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1TheSymbolisminTheScarletLetterAbstractNathanielHawthorne’suniquegiftwasforthecreationofstronglysymbolicstorieswhichtouchthedeepestrootsofman’smoralnature.ThefinestexampleistherecreationofTheScarletLetter.ItisarepresentativeoneofhisidealandartisticstyleandisregardedasthefirstAmericansymbolicfictionandisoneofthefewbooksthatisremarkable,becauseitdealswithalienation,sin,punishment,andguilt,ortheemotionsthatwillcontinuetobefeltbyeverygeneration.Thescarletletter“A”,whichcoversthroughthewholenovel,wasgivenavarietyofsymbolicmeanings.Heexpressedhisfeelings,emotions,willandconceptthroughthescarletletter”A”,somenaturalscenery,andsomeofthemajorcharacters.Theuseofsymbolismgivesromanticthoughtsandgreatsubjectiveidealstoreaders.Thispaperresearchesthesymbolisminthenovelfromthefollowingaspects:thechangingsymbolicmeaningofthescarletletter“A”,thecolors,prison,theforest,thenamesofthemajorcharactersdescribedinthenoveltomakethesymbolismcleartothereader.Keywords:TheScarletLetter,symbolism,sin摘要霍桑创作象征主义小说的独特天赋触及人类的道德的最深根源，其代表作是《红字》。它也是最能代表其思想和艺术风格的杰出作品，被视为美国第一部象征主义小说。它是少数卓有建树的作品之一，因为它涉及疏远，罪恶，惩罚及内疚，或是那种使一代一代人们所感受的感情。在《红字》中那个牵动着读者内心的鲜红字母“A”贯穿全篇，并被作家赋予了丰富的象征涵义。霍桑通过鲜红的字母“A”，通过大自然中的一些景象，表达出了自己的某些感觉、情思、意志和观念，使作品充满了丰富的浪漫主义想象和强烈的主观色彩。本文主要从以下几方面研究《红字》中的象征主义:红色字母A、颜色、监狱、森林的象征意义在文中做出阐述。关键词:红字象征意义罪恶2ⅠIntroductionNathanielHawthorneisconsideredtobethefirstgreatestAmericanfictionwriterandhisgreatestsymboliccontributionisTheScarletLetter,whichisregardedasthefirstsymbolicnovelintheAmericanliterature.Inthenovel,eachword,image,andeventworkstowardasingleeffect.Itisacomplexstoryofguiltandsin.Hawthornetrieseverybittoshowthesymbolicmeaningsofthescarletletter“A”,thenaturalscenerysuchastheforestandtherosebush,andsomeofthemajorcharacterslikeHester,Dimmesdale,Chillingworth,andespeciallyPearlforinstance.Hisskillfuluseofsymbolismgivesartisticeffecttohisworkingreatextent.1.1.TheMainIdeaoftheBookThestorybeginsintheseventeenthcenturyBoston.Ayoungwoman,namedHesterPrynne,isgiventhePuritanwayofpunishmentforthesinofadultery.Shewearsascarletletterwhichstandsfordisgraceonherchest.Twoyearsago,sheissentaloneacrosstheoceanbyherhusband;however,herhusbanddidnotshowupthereafter.Whilewaiting,Hesterfallsinlovewithayounglocalministerandtheycommitadulterysecretly.ThesecretisfinallydiscoveredbecauseofHester’spregnancy.Hesterrefusestotellthenameofthefatherevenwhensheisaskedtostandonthescaffold.Andshechoosestobearalltheshameandpunishmentherself.However,thestorydoesnotgoonlikethis.Hester’shusband,RogerChillingworthappearsandtriestotakerevengeontheadulterer.Intheend,ArthurDimmesdale,thelocalminister,confesseshissinanddies.Hesterthenlivesaloneinhercottagefarawayfromthecitybyherself.TheheroineHester,inthenovel,breaksuptheunfortunatechainofmarriageinthepursuitofhappinessandtruelove.Heractioncannotbeacceptedamongthecommunityandthatiswhysheistreatedbadlybythetownspeople.Incontrast,Hesterherselfdoesnotseethescarletletter“A”asadisgracefulsignbutasilentresistance.1.2.ThewordsymbolanditsmeaninginTheScarletLetterThecommondefinitionsaysthatasymbolisasignortokenofsomething.Alion,forinstance,isasymbolofcourage.ThebaldeagleisasymbolofAmerica.Inliterature,mattersarealittlemorecomplicated.Symbolisminliteratureisthedeepandhidden3meaninginapieceofwork.Itisoftenusedtorepresentamoralorreligiousbelieforvalue.Writerstrytousesymbolismtoenrichsymbolicfigurestorevealthehiddenheart,toexpresstheirinnerfeelings,andtoexposethesocialrootsthatcausingharmtopeople.Wecansimplyputsymbolismasawaytoexpresstheemotionsbyusingsolidthingstotellthesymbolicmeanings.InhisrepresentativeworkTheScarletLetter,symbolismhasbeenfullymanifested.ⅡDifferentSymbolsUsedintheNovel2.1.ThechangesofthesymbolicmeaningoftheScarletLetter“A”Thechiefsymbolinthenovelisthescarletletter“A”,whichhasvariousmeaningsforeachcharacter.ToHester,the“A”isamarkofunjusthumiliation,whilethePuritancommunityseestheopposite.Hesterendurestheunjustpunishmentofstandingonthescaffoldatnooninpublicviewandtheshameofwearingthescarletletter“A”,whichsymbolizesbeingsinful.Dimmesdaleregardsthe“A”asareminderofhisun-confessedsinanditpusheshimtotorturehimselfbothphysicallyandmentally.ToChillingworth,the“A”representstheshamethathiswifeisbeingguiltyofthesinofadulteryandtheeagernesstotakerevengetotheadulterer.ThenforPearl,whoisthemostcomplexcharacter,the“A”arouseshergreatcuriosityasitsymbolizesherexistenceandthemeaningbeneathit.Incontrasttothescarletletter“A”,Pearlmakesan“A”outofgreenseaweedwhichrepresentspurityandinnocence.Thescarletletter“A”alsochangesitsmeaningwiththeprogressoftheplots.The“A”firstappearstobeasymbolofadultery,beingaloneandalienation,andfinallychangesitsmeaningintobeingableandadmirable.2.1.1AdulteryTheoriginalmeaningofthescarletletter“A”isHester’sadulteryagainstherhusbandRogerChillingworth.ThestorybeginswiththescenethatHesterstandsonthescaffoldwiththe“A”onherchest,anditisthePuritanwayofpunishmentforthecrimeofadultery.Hester’sbehaviorisdisgracefulandsheislookeddownuponbyothersasifsheisadevilfromthehellthatcommitsaterriblecrime.Hesterisashamedofhersin,but4shedecide