《红字》中的清教主义╲t--毕业论文

1、【标题】红字中的清教主义 【作者】谢莹璇 【关键词】清教主义；白兰；丁梅斯代尔；齐灵沃斯；珍珠 【指导老师】赵洪尹 【专业】英语 【正文】I. Introduction The Scarlet Letter is a famous American novel, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who is considered the leading American native fictionist of the 19th century. Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, of a prom

2、inent Puritan family, on July4, 1804. “In 1850 he brought out his masterpiece The Scarlet Letter, the story of a triangular love affair in colonial America. In this novel Hawthorne condemned the Puritan philosophy of life.”1 “His stories display a psychological insight into moral isolation

3、 and human emotion. He distrusted the claim of objective reason to be able to arrive at humanly relevant truth.” 2 His short stories and novels include: The Ministers Black Veil, Twice Told Tales, Mosses from an Old Manse, The House of The Seven Gables, The Marble Faun. In this group The Scarle

4、t Letter is the most famous. The novel is short but very moving. Prynne, a young and beautiful woman, comes to New England two years before her husband, an old, ugly man, who can not give Prynne love. Prynne, then falls in love and has a baby, Pearl, with Dimmesdale, a young handsome clergyman becau

5、se she can not get any news from her husband, thinking that he has died. When her “adultery” is discovered, she is punished to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her chest all her life. Her husband, Roger, tries his best to torment Dismmesdale. And Dimmesdale, suffering from both physical and sp

6、irit torment, announces his “sin” at last, and dies as an honest man. Roger withers at last. Prynne restructures her life and finally wins peoples respect. Pearl leaves for Europe, and marries a noble family, leading a happy life.Hawthornes thought was full of contradictions. In his days, Ameri

7、can capitalism was developing rapidly, and the social structure was changeable. He couldnt understand this change, and tried to explain it by discovering the “hidden evil” in everyones heart because of the influence of Puritanism. He used symbolism and imagination, which made his works full of

8、mystical color.As the pioneer of psychological novel, Hawthorne is good at describing the psychological activities of people. And this paper aims to analyze the main characters of the novel from the perspective of psychology to discuss the statement that the novel is a skeptic to the Puritan Thought

9、. In addition, with the help of the viewpoint of Freudian Psychoanalysis, this paper resolves the two protagonists, Hester and Dimmesdale. Freudian psychoanalysis divides the mental activities of people into Id, Ego, and Super-ego. Id represents all the desire and impulse of people. It is the s

10、ubconsciousness of mental activities. Super-ego opposes Id. It represents the rationality which restricts the instinct and desire, and refers to social ethics, morality, legal ideas and so on. It is the consciousness of mental activities. Ego is the middle part between Id and super-ego. It is a comp

11、romise which Id and super-ego achieve. Freud thinks everyone wants to satisfy all kinds of desire of Id, but in the real world one has to obey various stipulations of Super-ego. He is a healthy man both in spirit and psychology, if his Id and Super-ego attain to a balance. Contrarily, one is a sick

12、man both in spirit and psychology, if his Id and Super-ego can not achieve harmony.Before proceeding to the analysis of the Puritanism in the novel, some fundamental definitions need to be established. Who were the Puritans? When did they arrive in the New WorldAmerica? How about their ideology and

13、life style?II. Puritanism in America   A. New EnglandAccording to historical data, in 1620, the English Monarchy, as eager to get rid of the Puritans as the Puritans were to get rid of the King, granted a group of Puritans a charter to make a settlement in the English colonies that is now

14、the New England of America. There were economic incentives for the Puritan to move to the New World, including economic upheaval in Europe and the prospect of making a profit in America, but their chief incentive was religious: they would be able to practice their religion freely. So in late fall so

15、me 103 settlers sailed on the Mayflower and arrived in New England. Then in 1628, provoked by King Charles Is increasing intolerance, another group of Puritans formed a business corporation, the Massachusetts Bay Company, for settlement of the New World. They arrived on Cape Ann, just north and east

16、 of what is now called Boston. Thirteen years later, about 1,000 English settlers, largely the Puritans, had immigrated to the Boston area. By 1643, there were some 20,000 in the general area of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, making Boston the largest and the most prosperous Puritan town in America.C

17、onsidering the large number of all these Puritan settlers, their wide distribution and their strong faith, religious and daily life in the new American colonies, especially in Boston, was mainly of Puritan color. In addition, religious doctrine became civil law, and the rule of the leaders was absol

18、ute. Most people of New England were largely Puritan, who settled in and around Boston, and, with their ideology and life style, influenced American culture profoundly and of whom Nathanial Hawthorne wrote.B. Puritans Ideology and Life StylePuritan ideology was very important for Puritans for they d

19、esigned their lives. The puritans believed in the majesty, righteousness and sovereignty of God. They regard God as omniscient and omnipotent. In contrast, all human beings were depraved sinners. They believed that God had predestined some of these fallen creatures for the gift of salvation. The Pur

20、itans took the scripture, and the sermons as Gods own words, which they interpreted, following the works of the French Peter Ramus 3, in the most accurate way, and expected all Puritans to live strictly following these parameters. It did not mean that sinners could save themselves, but the elect cou

21、ld improve their souls. Two of the main points of Puritan theology are the covenants of grace and work. The covenant of grace required a faith in God, and that God himself gave the elect to grasp. The covenant of work, on the contrary, depended only on human action. Although the Puritans believed in

22、 predetermination, they did not wait for their God-given fate. They spent their whole life trying to find out their destiny, whether it might be heaven or hell. Work, even if it did not guarantee salvation, was their way to express their faith and to show their hope for heaven. Everyone who did not

23、work was deprived of the high morality and a good life.However, Puritans paid much attention to their education. They thought that only those who were able to read the Bible would find religious truth. The Bible was read and interpreted very accurately and strictly. And this truth, that was to be fo

24、und by accurate interpretation, was synonymous with a good life. Although the Puritans were very strict in religious way, they could be quite tolerant. The grade of tolerance was dependent to the extent of the appropriate thing. For example they condemned the drunkard, but not the consumption of alc

25、ohol itself. And they did not taboo sexuality, as long as it was sexuality between husband and wife and not extramarital sexuality. But the strict Puritan code was far from tolerance. Relationship between men and women was very constrained and this is what made adultery such a bad sin in the eyes of

26、 everyone who in the community believed that peoples fate was controlled by God. Public discipline and punishment were used to discourage everyone else from committing the same crime or sin as the offending criminal did. The community was to follow the belief of God and to do their duties the best t

27、hey could, yet were there to criticize and punish all who disobeyed the religion or laws.Church was the cornerstone of the 17th century life in New England. Everything was very strict and everyone was expected to follow the laws. It was against the law not to attend churchwhere men and women sat on

28、opposite sides through long services. The Puritan lifestyle was restrained and rigid: people were expected to work hard and repress their emotions or opinions. Individual differences were frowned upon. Even the dark, somber Puritan dress was dictated by the church.III. Analysis of the Main Character

29、sA. Hester Prynne, Dimmesdale and PearlBorn in a downfallen noble family in Britain, Hester Prynne has to marry to Chillingworth who is lame and older than her. This no-love marriage can not satisfy her desire of Id to love and be loved. She falls in love with Dimmesdale and gives birth to Pearl. He

30、r action betrays the doctrine of Bible in the Puritan society. She suffers the oppressions from authority over the household, magisterium and political power. As a Puritan, Hester fully knows the consequence to be in love with Dimmesdale, but she can not keep herself from the desire of true love. He

31、r repressed desire of Id is released in the sexual relationship of Dimmesdale, while the desire of Id completely violates the ethics based on the doctrine of Bible in the Puritan society. Hester betrays her husband and goes against the principle of honesty according to Puritanism, so she must accept

32、 the severe penalty in the puritan society, wearing a scarlet letter “A” on her breast all her life, which means “adultery”.“At the least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynnes forehead.” “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die.” 4 The wome

33、ns vicious curse is the supplement of the puritanical code of law. To the puritans, the civilized life is to throw the human nature into the prison. But “And never had Hester Prynne appeared more ladylike, in the antique interpretation of the term, than as she issued from the prison.” 5 “T

34、he door of the jail being flung open from within, there appeared, in the first place, like a black shadow emerging into sunshine, the grim and grisly presence of the town-beadle, with a sword by his side and his stuff of office in his hand” 6 In the whole story, Hester generally keeps silent, a

35、ccepting the insult from adults to children in the Puritan society. No friends and no relatives, she only depends on her daughter, Pearl, who is the humiliating brand of her sin, for survival. Why does she endure the harsh punishment but does not commit suicide or leave the place where she suffers i

36、nsult, which should attribute to the unity of opposites of her Id and super-ego? As one member of Puritan society, her minds and sentiments are constrained by the doctrine of the Bible. It is recorded that human beings are created by God in the Bible. And only God has the right to dispose peoples li

37、fe. If you end your life by yourself, your soul will crash into hell forever. Hester grows up in a God-fearing family. No doubt, she fully knows the consequence of committing suicide and will never do the stupid thing. In fact, she shows extreme strength and courage to resist the bias of the Puritan

38、ism by her good deeds. Though people in the town always sneer at her welldoing, she is never discouraged and keeps serving the community as usual. She is always the first one to help people in trouble. She never gives up and does not stop atoning for her crime with welldoing. This is the Super-ego o

39、f Hester which composes of the ethics formulated by doctrine of Bible. And the Super-ego of Hester supports her to spend the hardest seven years in her life. Though, for Hester, the consciousness of Super-ego is powerful, her desire of Id has never been fully crushed by Super-ego. This is also

40、the reason why she does not break down when suffering from such great mental anguish. Her lively Id obviously displays on her luxury fancy work and Pearls bright-colored dresses. She spends most of her time on embroidery and Pearl. Her fancy work is elegant and incomparable, which makes people admir

41、e her ability. When she notes her lover, Dimmesdale, is tormented to wither by her husband and his own sin day by day, her passionate vitality of Id breaks forth again. She resolutely makes a careful plan and intends to escape from the clutches of her husband with Dimmesdale. Several times when they

42、 meet in the forest, she encourages Dimmesdale to escape together with her. “Hester never thought of meeting him in any narrower privacy than beneath the open sky.” 7 “She took off the formal cap that confined her hair,” “Her sex, her youth, and the whole richness of the beauty, came

43、back from what men call the irrevocable past.” 8 In Hawthornes novels, womens black long hair stands for romance and desire, while evil in Puritan society. Her action itself is an affirmation to the feudal regime and oppression. She does not only struggle for the right of her own but also for a new

44、world where both men and women can possess the equal right to love. From this, it is reflected that Prynne never gives up her pursue for love and freedom. After Dimmesdale confesses his sin and dies on the scaffold, she disappears.At the end of the story, to the readers surprise, Prynne returns to B

45、oston. She lives in the previous shabby cottage to help people of the community with expecting nothing in return. Eventually, her expiatory benevolence moves the people of the town and she is recognized by everyone. Community residents no longer see the scarlet letter as the symbol of disgrace, but

46、see “A” as the initial of “Angel”. They think she is the angel of earth. “People brought sorrows and perplexities, and besought her counsel, as one who had herself gone through a mighty trouble. Earlier in life, Prynne had vainly imaged that she herself might be the destined prophetes

47、s.” 9 This is the bitterest satire to the Puritanism and its doctrine of total depravity. Compared with the Hester, Dimmesdale has committed the same crime, but the effect of the crime on him is different because he deals with the crime in different ways. “Dimmesdale was a man torn between

48、 human nature and the religious rules that formed civilization at that time.” 10 The puritans see themselves as restoring the Christian tradition to its original purity by new faith but to restore an old one. They hope to inspire whole communities with a zeal for Christian life, mainly through power

49、ful preaching and Bible study. Dimmesdale represents many of their best virtues. He is conscientious, learned, and eager to serve. He also represents some of their common vices. He is hypocritical humorless, and a bit vain. Unlike Hester and Chillingworth who represent two poplars of passion and pur

50、itan doctrine, Dimmesdale struggles between the two extremes. As the spokesman of the law of God and the watcher of Puritans spiritual life and soul, he understands the Bible more deeply than the common people. He knows the hatred of Jesus to the people who look gorgeous in appearance but dirty in t

51、he heart. He is fully aware of his crime and knows that he betrays the command of God. He knows he should plead guilty to God and Puritans. But the desire of reputation in his Id and strongly fear of disgrace make him not dare to confess his crime. His desire of Id and the deeply religionary brand n

52、ever stop to fight. The law of God and the conscience of priest make him break up. The fake reputation can not comfort him but becomes the mental chain. The rigorous doctrine of puritan society gets him stuck in his dilemma. Neither can he deny his love to Hester nor can he make a public confession

53、about his sin because he is afraid of the consequence. As a puritan representative, he suffers from more guilt of his hypocrisy than guilt of his passion. He is a clergyman; meanwhile he is a man full of compassion and human nature. He loves Prynne very much, and he commits adultery which betra

54、ys the puritanical code of law. He must assert his position in relation to man, God, his original sin and better self. Four decisions are thus forced upon him. In each case, he only adds new falsity to his torment and suffers.  At last, he surmounts the desire of Id and confesses to the people

55、of the town. The severe lasting inner conflicts exhaust him both in mind and body. Finally, he dies on the scaffold, but maybe this is the best end-result for him.“He was struggling on the edge of the spirit and flesh coming breakdown, and he was beat and lashed by the so-called articles of religion

56、 the gory whip at every moment. It must be considered that he continued to be engaged in the pure mission of a priest with the criminal body should be a great affront to god and a deception to god-people. Eventually, he told the secret in mind with divine courage, he obtained tranquil and the n

57、ewborn of spirit.” 11 This restraint from religion in human nature exposes the hypocrisy of Puritanism.Their daughter Pearl “is a character who has not yet chosen good or evil. She is in a natural pre-moral state. In this crucial sense she is an unformed person and a reader cannot penetrate muc

58、h of her personality. Her innocence is tainted with a natural inclination to selfishness, perhaps strengthened by her sadly solitary life. Hawthorne tries to show that Pearl was like a rippling stream, mirroring life around her without really understudy or judging it for herself.” 12  “Pea

59、rl, in fact, is the scarlet letter in another form. She is a living symbol of adultery.” 13 She is viewed almost as a ghost in the Puritans eyes. However, in little Pearls mind, the scarlet letter is the first thing she gets used to. She does not consider the scarlet letter on her mothers breas

60、t as a sign of shame, but an indivisible part of her mother. Her idea about “A” is a rebellion against the Puritan society which she discovers no common with.Pearl does not go with the society which she lives in. Like a brave warrior in the battle, she fights forcefully against the Puritan. She is not a coward anyway. It is the social isolation and discrimination that shape her cha