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1、The Symbolism in The Scarlet LetterAbstractNathaniel Hawthornes unique gift was for the creation of strongly symbolic stories which touch the deepest roots of mans moral nature. The finest example is the recreation of The Scarlet Letter. It is a representative one of his ideal and artistic style and
2、 is regarded as the first American symbolic fiction and is one of the few books that is remarkable, because it deals with alienation, sin, punishment, and guilt, or the emotions that will continue to be felt by every generation. The scarlet letter “A”, which covers through the whole novel, was given
3、 a variety of symbolic meanings. He expressed his feelings, emotions, will and concept through the scarlet letter” A”, some natural scenery, and some of the major characters. The use of symbolism gives romantic thoughts and great subjective ideals to readers. This paper researches the symbolism in t
4、he novel from the following aspects: the changing symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter “A”, the colors, prison, the forest, the names of the major characters described in the novel to make the symbolism clear to the reader. Key words: The Scarlet Letter, symbolism, sin 摘要霍桑创作象征主义小说的独特天赋触及人类的道德的最深根
5、源，其代表作是红字。 它也是最能代表其思想和艺术风格的杰出作品，被视为美国第一部象征主义小说。它是少数卓有建树的作品之一，因为它涉及疏远，罪恶，惩罚及内疚，或是那种使一代一代人们所感受的感情。在红字中那个牵动着读者内心的鲜红字母“A”贯穿全篇，并被作家赋予了丰富的象征涵义。霍桑通过鲜红的字母“A”，通过大自然中的一些景象，表达出了自己的某些感觉、情思、意志和观念，使作品充满了丰富的浪漫主义想象和强烈的主观色彩。本文主要从以下几方面研究红字中的象征主义: 红色字母A、颜色、监狱、森林的象征意义在文中做出阐述。关键词: 红字 象征意义 罪恶 IntroductionNathaniel Hawtho
6、rne is considered to be the first greatest American fiction writer and his greatest symbolic contribution is The Scarlet Letter, which is regarded as the first symbolic novel in the American literature. In the novel, each word, image, and event works toward a single effect. It is a complex story of
7、guilt and sin. Hawthorne tries every bit to show the symbolic meanings of the scarlet letter “A”, the natural scenery such as the forest and the rosebush, and some of the major characters like Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and especially Pearl for instance. His skillful use of symbolism gives a
8、rtistic effect to his work in great extent.1.1. The Main Idea of the BookThe story begins in the seventeenth century Boston. A young woman, named Hester Prynne, is given the Puritan way of punishment for the sin of adultery. She wears a scarlet letter which stands for disgrace on her chest. Two year
9、s ago, she is sent alone across the ocean by her husband; however, her husband did not show up thereafter. While waiting, Hester falls in love with a young local minister and they commit adultery secretly. The secret is finally discovered because of Hesters pregnancy. Hester refuses to tell the name
10、 of the father even when she is asked to stand on the scaffold. And she chooses to bear all the shame and punishment herself. However, the story does not go on like this. Hesters husband, Roger Chillingworth appears and tries to take revenge on the adulterer. In the end, Arthur Dimmesdale, the local
11、 minister, confesses his sin and dies. Hester then lives alone in her cottage far away from the city by herself. The heroine Hester, in the novel, breaks up the unfortunate chain of marriage in the pursuit of happiness and true love. Her action can not be accepted among the community and that is why
12、 she is treated badly by the townspeople. In contrast, Hester herself does not see the scarlet letter “A” as a disgraceful sign but a silent resistance.1.2. The word symbol and its meaning in The Scarlet LetterThe common definition says that a symbol is a sign or token of something. A lion, for inst
13、ance, is a symbol of courage. The bald eagle is a symbol of America. In literature, matters are a little more complicated. Symbolism in literature is the deep and hidden meaning in a piece of work. It is often used to represent a moral or religious belief or value. Writers try to use symbolism to en
14、rich symbolic figures to reveal the hidden heart, to express their inner feelings, and to expose the social roots that causing harm to people. We can simply put symbolism as a way to express the emotions by using solid things to tell the symbolic meanings. In his representative work The Scarlet Lett
15、er, symbolism has been fully manifested. Different Symbols Used in the Novel2.1. The changes of the symbolic meaning of the Scarlet Letter “A”The chief symbol in the novel is the scarlet letter “A”, which has various meanings for each character. To Hester, the “A” is a mark of unjust humiliation, wh
16、ile the Puritan community sees the opposite. Hester endures the unjust punishment of standing on the scaffold at noon in public view and the shame of wearing the scarlet letter “A”, which symbolizes being sinful. Dimmesdale regards the “A” as a reminder of his un-confessed sin and it pushes him to t
17、orture himself both physically and mentally. To Chillingworth, the “A” represents the shame that his wife is being guilty of the sin of adultery and the eagerness to take revenge to the adulterer. Then for Pearl, who is the most complex character, the “A” arouses her great curiosity as it symbolizes
18、 her existence and the meaning beneath it. In contrast to the scarlet letter “A”, Pearl makes an “A” out of green seaweed which represents purity and innocence.The scarlet letter “A” also changes its meaning with the progress of the plots. The “A” first appears to be a symbol of adultery, being alon
19、e and alienation, and finally changes its meaning into being able and admirable.2.1.1 Adultery The original meaning of the scarlet letter “A” is Hesters adultery against her husband Roger Chillingworth. The story begins with the scene that Hester stands on the scaffold with the “A” on her chest, and
20、 it is the Puritan way of punishment for the crime of adultery. Hesters behavior is disgraceful and she is looked down upon by others as if she is a devil from the hell that commits a terrible crime. Hester is ashamed of her sin, but she decides to accept the treatment given to her for she holds the
21、 concept that there is real happiness and true love.2.1.2 Alone and Alienation The scarlet letter “A” is not only a symbol of adultery, but also a symbol of being alone and alienation. As for her sin of adultery, people in the town look down upon her and treat her in an unfriendly manner. She choose
22、s to live solitarily in her cottage, which is far away from the city and she has no friends in the world with Pearl being her only companion, so the scarlet letter “A” is also a symbol of being alone and alienation. 2.1.3 Able, Admirable and Angel Later the scarlet letter “A” changes its meaning int
23、o being able, admirable and an angel. People in the community who condemn her now believe the scarlet letter stands for ability as to her beautiful needlework and for her unselfishness in offering help to the poor and sick. Hester overcomes the shame of her sin through goodness of her soul and prove
24、s that she should not have been given that kind of punishment. 2.1.4 Passion for Arthur DimmesdaleThe scarlet letter “A” also stands for her love, Arthur Dimmesdale. She decorates the scarlet letter “A”, which means adultery, so carefully that shows her passion for Arthur. That she refuses to tell t
25、he name of Pearls father is a way to protect Arthur. Furthermore, she chooses to live in New England after she is released because it is the place where her lover stays. She wears the scarlet letter for seven years, and misses her lover in this way. Only when she meets Arthur in the forest seven yea
26、rs later does she decide to flee to somewhere else and throw the scarlet letter away. After Dimondales death, Hester and Pearl disappear for several years and later Hester comes back and picks up the scarlet letter again. 2.2. PearlPearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne, is the most complex and symbol
27、 in the book. For Hester, she is sort of comfort from god as well as a kind of punishment given by God. The townspeople refer to her as the offspring of the devil. On one hand, Hawthorne uses Pearl as fruit of love between Hester and Dimmesdale and she is a living scarlet letter. Pearl is the scarle
28、t letter, because if she had never been born, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery, and thus never would have had to wear that burden upon her chest. Without that burden, Hester would have led a much more appropriate life than the one she had throughout the novel. Hawthorne gave a s
29、pecial description on Pearls particular passion towards the scarlet letter which shows the implied relationship between Pearl and the letter. The two are both the fruit of true love and the symbol of bright future of human beings. There are four times that Pearls attitude towards the scarlet letter
30、is described. The first is that when Pearl is born into this world, the first thing that comes into her eyes is not the smile of her mother but the bright scarlet letter “A” and she shows great passion towards it. The second time is when Pearl grows up and she always plays with the scarlet letter, f
31、urthermore, she would be very happy every time when she hits the scarlet letter with seaweeds. Another description is that Pearl tries to emulate her mother by placing seaweed in the shape of an “A” on her own chest; however, it is bright green in contrast to the scarlet letter “A” on Hester. The la
32、st description is Pearl would not see Hester as her mother only when Hester puts on the scarlet letter. By acknowledging the letter on her mothers chest, she plays an active role in Hesters punishment rather than a passive one. These detailed descriptions indicate the absolute free love in the world
33、. On the other hand, Pearl is the reflection of Hesters character in many aspects. She looks down upon the Puritans and throws stone towards them. It seems that she inherits the passion and hatred that Hester possesses. As is discriminated by people around, Pearl has an unfriendly attitude towards a
34、ll the things around her. To Dimmesdale, Pearl is a symbol of a living conscience. She represents the driving force to confess his concealed sin. In the second scaffold scene, she asks Dimmesdale to stand on the scaffold with her and her mother, but when he refuses she eagerly pulls her hand away, s
35、aying he is not bold and not true. Dimmesdale is again seen to deny public recognition of his daughter. After Dimmesdale denies her request, Pearl wipes away the kiss that he presents earlier. In the final scaffold scene, Pearls completes her role as a symbol. Dimmesdale publicly acknowledges his da
36、ughter and Hester then dies. Pearl kisses her father signifying the end of her fathers anguish. 2.3. The ForestIn The Scarlet Letter, the forest symbolizes much more than one could imagine. Each character brings out a different side of the forest; however, the forest also brings out a different side
37、 in each character. It is dark and secret. It is where people come to let loose and be themselves. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. The forest track is precisely the escape route from the dictates of law and religion to t
38、he Promised Land to the west where men can breathe free. For some, the forest may be a place of evil thoughts and wrong doings, but for others it is a place of happiness and freedom. The open air of the forest is exhilarating, but cold. Nothing is known in the wilderness, everything is up for grabs.
39、 There is no one around to stop you from going to the devil. And when you do, he is right there waiting for you. On the one hand, the forest is an open door to love and freedom for both Hester and Dimmesdale. It is a place where the letter on their bodies can no longer have any effect on them. It is
40、 a place where natural law is opposed to the artificial strict community with its man-made Puritan laws. In this the forest represents a thing of truth, whether it is good or bad. However, in Pearls eyes, the forest has a totally different concept, which is like a best friend. It treats her as if sh
41、e were one of its own. She is able to run and play freely to her innocent hearts content. The light is chasing her no matter where she goes. She can do that because her heart is innocent and the forest knows that.In the forest, young girl, middle-aged man and woman may throw away all the reluctance
42、and finally be themselves under security and pull out secret thoughts. The forest brings out the natural semblance and natural personality of individuals who use it correctly. In the eyes of Hester and Dimmesdale, their behavior is not immoral. They prefer the openness and freedom that the forest pr
43、esents over the strict, cruel element of Puritan civilization. If the forest represents a key to the handcuffs Hester and Dimmesdale have been forced to wear, all that they have to do is to break it. Although they choose not to break it, they begin to dwell on the things that they have done to break
44、 the bind. Therefore, the forest, natures dominion, strikes one as the only place where true passion and honesty stay and there, Hester conceals her secret sin with Dimmesdale, and Hesters true evil spirit is presented. 2.4. The Scaffold The scaffold symbolizes many aspects of human nature throughou
45、t the course of the book. It symbolizes the shame and guilt of sin along with love and punishment. For example, when Hester commits adultery with Dimmesdale, the sin is committed out of love. After the secret is discovered, she is portrayed out of the society. When she stands on the scaffold, she hides her scarlet letter because the letter is viewed as a symbol of sin, shame, guilt, and punishment. Be