Thenovelisnotrealisticcharactersaresymbols,notrealpeopleThenovelmaybeconsideredanallegory,ataleinwhichcharacters,actions,orsettingsrepresentabstractideasormoralqualities.,Althoughcommonlycalledanovel,Consideredtobea“romance”Concernedwith“internaltruths”or“truthsofthehumanheart”UseofimaginationratherthanrealisticrepresentationsEmbellishesrelationshipbetweenhumanandnature,Hawthornecalledthenovela“romance”nottiedtoordinaryexperience.,Hawthornemakesthisdistinctionbecauseatthetimehewaswriting,novelsweresupposedtodealwithrealisticrepresentationsofhumanexperiencesorexternaltruths.Romancesallowedtheauthortodeviatefromrealityinfavorofimagination.ThusTheScarletLetterisnotanhistoricalnovelaboutPuritanBoston,butaromanceset200yearsbeforeHawthornestimeinwhichhetellsatalethatmayhaveoccurred,givensomehistoricalfactsandmanyinsightsintohumannature.,TheScarletLetter:Background,ThesettingofTheScarletLetterisBostoninthe1640s.PersecutedinEngland,thePuritanscametoNorthAmericatoformtheirowncommunities.,TheScarletLetter:Background,LifeintheColonieswasharsh,butitgavethePuritanstheopportunitytoformasocietybasedontheirreligiousideals.,TheScarletLetter:Background,Puritanssoughtthefreedomtolivebytheirbeliefs.,However,thePuritanleadersdidnottoleratereligiousbeliefsthatdifferedfromtheirown.,ThePuritansbelievedthatallthingsarecontrolledbeforehandbythewillofGod.Thisdoctrineiscalledpredestination.,Noonecouldknowforcertainiftheyweredestinedtoreceivesalvation.,TheScarletLetter:Background,However,agoodPuritanstillhadtoliveaspureandrighteousalifeaspossibleandtowatchforsignsofsinfulnessinothers.,TheScarletLetter:Background,Asforpersonalfreedom,everymemberofthecommunitywasheldtostrictstandardsofbehavior.,InaPuritancommunitysuchasHesters,noaspectoflifewastrulyprivate.,Peoplekeptaclosewatchontheirneighbors.,TheScarletLetter:Background,Thoseconsideredsinnerswerepubliclyandharshlypunished,asanexampletoothers.,InBoston,thelawsofthechurchwerethelawsofthestate.APuritancouldbewhipped,banishedfromtown,orimprisonedforoffenses.,Lawsprohibitedeverythingfromswearingtoexcessivedecorationonwomenscapstomurder,ItwasillegaltomisschurchonSabbathdays安息日.Itwasalsoillegaltosleepduringsermons布道thatcouldrun3ormorehourslongduringeachsession(morningandafternoon)onaSabbath.Virtuallyanyoffensecouldlandyouinthepillory,orstocks.ThePuritansimportedthispunishmenttoNewEnglandfromEngland.,一位年轻的女孩赫丝特普林（HesterPrynne）出生于英格兰。她有深黑的眼睛，乌黑的头发，令人非常的着迷。她嫁给一个年老的医生、学者罗格齐灵窝斯（RogerChillingworth）。当时是英国人移民新大陆的热潮，齐灵窝斯决定定居到美国波士顿。他让赫丝特普林先行出发，老学者两年后才前往美国。这时赫丝特却和他人通奸，生下一名女儿珠儿（Pearl）。按清教徒的法律，犯了通奸罪，要在胸前佩带红字。,红字故事梗概,赫丝特孤苦顽强地生活着，靠着刺绣维生。齐灵窝斯在替牧师丁米司兑尔（ArthurDimmesdale）治病时，终于发现丁米司兑尔就是那位姘头，想置之死地。牧师长期受到内心世界的折磨，更为自己伪善的角色感到厌恶。七年的精神折磨之后，在一次新市长就职盛大典礼中，他终于向世人坦承他所犯的罪，随即气绝死在赫丝特怀里。赫丝特带着珠儿远走他乡。几年后珠儿长大成人，嫁人去了。赫丝特再回到波士顿，仍带着那个红色的字，把红字变成了道德、光荣的象征，一直到老死。,Thenovelbeginswiththenarrator,aCustomHouseofficial,whohappenstofindascarletletter“A”inaboxhefindsonedayintheoffice.ThenarratorthenrelatesthestoryofHesterPrynne,theoriginalbearerofthescarletletter,wholivedinBostonwhenitwasjustasmallPuritansettlementintheseventeenthcentury.,Hestersstorybeginsonascaffoldjustoutsidethetownprison.Shehascommittedadultery,givenbirthtoachildoutofwedlock,andrefusestonamethemanwithwhomshehadtheaffair.Thevillageleadershopetoshameherintonamingherloverbymakingherintoapublicspectacle.Evenunderintensepressure,Hesterrefusestorevealhersecret.Shealonemustbeartheshameandisolationresultingfromheractions.Asapunishment,Hesterismadetowearascarletletter“A”onherchestatalltimes.Theletter“A”standsforadulteryandcausesherandherdaughtertobescornedbythemembersofhercommunity.,HestersformerhusbandreturnstowitnessHestersshame.Hedecidestoseekrevengeagainstthemanwho,inhisopinion,ruinedHesterslifeandstolehiswifefromhim.,ChillingwortheventuallydeterminesthatDimmesdaleisthefatherofHestersdaughter,Pearl.HeplotsanelaborateschemeinordertoavengethewrongheperceiveswascommittedbyDimmesdale.,HesterdiscoversChillingworthsplantotortureDimmesdaleonadailybasis,andrecognizesthatDimmesdaleshealthissignificantlyimpactedbytherevengeplot.Hersecretisslowlykillingtheminister.Asaresult,HestermustbreakthepromiseshemadeyearsagotoneverrevealtheidentityofChillingworthinordertosaveDimmesdaleslife.,SherevealsChillingworthstrueidentitytoDimmesdaleandbegsforhisforgiveness.SheexpressesherdesireforDimmesdaletoleavethecountryforhisownsafety,butDimmesdaledoesnotwanttobealone.Hesterofferstoleavewithhim,andtheyplantoleaveonashipboundforEuropeinthreedays.,Thedaybeforetheshipistosail,thetownspeoplegatherforaholidayputoninhonorofanelectionandDimmesdalepreacheshismosteloquentsermonever.Meanwhile,HesterhaslearnedthatChillingworthknowsoftheirplanandhasbookedpassageonthesameship.Dimmesdale,leavingthechurchafterhissermon,seesHesterandPearlstandingbeforethetownscaffold.Heimpulsivelymountsthescaffoldwithhisloverandhisdaughter,andconfessespublicly,exposingthemarksupposedlysearedintothefleshofhischest.HefallsdeadjustafterPearlkisseshim.,TheScarletLetter:analysisofthetheme,Whathappenswhenaprivatesinbecomesapubliccrime?,Thethemeofthestoryshouldbethemoral,emotionalandpsychologicaleffectsofthesinonpeople.,Theme,TheexperienceofHesterandDimmesdalerecallsthestoryofAdamandEvebecause,inbothcases,sinresultsinexpulsionandsuffering.Butitalsoresultsinknowledgespecifically,inknowledgeofwhatitmeanstobehuman.,AlthoughPuritansocietycondemnsHester,Dimmesdale“addshypocrisytosin”byrefusingtoadmittheaffair,whichenflameshisinternaltormentuntilheconfesses.OnlywhenDimmesdaleclimbsthescaffoldinthetownsquareandconfessesishefree.,HawthorneclearlyindicatesthatChillingworthssinoftormentingDimmesdaleisgreaterthanDimmesdalessinofadulterywithhiswife.HisvengefulnessandevildispositionarerevealedinhiscruelmanipulationandtortureofDimmesdale.,SymbolismGenerallyspeaking,asymbolisanythingwhichisusedtorepresentsomethingotherthanitself.Inliterature,itismostoftenaconcreteobjectwhichisusedtorepresentsomethingbroaderandmoreabstract-oftenamoral,religious,orphilosophicalconceptorvalue.,“TheScarletLetter”isusuallyregardedasthefirstsymbolicnoveltobewrittenintheUnitedStates.,ThetownmagistratessentencedHestertowearthescarlet“A”fortherestofherlifesoallwouldrecognizeherasanadulteress.Overtime,however,newcomersdidnotknowthehistoryo