The Scarlet Letter 《红字》作品分析文档格式.docx
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The Scarlet Letter 《红字》作品分析文档格式.docx
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sNature,wherehewrote,"
Ibecomeatransparenteyeball;
Iamnothing;
Iseeall;
thecurrentsoftheUniversalBeingcirculatethroughme;
IampartandparcelofGod."
EventhoughHawthornewasclosetomanytranscendentalists,includingEmerson,andeventhoughhelivedforawhileatthetranscendentalistexperimentalcommunityofBrookFarm,hewasratherperipheraltothemovement.HawthorneevenpokesfunatBrookFarmandhistranscendentalistcontemporariesin"
TheCustom-House,"
referringtothemashis"
dreamybrethrenindulginginfantasticspeculation."
Wheretheysawthepossibilitiesofachievingknowledgethroughmysticalexperience,Hawthornewasfarmoreskeptical.
AbolitionismandRevolution
MoreimportanttoHawthorne'
sliteraryproductions,andparticularlyTheScarletLetter,wasabolitionismandEuropeanrevolution.These,inHawthorne'
sview,wereepisodesofthreateninginstability.Abolitionismwasthenineteenth-centurymovementtoendslaveryintheUnitedStates.Thoughitvariedinintensity,abolitionismcontainedaveryradicalstrainthathelpedtoformaclimateforJohnBrown'
scaptureofHarpersFerryin1859.(JohnBrownintendedtoestablishabaseforarmedslaveinsurrection.)TherisingintensityandviolenceofabolitionismwasanimportantcauseoftheCivilWar.Hawthorne'
sconservativepositioninrelationtoabolitionismdidnotnecessarilymeanthathewaspro-slavery,buthedidquiteclearlyopposeabolitionists,writingthatslaverywas"
oneofthoseevilswhichdivineProvidencedoesnotleavetoberemediedbyhumancontrivances."
WhatHawthornefearedwereviolentdisruptionsofthesocialorderlikethosethatwerehappeninginEuropeatthetimehewroteTheScarletLetter.ThebloodysocialupheavalthatmostinterestedAmericansbeganinFrancein1848.This,andotherrevolutionsoftheperiod,pittedthelowerandmiddleclassesagainstestablishedpowerandauthority.Whiletherevolutionseventuallyfailed,theywerelargelywagedunderthebannerofsocialism,anditwasthisfactthatcausedconcerninAmerica;
asonejournalistwrote,asquotedbyBercovitch,heretherewere"
forebodingshadows"
of"
Communism,Socialism,Pillage,Murder,Anarchy,andtheGuillotinevs.LawandOrder,FamilyandProperty."
CriticshaverecentlypointedtoHawthorne'
sguillotineimageryin"
TheCustom-House"
(whereheevensuggeststhetidle"
ThePosthumousPapersofaDecapitatedSurveyor"
forhistale)andmetaphorsofhisownvictimizationassomeevidenceofhissympathieswithregardtorevolutionandsocialorder.
ThePuritanColonies
Thenovelwaswritteninthemid-nineteenthcentury,butittakesthemid-seventeenthcenturyfortheeventsitdescribes(1642-49).TheMassachusettsBayColonywasestablishedbyJohnWinthorp(whosedeathisrepresentednearthecenterofthenovel)andotherPuritansin1630.TheysoughttoestablishanidealcommunityinAmericathatcouldactasamodelofinfluenceforwhattheysawasacorruptcivilandreligiousorderinEngland.Thissenseofmissionwasthecenteroftheirreligiousandsocialidentity.Directedtowardtherealizationofsuchanideal,thePuritansrequiredastrictmoralregulation;
anyoneintheconmmunitywhosinnedthreatenednotonlytheirsoul,buttheverypossibilityofcivilandreligiousperfectioninAmericaandinEngland.Notcoincidentally,theyearsHawthornechosetorepresentinTheScarletLetterwerethesameasthoseoftheEnglishCivilWarfoughtbetweenKingCharlesIandthePuritanParliament;
thelatterwasnaturallysupportedbytheNewEnglandcolonists.
Plotsummary
Thenoveltakesplaceduringthesummerin17th-centuryBoston,MassachusettsinaPuritanvillage.Ayoungwoman,namedHesterPrynne,hasbeenledfromthetownprisonwithherinfantdaughterinherarmsandonthebreastofhergown"
aragofscarletcloth"
that"
assumedtheshapeofaletter."
Itwastheuppercaseletter"
A"
.TheScarletLetter"
representstheactofadulterythatshehascommittedanditistobeasymbolofhersin—abadgeofshame—foralltosee.Aman,whowaselderlyandastrangertothetown,entersthecrowdandasksanotheronlookerwhat'
shappening.HerespondsbyexplainingthatHesterisbeingpunishedforadultery.Hester'
shusband,whoismucholderthanshe,andwhoserealnameisunknown,hassentheraheadtoAmericawhilstsettlingaffairsinEurope.However,herhusbanddoesnotarriveinBoston,andtheconsensusisthathehasbeenlostatsea.Itisapparentthat,whilewaitingforherhusband,Hesterhashadanaffair,leadingtothebirthofherdaughter.Shewillnotrevealherlover'
sidentity,however,andthescarletletter,alongwithhersubsequentpublicshaming,isthepunishmentforhersinandsecrecy.OnthisdayHesterisledtothetownscaffoldandharanguedbythetownfathers,butsheagainrefusestoidentifyherchild'
sfather.[2]
TheelderlyonlookerisHester'
smissinghusband,whoisnowpracticingmedicineandcallinghimselfRogerChillingworth.HesettlesinBoston,intentonrevenge.HerevealshistrueidentitytonoonebutHester,whomhehassworntosecrecy.Severalyearspass.Hestersupportsherselfbyworkingasaseamstress,andherdaughterPearlgrowsintoawillful,impishchild—inHawthorne'
swork,Pearlismoreofasymbolthananactualcharacter—andissaidtobethescarletlettercometolifeasbothHester'
sloveandherpunishment.Shunnedbythecommunity,theyliveinasmallcottageontheoutskirtsofBoston.CommunityofficialsattempttotakePearlawayfromHester,butwiththehelpofArthurDimmesdale,aneloquentminister,themotheranddaughtermanagetostaytogether.Dimmesdale,however,appearstobewastingawayandsuffersfrommysterioushearttrouble,seeminglycausedbypsychologicaldistress.Chillingworthattacheshimselftotheailingministerandeventuallymovesinwithhimsothathecanprovidehispatientwithround-the-clockcare.Chillingworthalsosuspectsthattheremaybeaconnectionbetweentheminister'
stormentsandHester'
ssecret,andhebeginstotestDimmesdaletoseewhathecanlearn.Oneafternoon,whiletheministersleeps,Chillingworthdiscoverssomethingundescribedtothereader,supposedlyan"
burnedintoDimmesdale'
schest,whichconvinceshimthathissuspicionsarecorrect.[2]
Dimmesdale'
spsychologicalanguishdeepens,andheinventsnewtorturesforhimself.Inthemeantime,Hester'
scharitabledeedsandquiethumilityhaveearnedherareprievefromthescornofthecommunity.Onenight,whenPearlisaboutsevenyearsold,sheandhermotherarereturninghomefromavisittothedeathbedofJohnWinthropwhentheyencounterDimmesdaleatopthetownscaffold,tryingtopunishhimselfforhissins.HesterandPearljoinhim,andthethreelinkhands.DimmesdalerefusesPearl'
srequestthatheacknowledgeherpubliclythenextday,andameteormarksadullred"
inthenightsky.ItisinterpretedbythetownsfolktomeanAngel,asaprominentfigureinthecommunityhaddiedthatnight,butDimmesdaleseesitasmeaningadultery.Hestercanseethattheminister'
sconditionisworsening,andsheresolvestointervene.ShegoestoChillingworthandaskshimtostopaddingtoDimmesdale'
sself-torment.Chillingworthrefuses.ShesuggeststhatshemayrevealhistrueidentitytoDimmesdale.[2]
Laterinthestory,whilewalkingthroughtheforest,thesunwouldnotshineonHester,althoughPearlcouldbaskinit.TheythenencounterDimmesdale,asheistakingawalkinthewoodsthatday.HesterinformsDimmesdaleofthetrueidentityofChillingworthandtheformerloversdecidetofleetoEurope,wheretheycanlivewithPearlasafamily.TheywilltakeashipsailingfromBostoninfourdays.Bothfeelasenseofrelease,andHesterremovesherscarletletterandletsdownherhair.Thesunimmediatelybreaksthroughthecloudsandtreestoilluminateherreleaseandjoy.Pearl,playingnearby,doesnotrecognizehermotherwithouttheletter.Sheisunnervedandexpelsashriekuntilhermotherpointsouttheletterontheground.HesterbeckonsPearltocometoher,butPearlwillnotgotohermotheruntilHesterbuttonstheletterbackontoherdress.Pearlthengoestohermother.DimmesdalegivesPearlakissontheforehead,whichPearlimmediatelytr
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