12.Nathaniel+Hawthorne

NathanielHawthorne1804-1864NathanielHawthorne(1804-1864)Novelistandshortstorywriter,acentralfigureintheAmericanRenaissance.NathanielHawthorne'sbest-knownworksincludeTHESCARLETLETTER(1850)andTHEHOUSEOFTHESEVENGABLES(1851).LikeEdgarAllanPoe,Hawthornetookadarkviewofhumannature.NathanielHawthorne(1804-1864)LifeMajorworksFeaturesofhisworksEvaluationTheScarletLetterLifeHewasborninaprestigiousNewEnglandfamilycloselyrelatedwithPuritanchurch;hisancestorsattendedthepersecutionofpeoplebelongingtodifferentchurches,suchasQuakers.Whenhewasborn,hisfamilydeclined.Hewasawareofhisancestors’smisdeedsandthusblacknessofHawthorneformed.Hethoughtthatthereasonofhisfamily’sdeclineishisancestors’misdeeds.Andhedidn’tagreewiththeoptimismheldbyTranscendentaliststowardshumannature.Hewrotelotsofworksoneverlastingevilsideinhumannature.LifeHegraduatedfromBowdoinCollege.HenryWadsworthLongfellowsandMr.Pierce,the14thAmericanpresidentswerehisclassmates.Aftergraduation,helivedinseclusionandwrote.Laterly,heworkedintheUSCustomHouse.AfterPiercebecamepresident,hewasaskedtobetheconsulinLiverpoolandItaly.MajorworksShortstorycollections:Twice-ToldTales《故事新编》;MosesfromanOldManse《古屋青苔》Novels:TheScarletLetter《红字》;TheHouseofSevenGables《七个尖角阁的房子》;TheBlithedaleRomance《福谷传奇》;TheMarbleFaun《大理石神像》FeaturesofHisWorksA.senseofsinandevil(sinandpunishment)B.tensionbetweenhead(intellect)andheart(emotion)(Hawthorneheldnegativeattitudetowardsscience.Mostly,hisintellectualcharactersarevallains.)C.ambiguity（复义性）D.goodatdepictingpsychologyE.symbolismF.supernaturalelementsG.excellentcraftsmanship(delicatestructure;refinedlanguage)EvaluationAllhislife,Hawthorneseemstobehauntedbyhissenseofsinandevilinlife—“Blackvision”.Evilseemstobeman’sbirthmark.TheHouseoftheSevenGablesisanappallingfictionalversionofHawthorne’sbeliefthatthe“wrong-doingofonegenerationlivesintothesuccessiveones.”OnesourceofevilinHawthorneisoverwhelmingintellect.Hester,Chillingworth,DimmesdaleandPearlarethemajorcharactersappearinTheScarletLetter.OnesalientfeatureofHawthorne’sartishisambiguity.TheScarletLetterA:AdulterytoAbletoAngelCharacters:–HesterPrynne(heroine,attractive,activetowardsthesin)–RogerChillingworth(Hester'shusband,emotionless,onlythinkingaboutrevenge,realvallaininthenovel,signifyingpureintellectwhichwasmercilessinHawthorne'smind)–ArthurDimmesdale(ahandsomeandadmirableyoungpriest,contraditionaryonthesinhemadewithHester,beingabravemanatlast)Theme:(Isthisalovestory?N)Thethemeofthestoryshouldbethemoral,emotionalandpsychologicaleffectsofthesinonpeople.TheScarletLetterTheScarletLetterisaculturalallegory,inwhichtheauthorindirectlytellsthefutureofPuritanism.TheScarletLetterisasampleinwhichAmericanRomanticismadapteditselftoAmericanPuritanism.(BecauseofthestronginfluenceofPuritanisminAmericansociety,Hawthorneonlyexpressedhisideasonthesinindirectlybyemployingsymbolism.)SymbolsinthisnovelTheScarletLetterTheMeteorPearlTheRosebushNexttothePrisonDoorTheScarletLetterThescarletletterismeanttobeasymbolofshame,butinsteaditbecomesapowerfulsymbolofidentitytoHester.Theletter'smeaningshiftsastimepasses.OriginallyintendedtomarkHesterasanadulterer,the“A”eventuallycomestostandfor“Able.”Finally,itbecomesindeterminate:theNativeAmericanswhocometowatchtheElectionDaypageantthinkitmarksherasapersonofimportanceandstatus.LikePearl,theletterfunctionsasaphysicalreminderofHester'saffairwithDimmesdale.But,comparedwithahumanchild,theletterseemsinsignificant,andthushelpstopointouttheultimatemeaninglessnessofthecommunity'ssystemofjudgmentandpunishment.ThechildhasbeensentfromGod,oratleastfromnature,buttheletterismerelyahumancontrivance.Additionally,theinstabilityoftheletter'sapparentmeaningcallsintoquestionsociety'sabilitytousesymbolsforideologicalreinforcement.Moreoftenthannot,asymbolbecomesafocalpointforcriticalanalysisanddebate.TheMeteorAsDimmesdalestandsonthescaffoldwithHesterandPearlinChapterXII,ameteortracesoutan“A”inthenightsky.ToDimmesdale,themeteorimpliesthatheshouldwearamarkofshamejustasHesterdoes.Themeteorisinterpreteddifferentlybytherestofthecommunity,whichthinksthatitstandsfor“Angel”andmarksGovernorWinthrop'sentryintoheaven.But“Angel”isanawkwardreadingofthesymbol.ThePuritanscommonlylookedtosymbolstoconfirmdivinesentiments.Inthisnarrative,however,symbolsaretakentomeanwhatthebeholderwantsthemtomean.Theincidentwiththemeteorobviouslyhighlightsandexemplifiestwodifferentusesofsymbols:Puritanandliterary.PearlAlthoughPearlisacomplexcharacter,herprimaryfunctionwithinthenovelisasasymbol.Pearlisasortoflivingversionofhermother'sscarletletter.Sheisthephysicalconsequenceofsexualsinandtheindicatorofatransgression.Yet,evenasareminderofHester's“sin,”Pearlismorethanamerepunishmenttohermother:sheisalsoablessing.Sherepresentsnotonly“sin”butalsothevitalspiritandpassionthatengenderedthatsin.Thus,Pearl'sexistencegiveshermotherreasontolive,bolsteringherspiritswhensheistemptedtogiveup.ItisonlyafterDimmesdaleisrevealedtobePearl'sfatherthatPearlcanbecomefully“human.”Untilthen,shefunctionsinasymboliccapacityasthe