Nathaniel-Hawthorne-new

SelectedReadingsinAmericanLiterature美国文学选读MaKe-yunForeignLanguagesSchoolShaoxingUniversityMarch1st,2011Email:[e-mail]Mobile:[phone]NathanielHawthorne(1804-1864)NathanielHawthorneHawthornewasbornonJuly4,1804inSalem,Massachusetts,adescendantofajudgeoftheSalemwitchtrials.Hawthorne’sfatherdiedwhenhewasfourandhespentasolitarychildhoodwithhiswidowedandreclusivemother.AttendedBowdoinCollegeinMaine.Hegraduated18thinaclassof38.HemarriedSophiaPeabodyin1842andhadthreechildrenandlivedinConcord,Massachusetts,wherehemetotherwriters.In1850hepublishedTheScarletLetter.BecameafriendtoHermanMelville.Twoyearslaterthisfriendshipended.1853-1857HawthorneservedasUnitedStatesConsulatLiverpoolonappointmentbyhiscollegefriendFranklinPierce,whobecamethefourteenthPresidentoftheUnitedStates.1857-1859helivedinRomeandFlorence.HereturnedtoConcord.Hepublishedseveralmorebooksafterthis.DeathMay19,1864NathanielHawthornediedinhissleeponatripwithFranklinPierce.TheywereinPlymouth,NewHampshire.PrimaryWorksTwice-ToldTales,1837;MossesfromanOldManse,1846;TheScarletLetter,1850;TheHouseofSevenGables,1851;TheBlithedaleRomance,1852;TheLifeofFranklinPierce,1852;TheMarbleFaun,1860;TheCentenaryEditionoftheWorksofHawthorne,18vols.ed.W.Charvatetal.,1962-1987.Hawthorne’scontributionsHawthorneroundsoffthepuritancycleinAmericanwriting---beliefintheexistenceofanactiveevil(thedevil)andinasenseofdeterminism(theconceptofpredestination).Hawthorne'suseofpsychologicalanalysis(pre-Freudian)isofinteresttoday.Inthemesandstyle,Hawthorne'swritingslookaheadtoHenryJames,WilliamFaulkner,andRobertPennWarren.MajorThemesAlienation-acharacterisinastateofisolationbecauseofself-cause,orsocietalcause,oracombinationofboth.Initiation-involvestheattemptsofanalienatedcharactertogetridofhisisolatedcondition.ProblemofSin(Guilt)-acharacter'ssenseofguiltforcedbythepuritanicalheritageorbysociety;alsoguiltvs.innocence.Pride-Hawthornetreatsprideasevil.Heillustratesthefollowingaspectsofprideinvariouscharacters:physicalpride(Robin),spiritualpride(GoodmanBrown,EthanBrand),andintellectualpride(Rappaccini).PuritanNewEngland-usedasabackgroundandsettinginmanytales.Italianbackground-especiallyinTheMarbleFaun.Allegory-Hawthorne'swritingisallegorical,didacticandmoralistic.Otherthemesincludeindividualvs.society,self-fulfillmentvs.accommodationorfrustration,hypocrisyvs.integrity,lovevs.hate,exploitationvs.hurting,andfatevs.freewill.Hawthorne’sArtFirstprofessionalwriter-collegeeducated,familiarwiththegreatEuropeanwriters,andinfluencedbypuritanwriterslikeCottonMather.Hawthornedisplayedaloveforallegoryandsymbol.Hedealtwithtensionsinvolving:lightversusdark;warmthversuscold;faithversusdoubt;heartversusmind;internalversusexternalworlds.Hiswritingisrepresentativeof19thcentury,and,thus,inthemainstreamduetohisuseofnature,itsprimitiveness,andasasourceofinspiration;alsoinhisuseoftheexotic,thegothic,andtheantiquarian.InfluencesonHawthorneSalem-earlychildhood,laterworkattheCustomHouse.Puritanfamilybackground-oneofhisforefatherswasJudgeHathorne,whopresidedovertheSalemwitchcrafttrials,1692.Beliefintheexistenceofthedevil.Beliefindeterminism.TheScarletLetterThemes:Individualvs.Society(Realityvs.Perception)TheScarletLetterisanovelthatdescribesthepsychologicalanguishoftwoprinciplecharacters,HesterPrynneandArthurDimmesdale.Theyarebothsufferingunder,whileattemptingtocometotermswith,theirmutualsinofadulteryinastrictPuritansociety.Ascriticsimmediatelyrecognizeduponpublicationofthenovelin1850,oneofitsprincipalthemesinvolvedconflictbetweentheindividualandsociety.TheMarketPlaceSummaryOnesummermorning200yearsago,everypersonintownispayingcloseattentiontotheprisondoorbecausealocalwomanisbeingheldwithintheprison.ThewomenareparticularlyinterestedinthefateofHesterPrynne.TheprisondooropensandHesterisledout.Sheisholdinganinfant.Aredletter“A”hasbeensewnonhergown.Sheisthenescortedtoascaffoldwhereshemuststandonaplatformasapartofherpunishment.Everyoneinthetownwatchesher,includingherfather.Hesterisashamedasshelooksoutattheseaoffaces.HesterPrynneemergesfromtheprisondoorwithascarlet'A'onherchest.Shewalkstothescaffoldwheresheispubliclycondemnedforcommittingadulteryandgivingbirthtoanillegitimatechild.Hesternoticesamisshapen,olderEnglishmantowardthebackofthecrowd.Hester'sbeauty,humility,anddamagingpridecomethroughinthisdescriptionofherasshewalkstothescaffoldearlyinthenovel.Indemeanorandattitude,sheremindsoneofHawthorne'ssketchoftheAntinomian,AnnHutchinson.WegetadescriptionofthesolemnwayPuritansobserveanyactofpunishment,fromtheexecutionofahardenedcriminaltoachild’swhipping.ThetownspeoplearegatheredtoobserveHesterPrynne’spunishment.Thewomenofthetowngossipastheywait.OnesaysHestershouldhavebeenputtodeathforhersin.AnothersaysthatHester’spunishmentistoolight–simplyaletterAonthebodiceofherdresscouldbeeasilycoveredup.Athirdspectatorscoldsallofthem,sayingsheissureHesterPrynnewillfeelthemarkeveryday.WhenHesterPrynneappearsinthedoorwayoftheprisonwithher3-month-olddaughterinherarms,thewomen’sdisapproval