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HawthorneandTheScarletLetterAbstract:ThisthesisattemptstoexpoundHawthornesemploymentofsymbolisminTheScarletLetterthroughtheanalysisofthescarletletterA,thecharactersandthesettings.ItalsoexploresHawthornesconflictingviewsontheworld,anddemonstratesthatheisbothanheirandacriticofPuritanism.Hawthornealsofoundmuchintranscendentalthoughtstoattracthim,includingitsradicalism,itsstressonthesoul,theindividual,self-relianceandindependence.TheintroductionpresentsHawthornesshortbiography,hisachievementsandpositioninAmericanliterature,andgivesanaccountofthebackgroundandmaincontentofstory.ItalsointroducestheuseofsymbolisminTheScarletLetter,tobediscussedinmoredetailinthefollowingchapters.Thefirstchapterdiscussesthesymbolofthecolorredandthemulti-layeredmeaningsoftheletterA.Thesymbolicmeaningsoftheletterchangewiththedevelopmentofthestory,andaredifferenttovariouscharacters.Throughsymbols,Hawthornepresentsthepsychologicalaspectofthecharacters.Thesymbolsarealsousedforthereaderstostudythepsychologicalreactionsofthevictimsandtoprobeintothedepthsofpersonality.TheconclusionstudiesHawthornespsychologicalconflicts,whicharesourcesofmulti-layeredsymbolicmeanings.Inthispart,Hawthornestechniques,especiallyhissymbolism,isfurtherinvestigated.Meanwhile,itraisesissuesthatneedfurtherexploration.Hawthornesinfluenceinliteraturegoesfarbeyondhistime.TheScarletLetterisanexcellentexampleofromanticliteratureofthe19thcentury,amasterpieceofprofoundandlasting.significance.Hisportrayalsofthestruggleofthehumansoulhavemadehimanoutstandingfigureinthehistoryofworldliterature.KeyWords：innerworld，soul，sin，punishment，symbolism，puritanism，psychologicalconflictsHawthorneisthefirstAmericannativewritertotakelocalmaterials,scenery,people,theirlivesandthoughtsintohisconsciouscreationandthusgainanundyingfameforit.TheScarletLetterissetagainsttheharshbackdropofthePuritancolonyin17thcenturyBostonandinsinuateswiththickreligiouscolorinwhichCalvinismandmysticismareportrayedthroughthenovel,whichaddsenormouscharmanddrivingpowertothisclassicwork.TheScarletLetterlaunchedHawthorne'screationandsuccess.Thenoveldistinguishesitselffromtheotherlovestoriesinthenineteenthcenturyandiscalledapsychologicalromance.ThislovestoryenablesHawthornetoreachatragicvision:toexploretheinnerworldofhiscreatedcharacters,tounderstandtheinnernecessityofeverythingtheydo,andthustopityandforgivethemintheveryactoflayingbaretheirweaknesses,showinghowtheybrandedsinnersforlife.TheScarletLetteriswithoutquestionanovelaboutsinandguilt,though,asweshouldexpectofHawthorne,itisnotasimplemattertodeterminewho,orwhat,isthesubjectofthesethemes.AreHesterandDimmesdaletheprinciplesinners,ordoestheirsuffering,ifnottheirlove,absolvethem?Ifweassumethatthenovelisanallegory,involvingsignificantepisodesandissuesfromAmericanhistory,particularlytheSalemwitchtrials,thenisitAmericaitselfthatisguiltyofgreatsin?Ifthisisthecase(andmanycriticsfeelthatitis),thenweshouldreversethemostobvioustermsofguiltandsinthatthenovelpresentsandreadtherepresentativesofauthorityastheprincipalfiguresofguilt.Followingthislineofinterpretation,wecanseeHawthorneattemptingtoindividualizenationalsinintheactualhistoricalcharactersofGovernorBellinghamandJohnWilson.WecaneventakethisreadingonestepfurtherandseeHawthomeattemptingtoabsolvehimselfandhisownfamilylineagewhenwerecallthatoneofhisownforefathers,JohnHathorne,wasaparticularlycruelprosecutorduringthewitchhysteria.Closelyrelatedtotheconflictoftheindividualandsocietyisthethemeofstability,change,andtransformation.Oneoftheimportantplaceswherethisthemeisintroducedisactuallyoutsidethepropernarrative,inHawthorne'sintroduction,TheCustom-House.AlthoughPuritansocietyisunforgivingtowardsthesinfulscarletletter,theirstrictnessimprovedthebearersofthesin.ThescarletletterwasalsoanexampleofhowPuritansocietywillalwaysrememberthesin.“Whenstrangerslookedcuriouslyatthescarletletter-andnonefailedtodoso,theybrandeditafreshintoHester’ssoul.”Aletter“A”butfreshlygreen,insteadofscarletwascreatedbyher,showinghowHawthornemadeajestatthepunishmentPuritansputuponHester.AndthescarletletterwasalsoatoytoPearl,somethingthatsheenjoyed.Hawthorneusesthescarletlettertodepicthisfeelingsoftheexaggeratedemotionsofthepuritansandtheiroverlydramaticpunishments.Ialsofindthesymbolisminthisnovelisusedquiteskillful.Thetechniqueheusesmakeshisnovelmoreartistic.Ⅰ.AboutHawthorne’swritingskillsFirstly,Hawthornearousesreadersinterestbyintensifyinghissimpleplotthroughatechniqueofpsychologicalcharacterisation.Hawthorneseemstobeinfluencedalotbythesinandevilinhissense.Hebelievesevilexistsinhumanheartallthetime.Forexample,inthenovelTheScarletLetter,theministerDimmesdaletriestopretendhowpureandpiousheis.Hewantstocoveruptheevilinhismind.NotonlyDimmesdalewantstodolikethis,butalsoallthepeopleintheworld,becauseweareonlyhumanbeings.Andtheeviljustlikesamarkwhichexistsinourmindwhenweareborn.Secondly,inHawthorne’smind,peoplewhocommitacrimemustbepunished,becausepeoplecangetexperiencefromthisway.Andalsohesupportspeopletotellthetruthandnottooffend.ThispointisveryimportantbecauseHawth