Unit_4_Nathaniel_Hawthorne

LectureThreeUnitFourNathanielHawthorne(1804-1864)Lecturer:Dr.HuangLihuaNathanielHawthorne(1804-1864)“LikeEdgarAllanPoe,HawthornetookadarkviewofhumanNature.”Americannovelistandshortstorywriter，thefirstgreatestAmeicanfictionwriterinthemoralistictraditionHawthorne’sBackgroundBorninSalem,MassachusettsPuritan（清教徒）backgroundAncestorofJohnHawthorne——oneofthethreejudgesintheSalemWitchTrials(塞勒姆驱巫案）BeganwritingaftercollegeatBowdionCollegeinMaineSpentmanyyearsinseclusion——starvingartistHawthorne’sBackgroundHeldmanyjobsincludingwriter,publisher,workingatacustomhouse,andconsultinEnglandMarriedSophiePeabodyin1825BefriendedHenryWadsworthLongfellow,RalphWaldoEmerson,HenryDavidThoreau,HermanMelville,andPresidentFranklinpierceInfluencesonHawthorneSalem-earlychildhood,laterworkattheCustomHouse.Puritanfamilybackground-oneofhisforefatherswasJudgeHawthorne,whopresidedovertheSalemwitchcrafttrials,1692.Beliefintheexistenceofthedevil.Beliefindeterminism（宿命论）.NathanielHawthorne'sgraveinSleepyHollowCemetery,Concord,MassachusettsNathanielHawthorne’sHouse★Hawthorne’spointofviewHawthorneisinfluencedbyPuritanism（清教主义）deeply.HewasnotaPuritanhimself,buthehadPuritanancestorswhoplayedanimportantroleinhislifeandworks.Melville:“霍桑描写黑暗的巨大力量，是由于受到加尔文派关于与生俱来的堕落与原罪思想的影响。没有一位思想深邃的人能完全摆脱这种思想所发生的各种形式的影响。”Hawthorne评Melville:“他既不肯信教，又对自己的不信感到惶恐不安。”对霍桑同样适用。★(1)Evilisatthecoreofhumanlife.Hawthornesenseofsinandevilinlife,“black”visionoflifeandhumanishauntedEvilexistsinthehumanheart,humanheartisthesourceofevil.Everyonepossessessomeevilsecret.Evilisman’sbirthmark（胎记）.amostdisturbedandtormentedone,discussessinandevilinalmosteverybookliteraryworldrejectstheTranscendentalistoptimismlooksmoredeeplyandmorehonestlyintolife,findingmuchsuffering&conflictinit★(2)Wheneverthereissin,thereispunishment.SinorevilcanbepassedfromgenerationtogenerationTheHouseoftheSevenGables《带有七个尖角阁的房子》Colonel（陆军上校）PyncheontakesthelandofMatthewMauleandbuildsahouseontheland---ishauntedbyghost---hisoffspring（后代）witheranddieout“Godwillgivehimbloodtodrink”霍桑在探讨罪恶时，不是宣扬加尔文教义，而是抨击了它对人性的摧残，是要使人正视罪的存在，并把人从泯灭人性的罪恶感中解脱出来。★(3)Evileducates.Achievementis“undertheimpactofandbyengagementwithevil”经历过犯罪，受到其影响，人们才能有所成就Manisbetterforthecrimewhichbringsaboutthefall.人在犯罪后才能更好的完善自己★(4)Hehasdisgustinscience.Onesourceofevilisoverweening自负的(tooproudofoneself)intellect.Hisintellectualcharactersarevillains,dreadfulandcold-blooded.E.g.RogerChillingworthinTheScarletLetter“Thereisnogoodonearth;andsinisbutaname.come,devil!fortotheeisthisworldgiven”-----YoungGoodmanBrown如果我是为了不可告人的罪恶而隐藏自己的面孔，那么请问，难道有什么人可以不这样做呢？”-----TheMinister’sBlackVeil★Hawthorne’saestheticideas•1)hetookagreatinterestinhistoryandantiquity(古物）.•Tohimthesefurnish（提供）thesoilonwhichhismindgrowstofruition.•Tryingtoconnectabygonetimewiththeverypresent,hemakesthedreamstrangethingslookliketruth.★Hawthorne’sAestheticIdeas•2)hewasconvincedthatromance(传奇）wasthebestformtodescribeAmerica•Thepovertyofmaterials+theavoidanceofoffendingthepuritantaste——romancesratherthannovelstotellthetruthandsatirizeandyetnottheoffendHawthorne’sMajorWorksTwocollectionsofshortstories:Twice-toldTales《故事重述》,1837+MossesfromanOldManse《古宅青苔》,1843★TheScarletLetter《红字》,1850Hismasterpiece,whichestablishedhimastheLeadingAmericannativenovelistofthe19thcenturyHawthorne’sMajorWorksTheHouseoftheSevenGables,《七个尖角阁的房子》,1851TheBlithedaleRomance《福谷传奇》,1852TheMarbleFaun《大理石雕像》,1860Shortstories:YoungGoodmanBrown《好小伙儿布朗》TheMinister’sBlackVeil《教长的面纱》TheBirthmark《胎痣》★ThemesinHawthorne’sWritingsMoralallegories（寓言）——astorywhereeverythingissymbol,usedcommonlytoinstructespeciallyinreligiousmattersThesinfulmanHypocrisyTheDarksideofhumannatureReligiousinnature★Hawthorne’sWritingStyle：Amanofliterarycraftsmanship,typicalromanticwriterextraordinaryinTheuseofsymbol:symbolsserveasaweapontoattackreality.Itcanbefoundeverywhereinhiswriting.Revelationofcharacters’psychology:heisgoodatexploringthecomplexityofhumanpsychology.Thereisn’tmuchphysicalmovementgoingoninhisworks★Hawthorne’sWritingStyleTheuseofsupernaturalmixedwiththeactualHisstoriesareparable(allegory)——toteachalessonUseofambiguity（意义含糊）tokeepthereaderintheworldofuncertainty——multiplepointofview★FeaturesofhisworkssettingthemesIdeaFeaturetechniquePuritanNewEnglandEvil&sin“blackvision”(黑暗视角)towardhumanbeingsAmbiguity（意义含糊）symbolismTheScarletLetter《红字》•TheScarletLetterthatisnotableforitsallegoryandsymbolismisregardedasthefirstsymbolicnovelinAmericanliterature.TheScarletLetter《红字》•Setting(time):middleoftheseventeenthcentury•Setting(place).Boston,Massachusetts•Protagonist:HesterPrynne•Majorconflicts:HesterVs.hercommunity（社区）;ChillingworthVs.Dimmesdale;Dimmesdale’sinnerconflict.Plot•HesterPrynne,awomantakeninadultery,shemustweartheletterAonherchestforalltosee,yetshesurroundsitwithbeautifulstitching,sothatitadvertisesnotonlyhershame,butalsoherskillasaseamstress.Sherefusestonameherlover,theReverendMr.ArthurDimmesdale;andraisesherdaughter,Pearlonherown.•Herhusband,RogerChillingworthspentallhislifetotakerevenge.Destroyedbyhislieandguilt,DimmesdalediesinHes