美国文学史期末论《红字》象征意义

《美国文学史》期末论文2015-2016学年第二学期论文题目:论《红字中的象征主义》英文题目:AnAnalysisoftheSymbolismoftheScarletLetter姓名:王舒学号:1345752211专业:英语日期:2015年6月29日AnAnalysisoftheSymbolismofTheScarletLetterChapterOneIntroduction1.1ResearchBackground1.1.1LifeCareerandLiteraryCareer1.1.2TheOriginofTheScarletLetter1.2PurposeandSignificanceoftheStudy1.3OrganizationoftheThesisChapterTwoTheOrganizationofSymbolism2.1SymbolicMeaningoftheMainCharacters’Names2.1.1HesterPrynne2.1.2ArthurDimmesdale2.1.3RogerChillingworth2.1.4Pearl2.2SymbolicMeaningoftheLetter“A”2.2.1Adultery2.2.2Alone2.2.3Angel2.2.4ArthurDimmesdaleChapterFourConclusionAnAnalysisoftheSymbolismoftheScarletLetterChapteroneIntroduction1.1ResearchBackground1.1.1LifeCareerandLiteraryCareerHawthornewasborninSalemin1804.HisfamilyhasalongPuritantradition.Hisfatherisaseacaptain,diedinDutchwhenHawthornewasonlyfour.Andhismotherreliedonrelativesinrearingthechildren.Besides,someofhisancestorswereajudgerelatetotheSalemWitchcraftTrailsof1692.Therefore,thefamilygraduallyfortunedeclined.YoungHawthornewaswitnessedtheprocessandawareofthemisdeedsofhispuritanancestors,sohehaddeepunderstandingofevilinhumanlife,peoplecalled“thatblacknessinHawthorne”.Thisaffectedmanyworksofhimandstatedtruthinhisbooks.Heaspiredtobeawriterinhismiddleage.In1821,hewenttoBowdoinCollegewherehemadefriendswithWadsworthLongfellowandFranklinPierce,whowasthefourteenthPresidentoftheUnitedStates.Franklinhelpedhimwhenhewasinfinancialdifficulties.Aftergraduation,hespent12yearsinseclusiononliteraryapprenticeship,readingwidelyandpracticingwriting.In1839,HawthornehasworkedinBostoncustomsfortwoyears.Later,heenteredintoBrookFarmlandandcontactedwiththeideaoftranscendental.Then,HawthornewenttoSalemcustoms,inwhichaffectedthework“TheScarletLatter”directly.In1842,HawthornegotmarriedandlivedinConcord,madefriendswithhisneighbors,EmersonandThoreauandothers.Finally,hediedin1864andburiedinSleepyValleycemetery.Hawthorne’sfirstnovelisabouthisschoollife,whichwasafailurenovel.Soheburntallhiscopiesingreatrage.Later,hepublishedacollectionofshortstories,calledTwice-ToldTalesin1837,whichattractedsomepopularandcriticalattention.Anothersuccessfulshortstorycollection,MossesfromanOldMansecameoutin1846andbroughthimgreatfameandmadehimfinallyfinanciallycomfortable.In1850,anovel,TheScarletLettercameout,whichmadehimknownbyothersandmadehisnameasawriterofnosmalltalent.In1851,TheHouseoftheSevenGablescameout,tobefollowedbyTheBlithedaleRomancein1852andTheMarbleFaunin1860.1.1.2TheOriginoftheScarletLetterThestoryofTheScarletLetterisverysimplebutverymoving.ThestoryissetinNewEnglandinseventeenthcenturyBoston,whichisunderPuritancommand.Ayoungbeautifulwoman,namedHesterPrynne,issentaheadtoAmericabyhishusband-----anagingEnglishscholar.However,fortwoyears,hedoesnotarrivehere.Buttwoyearlater,heisbewilderedtoseehiswifeinpillory,wearingascarletletter“A”onherbreastandholdingababyinherarms.Sheisconsideredtheguiltyofadulteryandbroughttotrial.TheoldscholarpretendstobeaphysicianandchangeshisnameRogarChillingworth.Gradually,hediscoveredthathiswife’sloveristheyoungclergyman,ArthurDimmesdale.Hesterrefusestonameherloverallthetimeandlookeddownonbyothers.Dimmesdalesufferedphysicalandmentaltorture.ButHesterresponsetothescarletletterisapositiveone.Shelivesaquietlifewithherdaughter,Pearl.Shehelpsherfellowcreaturesasasisterifmanyofsortsorasaskilledembroidererinmodestmanner,andfinallywinsother’sloveandadmiration.Becausethescarletletter“A”,thechurchmemberssuggestPearlbetakenawayfromHester,andDimmesdalehasapoorhealth.SheplanstoleaveAmericawithDimmesdale,butherefusedherhelp.Hediesintheendinherarmswhileconfessinghissinatapublicgathering.Chillingworthwithers.Pearlismarriedintoanoblefamily.1.2PurposeandSignificanceoftheStudySymbolismisnotonlyasignificantfeatureofHawthorne’sworks,butalsoamajorfeatureofRomanticism.Therefore,studyofHawthorne’smasterpiece,thescarletletter,symbolismcanhelpthereadersknowsmoreaboutthenovelandreadhisworkswithoutanydifficulties.Whenwelearnasymbolismofanovel,wecouldstudyitfromthecharacters,situations,environmentandothers.Itisveryimportantforreaderstounderstandanovel’sthesis.1.2OrganizationoftheThesisInTheScarletLetter,symbolismisusednotonlyinthemaincharactersbutalsointhecapitalletter“A”whichsymbolismadultery,alone,alienation,angelandArthurDimmesdale.ChapterTwoTheOrganizationofSymbolism2.1SymbolicMeaningoftheMainCharacters’Names2.1.1HesterPrynneHesterPrynneisoneofthemaincharactersinthisnovel.Hawthorneendowshernamewithmuchsymbolicmeanings.Firstly,whenweseetheword“Hester”,wemaycontactitwithHastier,whoisthesisterofZeusinGreekmythology.Sheiskitchengoodness.Sheisalsoverybeautifulgod.HawthornenameshismaincharacterHester,whichgivereadersastrongsensethatHesterisabeautiful,passionateandwarm-heartedwoman.Inthisnovel,Hestertriesherbesttohelpothersandasaskilledembroidererinanunobtrusiveandundemandingmanner.Whatevershegoes,sheiswarm-heartedandking.Besides,thesoundof“Hester”issimilarto“Hastier”,whichisdifficulttodistinctthem.Notonlyisherbehaviorlikegoodness,butalsoherbeautifulappearance.Secondly,Heateristhe