美国文学红字TheScarletLetter

TheScarletLetter

byNathanielHawthorneAdvancedAmericanLitMr.MaysTheAuthorNathanielHawthorneAmericannovelistandshortstorywriter,mostfamousforhisnovelTheScarletLetterNathanielHawthorne,BackgroundBornSalem,Mass.onJuly4th,1804,sonofaseacaptain.GraduatedfromBowdoinCollegeandbegantowrite.InsufficientearningsasawriterforcedHawthornetotakeajobintheSalemCustomHouse.By1842,hewasabletoearnenoughtomarrySophiaPeabodyandmovetoConcord,whichwasthenthecenteroftheTranscendentalmovement.HawthornereturnedtoSalemin1845andin1850,hismostfamousnovel,TheScarletLetterwaspublished.NathanielHawthornediedatPlymouth,NewHampshire,onMay18th,1864.

PicturefoundonGoogleImagesHediscoveredthathehadPuritanancestors.OnerelativehadservedasajudgeintheSalemwitchtrialsof1692Hawthorneaddedthe“w”tohisnametodistinguishhimselffromhisancestors.HewroteduringtheRomanticperiodofliteraryhistory(1830-1865)alongwithRalphWaldoEmerson,HenryDavidThoreau,HermanMelville,HarrietBeecherStoweandEdgarAllenPoePersonalNotablesTheCustomHouseSatiricalintroductiontothenovelAutobiographicalofHawthorneUsedtoshowhisdislikeforthePuritansandtheirstrongreligiousbeliefsHeisboredathisjobwhichleadshimtosearchthrougholdboxesanddiscoverthemanuscriptandthescarletletter.TheCustomHouse-Cont.Thestoryisbasedonahistoricalmanuscriptthathefound.Thenarratorofthestoryisnameless,butsharesmanyqualitieswithHawthornehimself.HecreatesthenarratorsimilartoHestersincetheybothfeelalienatedfromthosearoundthem.Narratorsaysonedayhewillberememberedbyhisnameonthecustomstamp,whileHesterwillberememberedforherscarletcloth.PrimaryDocument1

CustomHouseReceiptSalemCustomHouseReceipt,April18,1848SignedbyNathanielHawthornePrimaryDocument2

AletterfromHawthornePageoneofacopymadebyGeorgeB.CurwenofaletterfromHawthornetoHoraceIngersoll.WritteninLenoxinthesummerof1850abouthisfiringassurveyorattheSalemCustomHousetheyearbefore.courtesyofTheHouseoftheSevenGablesHistoricSitePrimaryDocument3

OriginalBookCoverTitlepageof1850editionofTheScarletLetterFirstPublishingHawthornewasaRomanticAuthor(courtesyofPeabodyEssexMuseum)DefiningScarletFunction:adjective1

ofthecolorscarlet2a

:grosslyandglaringlyoffensive<sinninginflagrantandscarletfashion--characterizedby,orassociatedwithsexualimmorality<ascarletwoman>Function:nounMiddleEnglishscarlat,scarlet,fromAnglo-Frenchescarlet,fromMedievalLatinscarlata,fromPersiansaqalAt,akindofrichcloth1

:scarletclothorclothes2

:anyofvariousbrightredsMainEntry:scarletletter Function:noun

:ascarletAwornasapunitivemarkofadulteryDefiningPuritan

MainEntry:1pu·ri·tan

Function:noun

Etymology:probablyfromLateLatinpuritaspurity

1

capitalized

:amemberofa16thand17thcenturyProtestantgroupinEnglandandNewEnglandopposingasunscripturaltheceremonialworshipandtheprelacyoftheChurchofEngland

2onewhopracticesorpreachesamorerigorousorprofessedlypurermoralcodethanthatwhichprevailsSeeEndicottandtheRedCrossChapterattheendofthebook.NathanialHawthorneasaparadoxPhilosophyInfluencedbyCalvinism,whichbelievedin“originalsin”,butrecognizeditsfuror,peremptorinessandhypocrisyAcceptingEmerson’smysteriousphilosophy,butputthegoodnessandevilnessofCalvinismasastandardofknowingtheworld.“IwishGodhadgivenmethefacultyofwritingasunshinybook.”TheScarletLetter“isapositivelyhell-firedstory,intowhichIfounditimpossibletothrowanycheeringlight.”Oneoftherecurringthemesisasenseofstruggleandconflictwiththeworkingsofhisownimagination.Hisstoriesandnovelsseemtobecontinuallyattemptingtowrestleoutofhiscontrol.Discontentwiththefallensocial,moralandhypocriticalaristocracy,butreluctanttomakearadicalchangetotheunreasonablesocialsystemtheimplicationofprotagonists’namesHesterPrynneHester:HestierinGreekmythology,Zeus’ssister,awomanofbeautyhestier(hasty)Prynne:prurientprune:purifyhersinpry:probeintotheinteriorofone’sheart

ArthurDimmesdale

Arthur:Adam,adulteryDimmesdale:dim+dale:diminterior(tohideone’ssin)

RogerChillingworthRoger:rogue(revenge)Chillingworth:chilly(cruel,inhumane)+worth(induceArthurtospeakouthisownsin)

Pearl:good,pureandpreciousHesterPrynne:oppositetoArthur(Hawthorne)1.Knowsandacknowledgesherguilty,butneverhideshercharacterandidentityunderanewexterior2.Bearsherhumiliationwithsupremedignity,hidesheragony3.Quietlysubmitstothepunishmentandperformsactsofcharitytothoseintrouble

Sheneverbattledwiththepublic,butsubmitteduncomplaininglytoitsworstusage;shemadenoclaimuponit