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ThescarletroseblossomonthehumanitysoilTheScarletLetter(,1850)writtenbyNathanielHawthorne,tellsthetragiclovestorybetweenHesterPrynneandDimmesdale,whichtakesplaceinthe17thcenturyPuritanBoston.NathanielHawthorneisaworld-knownAmericanromanticnovelistwhoseworksoftenusesymbolismandoftenhavemoralmessagesandpsychologicalcomplexity.Likemanyofhisothercompositions,TheScarletLettercentersontheinherentsinandevilofhumanity.Throughnarratingthecharacter’sfortune,itrevealsthecrueltyofthesociallaws,thedeceptiveaspectofthereligionandthehypocrisyofthemoralinthe19thwhenAmericancapitalismenjoyedaboom.ThestoryunfoldsatthepointviewofHester.TheheroineHesterPrynnemarriedDr.Chillingworth,buttherewasnolovebetweenthemandChillingworthdisappearedforyears.Duringthistime,lonelyHestercommittedadulterywithalocalMinsterDimmesdaleandgavebirthtotheirdaughterPearl.Hesterwaspunishedinpublic,beingforcedtowearascarletletterof‘A’whichreferredtoadultery.Despitethis,Hesterrefusedtogiveherlover’snameawaytoprotecthim.Atthesametime,thehusbandChillingworthcamebackandsworetorevengefortheshame.Hidinghisowntruename,hefoundoutthetruthstepbystep.Inthiscourse,hetormentedDimmesdalementally,leadingtoDimmesdale’sadmissionontheidentityofPearl’sfather,andalsohisdeath.Chillingworthhimselfpassedawaysoonafterbecausehepossessednothingexcepthatred.Differingfromthosemalecharacters,althoughHesterwastreatedunfairly,sheovercomediscriminationsandwonthecitizens’respectforhertenacity,kindnessanddiligence,transportingthemeaningoftheworldinto“able”and“angle”.Atlast,HesterchosetobeburiedwithherloverDimmesdale,leaving“Blackland,aredAword”onthetombstone.”HawthorneisabsolutelyamasterinFormalism,includingrepeatedimages,contrastivecolors,andsetsofwords.Allofthemtakeshapeimpliedmeanings,whichmakethepassageprofoundandveiled.Amongalloftheimages,theletterAisthemostsignificantone.Themeaningofthelettershiftswiththetimegoingby.Inchapter1andchapter2,itrepresentsakindofpunishmentofthereligioussocietyfordisgrace.Inthemiddlepartofthenovel,AbecomesthesymbolofHester’svirtues:“Thereglimmeredtheembroideredletter,withcomfortinitsunearthlyray.Elsewherethetokenofsin,itwasthetaperofthesick-chamber”“TheysaidthatitmeantAble;sostrongwasHesterPrynne,withawomen’sstrength.”(p141chapter13)Atthelatterstage,thetokenofAgoesfurther.Itispromotedtoagoddessfigure.Theemphasisisnolongonhercapacity,butonherelevatedspirits.AlongsidetheletterA,therearemanyimagesusedinthecomposition.Forexample,atthebeginning,itwasHesterwhowalksuptheguillotinetoaccepttheworldlyjudgment,whileatlastitisDimmesdalewhowalksuptheguillotinetoacknowledgehisguiltyandacceptspiritualjudgment.Theguillotineestablishesherignominyfirstandproclaimshissalvationlastly.Intheendingsentence:“Blackland,aredAword”onthetombstone.”Thecolorsofblackandwhiteformpairofcontrastandthetwocolorsrunthroughthecomposition.“suchunsightlyvegetation,whichevidentlyfoundsomethingcongenialinthesoilthathadsoearlybornetheblackflowerofcivilizedsociety,aprison.Butnoonesideoftheportal,androotedalmostatthethreshold,wasawildrose-bush.“(p39-40)TheGreatWhoreinRevelationisdressedinscarlet,ridingascarletbeast.Thecolorscarlet,intheBiblealsosymbolizesguilt.Theprisonisblack,whichbuildsagloomyatmosphereandindicatestheinjusticeoftheprison.ThecolorofDimmesdale’scapeisblacktoo,underwhichisthescarletletter,hisbiggestsecret.Theconcealmentoftheguilt(blackandscarlet)createshugepain.Repetitivewordsbringabouttheintensefeelingofoppression,addingtowordsexpressiveforce.Hewillbeknownemergesmanytimes,fromcitizensorfromChiligworth,easilybeingassociatingwithahiddensnakewhichlivesonthedarksecrets.What’smore,thebookalsoreflectsauthor’scomplexattitudeandconsiderationonreligion.NathanielHawthorneisborninaPuritanismfamily,leadingtohisearlyresearchofPuritanism.However,heisnotacompletelyPuritan.Hekeepshisdoubtandconfusiontowardsthisreligion.Inhisage,thePuritanismwenttotheextremes.TheypersecutedpeoplewhobelievedindifferentreligionsandoppressedthehumanityunderthebannerofGod.FromtheHester’srebellionagainstthePuritandogmasandthesufferingsDimmesdaleundergone,wecaninferhisstrongcriticism,butmeanwhilehetrustsreligioussuperstitions,notgettingridofsuchconceptslike“originsin”,“salvation”“determinedfate”.Hesingsforthepowerofthereligiontopurifypeople.Forexample,Hester,thisbravetenaciouswoman,sometimesalsofeelsafraid,upset,worried.SheturnstoGodforspiritualrelivemorethanonetime.Thebeliefwarnshertokeepthegoodness.NathanielHawthorneusesmultipleliteraldecorationstorevealthepsychologicalstateofthecharacters,tomoldtheirpersonalities,toshowtheirvirtuesandvices.Whatismorevaluableishisexplorationabouthumanity.TheScarletLetterisconfessionandsalvationofguiltypeoplewithpuresoul,thosewhoblossomthebeautifulroseintheirlife.Thescarletroseblossomonthehumanitysoil辛宇160144179电子信息