美国文学红字PPTTheScarletLetterPPTVIP

TheScarletLetterbyNathanielHawthorne,AdvancedAmericanLitMr.Mays,TheAuthor,NathanielHawthorneAmericannovelistandshortstorywriter,mostfamousforhisnovelTheScarletLetter,NathanielHawthorne,Background,BornSalem,Mass.onJuly4th,1804,sonofaseacaptain.GraduatedfromBowdoinCollegeandbegantowrite.InsufficientearningsasawriterforcedHawthornetotakeajobintheSalemCustomHouse.By1842,hewasabletoearnenoughtomarrySophiaPeabodyandmovetoConcord,whichwasthenthecenteroftheTranscendentalmovement.HawthornereturnedtoSalemin1845andin1850,hismostfamousnovel,TheScarletLetterwaspublished.NathanielHawthornediedatPlymouth,NewHampshire,onMay18th,1864.,PicturefoundonGoogleImages,HediscoveredthathehadPuritanancestors.OnerelativehadservedasajudgeintheSalemwitchtrialsof1692Hawthorneaddedthe“w”tohisnametodistinguishhimselffromhisancestors.HewroteduringtheRomanticperiodofliteraryhistory(1830-1865)alongwithRalphWaldoEmerson,HenryDavidThoreau,HermanMelville,HarrietBeecherStoweandEdgarAllenPoe,PersonalNotables,TheCustomHouse,SatiricalintroductiontothenovelAutobiographicalofHawthorneUsedtoshowhisdislikeforthePuritansandtheirstrongreligiousbeliefsHeisboredathisjobwhichleadshimtosearchthrougholdboxesanddiscoverthemanuscriptandthescarletletter.,TheCustomHouse-Cont.,Thestoryisbasedonahistoricalmanuscriptthathefound.Thenarratorofthestoryisnameless,butsharesmanyqualitieswithHawthornehimself.HecreatesthenarratorsimilartoHestersincetheybothfeelalienatedfromthosearoundthem.Narratorsaysonedayhewillberememberedbyhisnameonthecustomstamp,whileHesterwillberememberedforherscarletcloth.,PrimaryDocument1CustomHouseReceipt,SalemCustomHouseReceipt,April18,1848SignedbyNathanielHawthorne,/images,PrimaryDocument2AletterfromHawthorne,PageoneofacopymadebyGeorgeB.CurwenofaletterfromHawthornetoHoraceIngersoll.WritteninLenoxinthesummerof1850abouthisfiringassurveyorattheSalemCustomHousetheyearbefore.,courtesyofTheHouseoftheSevenGablesHistoricSite,PrimaryDocument3OriginalBookCover,Titlepageof1850editionofTheScarletLetterFirstPublishingHawthornewasaRomanticAuthor,(courtesyofPeabodyEssexMuseum),DefiningScarlet,Function:adjective1ofthecolorscarlet2a:grosslyandglaringlyoffensiveFunction:nounMiddleEnglishscarlat,scarlet,fromAnglo-Frenchescarlet,fromMedievalLatinscarlata,fromPersiansaqalAt,akindofrichcloth1:scarletclothorclothes2:anyofvariousbrightredsMainEntry:scarletletterFunction:noun:ascarletAwornasapunitivemarkofadultery,DefiningPuritan,MainEntry:1puritanFunction:nounEtymology:probablyfromLateLatinpuritaspurity1capitalized:amemberofa16thand17thcenturyProtestantgroupinEnglandandNewEnglandopposingasunscripturaltheceremonialworshipandtheprelacyoftheChurchofEngland2onewhopracticesorpreachesamorerigorousorprofessedlypurermoralcodethanthatwhichprevailsSeeEndicottandtheRedCrossChapterattheendofthebook.,NathanialHawthorneasaparadox,PhilosophyInfluencedbyCalvinism,whichbelievedin“originalsin”,butrecognizeditsfuror,peremptorinessandhypocrisyAcceptingEmersonsmysteriousphilosophy,butputthegoodnessandevilnessofCalvinismasastandardofknowingtheworld.“IwishGodhadgivenmethefacultyofwritingasunshinybook.”TheScarletLetter“isapositivelyhell-firedstory,intowhichIfounditimpossibletothrowanycheeringlight.”Oneoftherecurringthemesisasenseofstruggleandconflictwiththeworkingsofhisownimagination.Hisstoriesandnovelsseemtobecontinuallyattemptingtowrestleoutofhiscontrol.Discontentwiththefallensocial,moralandhypocriticalaristocracy,butreluctanttomakearadicalchangetotheunreasonablesocialsystem,theimplicationofprotagonistsnames,HesterPrynneHester:HestierinGreekmythology,Zeusssister,awomanofbeautyhestier(hasty)Prynne:prurientprune:purifyhersinpry:probeintotheinteriorofonesheartArthurDimmesdaleArthur:Adam,adulteryDimmesdale:dim+dale:diminterior(tohideonessin)RogerChillingworthRoger:rogue(revenge)Chillingworth:chilly(cruel,inhumane)+worth(induceArthurtospeakouthisownsin)Pearl:good,pureandprecious,HesterPrynne:oppositetoArthur(Hawthorne)1.Knowsandacknowledgesherguilty,butneverhideshercharacterandidentityunderanewexterior2.Bearsherhumiliationwithsupremedignity,hidesheragony3.QuietlysubmitstothepunishmentandperformsactsofcharitytothoseintroubleSheneverbattledwiththepublic,butsubmitteduncomplaininglytoitsworstusage;shemadenoclaimuponitinrequitalforwhatshehadsuffered;shedidnotweighuponitssympathies.“Doyouseethatwomanwiththeembroideredbadge?ItisourHesterthetownsownHesterwhoissokindtothepoor,sohelpfultothesick,socomfortingtotheafflicted.”,ThesymbolicletterA,ThephysicalletterA:thisaffairoffineredcloth,muchwornandfaded,notestheoldfashionedstitchingandtheremainsofgoldembroidery,andtellsusthatbyanaccuratemeasurement,eachlimbprovedtobepreciselythreeinchesandaquarterinlength.Likeanyeffectivesymbol,theletterachievesitsstatusnotinspiteofbutbyreasonofitslit