Lecture 7-The Scarlet Letter

NathanielHawthorne纳撒尼尔·霍桑(1804-1864)HislifeHisliteraryAchievementsTextualAnalysisBiographicalIntroductionBornin1804inSalem,Massachusetts.HewasadescendantofalonglineofPuritanancestorsincludingJohnHathorne,apresidingmagistrateintheSalemwitchtrialsin1692.(塞勒姆女巫审判案)Hawthorne’splaceofbirthSalem,BirthplaceofNathanielHawthorneBoston,SettingofTheScarletLetterCollege1821-1825AttendedBowdoinCollegein1821;Friends:-futurepoetHenryWadsworthLongfellow-FranklinPiercewhobecamethe14thPresidentofTheUnitedStates.Hawthornewashiredin1839asaweigherandgaugerattheBostonCustomHouse.SalemCustomHousewhereHawthorneworkedHejoinedthetranscendentalistutopiancommunityatBrookFarmin1841;Thisutopianexperimentaimedtopromoteeconomicself-sufficiencyandtranscendentalistprinciples.HislaterworksshowsomeTranscendentalistinfluence,includingabeliefinindividualchoiceandconsequence,andanemphasisonsymbolism.In1852,hewrotethecampaignbiographyofhisoldfriendFranklinPierce.WithPierce’selectionasPresident,Hawthornewasrewardedin1853withthepositionofUnitedStatesconsulinLiverpool.In1857,hisappointmentended;Hediedin1864,afewyearsafterreturningtoAmerica.MajorWorksShortstoriesI1.CollectionsTwice-ToldTales《故事重述》1837MossesfromanoldManse《古宅青苔》1846TheSnow-Image,andOtherTwice-ToldTales1852《雪人和其他重讲一遍的故事》ShortstoriesII2.SingleworksTheBirth-Mark《胎记》(1843)Rappaccini’sDaughter《拉帕奇尼的女儿》(1844)MyKinsman,MajorMolineux《我的亲戚莫里诺少校》(1832)TheMinister’sBlackVeil《教长的黑面纱》(1836)YoungGoodmanBrown《好小伙子布朗》(1835)ShortstoriesIIIMuchofHawthorne’sworkissetincolonialNewEngland,andmanyofhisshortstorieshavebeenreadasmoralallegoriesinfluencedbyhisPuritanbackground.MajorWorksNovelsTheScarletLetter《红字》1850TheHouseoftheSevenGables《带有七个尖角阁的房子》1851BlithedaleRomance《福谷传奇》1852TheMarbleFaun《玉石雕像》1860MajorThemesofHisWorksSinandEvilAlienation-acharacterisinastateofisolationbecauseofself-cause,orsocietalcause,oracombinationofboth.PuritanNewEngland-usedasabackgroundandsettinginmanytales.Otherthemesincludeindividualvs.society,self-fulfillmentvs.frustration,hypocrisyvs.integrity,lovevs.hate,andfatevs.freewill,etc.Aestheticideas(1)Hetookagreatinterestinhistoryandantiquity.Tohimthesefurnishthesoilonwhichhismindgrowstofruition(fulfill).Trying“toconnectabygonetimewiththeveryPresent”,hemakesthedreamstrangethingslookliketruth.Aestheticideas(2)HewasconvincedthatromancewasthebestformtodescribeAmerica.thepovertyofmaterialsromancesratherthannovelsallowhimtoavoidoffendingthePuritantasteTotellthetruthandsatirizeandyetnottooffend:ThatwaswhatHawthornetriestoachieve.Astyle–typicalromanticwriteramanofliterarycraftsmanship，extraordinaryintheuseofsymbolThesymbolservesasaweapontoattackreality.Itcanbefoundeverywhereinhiswritingtheuseofambiguityrevelationofcharacters’psychologytokeepthereaderintheworldofuncertainty–multiplepointofviewtheuseofsupernaturalBeliefinexistenceofdevilanddeterminismSetting:TheScarletLetterPlace:PuritanBostonTime:themid-17thcenturyThecentralscaffoldscenesaresetinthemarketplace.LikeotherPuritansettlementsinNewEngland,thelocalandcolonialgovernmentsweretheocracies.Atheocracyisagovernmentwherethecivillawsarebased(inwholeorinpart)onreligiouslaws;civilleadersintheocraciesareprobablyalsoimportantreligiousleadersFirstScaffoldsceneHesterPrynne’shusband,ascholarsentheraheadtoAmerica,butheneverarrivedinBoston.Whilewaitingforherhusband,Hesterhasapparentlyhadanaffair,asshehasgivenbirthtoachild,Pearl.Shewillnotrevealherlover’sidentity.Asaresult,shehastowearthescarletletterA,whichstandsforadultery,asherpunishmentforhersinandhersecrecy.OnthisdayHesterisledtothetownscaffoldandharanguedbythetownfathers,includingtherespectedministerArthurDimmesdale,butsheagainrefusestoidentifyherchild’sfather.FirstScaffoldsceneHesterstandsonascaffoldbeforetheentiretown.Hester’smissinghusband,whoisnowpracticingmedicineandcallinghimselfRogerChillingworth,arrivesandseeseverything.HesettlesinBoston,intentonrevenge.HerevealshistrueidentitytonoonebutHester,whomhehassworntosecrecy.SecondscaffoldsceneSeveralyearspass.Hestersupportsherselfbyworkingasaseamstress(女裁缝).Shunnedbythecommunity,shelivesinasmallcottageontheoutskirtsofBostonwithPearl.Hesterworkshardtohelpotherpeopletoreleasehercrime.SecondscaffoldsceneHester’scharitabledeedsandquiethumilityhaveearnedherareprievefromthescornofthecommunity.Peoplewouldliketoconsiderherasawarmheartedandkindlywoman.ThesymbolicmeaningoftheAhastransferredfromthemeaningofadulterytoabilitygradually.Dimmesdale,however,appearstobewastingawayandsuffersfrommysterioushearttrouble,seeminglycausedbypsychologicaldistress.SecondscaffoldsceneChillingworthmovesinwithhimsothathecanprovidehispatientwithround-the-clockcare.Chillingworthalsosuspectsthattheremaybeaconnectionbetweentheminister’stormentsandHester’ssecret,andhebeginstotestDimmesdaletoseewhathecanlearn.Oneafternoon,whiletheministersleeps,Chillingworthdiscoversamarkontheman’sbreast,whichconvinceshimthathissuspicionsarecorrect.SecondscaffoldsceneOnenight,whenPearlisaboutsevenyearsold,sheandhermotherencounterDimmesdaleatopt