ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The completion of this thesis would not have been possible without the encouragement, the guidance, and the support of many other people. First of all, I would extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to my supervisor Professor Liu Yang, who has given me valuable suggestions and insightful comments in the thesis writing. He has also spent much time going through brainstorming with me, put my work on the right track, read in great details every draft of every section of this thesis, and helped improve the appropriateness of English used. My gratitude to Professor Liu Yang knows no bound.
Special thanks also go to my family for their unfailing support and love throughout my university study.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Abstract（in English） …………………………………………………………………1 Abstract（in Chinese）…………………………………………………………………1 I．Introduction…………………………………………………………………………1 1.1 The Brief Introduction of the Story………………………………………………2 1.2 An Introduction to the Author……………………………………………………2 1. 2.1 The Author’s Growth and Main Works………………………………………2 1.2.2 The Fame of the Author……………………………………………………….3 1.3 Background………………………………………………………………………3 1.3.1 Social Background of the 17th Century………………………………………3 1.3.2 The Puritanism in America……………………………………………………4 II.Symbolism…………………………………………………………………………..4 2.1 The Definition of Symbolism…………………………………………………….4 2.2 The Form of Symbolism………………………………………………………….4 III. The Use of Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter……………………………………....5 3.1 Different Meanings of the Scarlet Letter “A”…………………………………....5 3.2 Symbolism Names of Characters………………………………………………...7 3.2.1 Hester Prynne…………………………………………………………………7 3.2.2 Pearl…………………………………………………………………………...8 3.2.3 Roger Chillingworth…………………………………………………………..9 3.2.4 Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale………………………………………………...9 3.3 Symbolic Natural Environment and Objects Described in the Novel…………..10 3.3.1 Red Bird……………………………………………………………………..10 3.3.2 Light and Darkness…………………………………………………………..10 3.3.3 Prison and scaffold…………………………………………………………..11 3.3.4 The Forest and the Stream…………………………………………………...12
IV. The Influence of Symbolism in America Literature……………………………..12 V．Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..12 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………14 DECLARATION
Hawthorne and the Use of Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter
Abstract：Nathaniel Hawthorne is a great romantic novelist as well as distinguished forerunner of symbolism in the nineteenth century in America. The Scarlet Letter is American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous work. Hawthorne’s symbolism usage was displayed so well, that it makes the Scarlet Letter known all around the world. It is regard as the first symbolic novel in American literature because of the ingenious using of symbolism. This thesis mainly concentrates on symbolism. The novel revolves around one major symbol the scarlet letter. Besides, some other environments that are described in the novel have their symbolic meaning. At the same time, the instruction to the author’s growth and his own major works. The influence of this novel on Romance period，and the author’s use of symbolism.
Key words: The scarlet letter; symbolism; Nathaniel Hawthorne; the use of symbolism
摘要:霍桑是一位伟大的浪漫主义小说家，同时也十九世纪杰出的象征主义先驱。《红字》是美国作家霍桑的第一部作品，作者的象征手法贯穿始终无处不在，这也是霍桑《红字》誉满全球的原因。《红字》象征手法中的独具匠心，因此它被称为美国文学史上第一部象征主义小说。这片论文主要集中于象征主义，小说围绕红字“A”的象征展开描写，除了“A”小说中的环境也有象征性，此为，四个主要人物的名字也有象征性，海斯特，丁梅斯代尔，齐林渥斯，珠儿。同时，对作者的生平和主要作品，以及《红字》对浪漫主义文学的影响，作者，宗教背景的介绍，使我们能更好的了解象征主义的运用。 关键词：红字;象征主义;霍桑;象征主义的运用
I. Introduction
This research mainly deals with the use of symbolism of in the Scarlet Letter .I will introduce the novel and author to you. 1.1 The Brief Introduction of the story
The scarlet letter is considered as Hawthorne’s most famous novel. The story begins in seventeenth-century Boston, Massachusetts, which is under Puritan
0
command. A young woman, named Hester Prynne, is sent ahead to America by her husband---an old and ugly scholar. However, for many years, he himself doesn’t arrive. The consensus is that he has been lost in the sea. While waiting for her husband, Hester and a young local minister called Arthur Dimmesdale who is a devout famous priest, fall in love with each other. They commit adultery secretly. As the result of this, Hester becomes pregnant and when the government finds out, a child is born, and on the day Hester is publicly humiliated and made to wear a scarlet letter throughout her life time. Roger Prynne, whose ship was supposed to have been destroyed in a storm with no survivors, appears in the village. Hester’s missing husband, who is now practicing medicine and calling himself Roger Chillingworth. Hester refuses to tell the name of her lover and Chillingworth does not press her stating that he will find out anyway. A promise from her is to keep his true identity as Hester’s husband. The doctor is now driven by the idea to find out who was Hester's lover and destroy his life, as well as the life of Hester.
Hester’s daughter, Pearl, was baptized by Arthur Dimmesdale, the parishioner who was actually the baby’s father. Several years pass, Hester support herself by working as a seamstress, and her daughter, pearl, grows in a willful, impish child .Shunned by the community, they live in a small cottage on the outskirts of Boston. Chillingworth finds out Hester’s lover. He begins to revenge him. Dimmensdale’s psychological anguish deepens, and he invents new tortures for himself. When Pearl is about seven years old, she and her mother are returning home from a visit to the death of John Win mop .when they encounter Dimmesdale, trying to punish himself for his sins. Hester and Pearl join him. Hester can see that the minister’s condition is worsening. Hester informs him of the true identity of Chillingworth. The former lovers decide to Europe, where they can live with Pearl as family. They will take a ship sailing from Boston in four days. Both feel a sense of release and joy.
The day before the ship is to sail, the townspeople gather for a holiday put on in honor of an election and Dimmesdale preaches his most eloquent sermon. He impulsively mounts the scaffold with his lover and his daughter, and confesses publicly, exposing the mark supposedly sears into the flesh of his chest. He falls dead
1
after Pearl kisses him. Frustrated in his revenge, Chillingworth dies a year later. In the end, Hester regained her dignity and even respect from the community. In this novel, Hawthorne deals with the theme of sin and guilt. Just through describing Hester’s sorrowful fate, it severely criticizes the injustice and cruelty of the Puritan way of life. 1.2 An Introduction to the Author
1. 2.1 The Author’s Growth and Main Works
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1,804-1,864) was one of the most influential Romantic novelists in America in the 19th century. Hawthorne was born in New England declined aristocratic family in 1804. After family sincerely believed in the Christianity Puritanism, Hawthorne’s thoughts and creation was enormously influenced by his grandfather’s strong religious atmosphere and the intense religious sect struggle as well the as Hawthorne family’s traditional religion. He liked the literary arts since childhood, when he graduated from the university; he accepted a custom office position, later affected by the French utopian socialism, making implementation utopian socialism plan in Bucker farm. Hawthorne took a gloomy view of human nature.
He did publish one novel, Fanshawe (1928), beginning with what was generally considered his masterpiece , The Scarlet Letter (1850), he followed with The House of Seven Gabler(1851), in 1853 Hawthorne went to Italy , which became the background of his last completed novel ,The Marble Favn, written in 1860. On May 19th, 1846, he died in his sleep in Plymouth New Harnpshire. 1.2.2 The Fame of the Author
Most of his works were based on the history of New England where used to be colony, they show Hawthorne’s perplexing thinking and incompatible nature. On one hand, he believed the original sin. On the other hand, he experienced frantic, peremptoriness and hypocrisy of Calvinism; he believed there are some super strong powers in the world while he was controlled by religious order. He was good at analyzing the inner incompatible train. Using symbolism, he often understood deeply about inner meaning than other writers (Cheng). 1.3 Background
2
Hawthorne’s views on man and human history originate, to a great extent, in Puritanism. He is with the puritan world or society as a historical background. 1.3.1 Social Background of the 17th Century
In 17th century Boston everything was very strict and everyone was expected to follow the law religion seemed to govern over all, people could look up to reverends and the community believed the fate was their destiny. Puritans believed that there was a stern god who had decreed in advance the fate of each person in god’s eyes. Therefore, there were not much people who felt they could do to become a better person in god’s eyes but do his biding with their jobs. Woman still have some rights. 1.3.2 The Puritanism in America
No matter in what age or country, Hawthorne’s characters is puritans. Puritans were a group of religious reformers who arrived in Massachusetts in the 1630s under the leadership of John Winthrop. Like the pilgrims, they were mostly middle-class folk, although some high born gentlemen joined them. Hawthorne felt ashamed for his ancestor’s deeds, and that he saw them and the puritans’ society as a whole with critical eyes, so both open and subtle sarcasm of the puritan’s practices was applied throughout the novel. The puritan setting also enabled him to portray the human soul under extreme-pressures. It’s very strict, the woman couldn’t smile on the street, and children couldn’t play.
II Symbolism
2.1 The Definition of Symbolism
The symbolism is the use of symbols to represent things, esp. in art and literature, the symbols thus used. An art style developed in the late 19th century characterized by the incorporation of symbols and ideas. Usually spiritual or mystical in nature, which was represented the inner life of people. Symbolism is a 19th-century movement in which art became infused with exaggerated sensitivity and a spooky mysticism. Influenced by the connections between music and poetry, it sought to achieve the effects of images and metaphors to symbolize the basic idea or emotion of each poem. Symbolism is traditionally a sign or token of something. In the matter of literature, the definition of literary device, Symbolism is more complicated symbols of literature are usually metaphysical.
2.2 The Form of Symbolism
3
Symbolist movement was a movement in literature and the visual arts that originated in France in the later 19th century. In literature, symbolism was an aesthetic movement that encouraged writers to express their ideas, feelings, and values by means of symbols of suggestions rather than by direct statements. Symbolism writers in reaction to earlier 19th-century trends, proclaimed that the imagination was the true interpreter of reality. They also discarded rigid rules of versification and the stereotyped poetic images of their processors, the so-called Parnassians. Important precursors of symbolist poetry were the America writer Edgar Allan Poe and the French poet Gerard de Nerral. The symbolist movement had its beginning in the poetry of Charles Bandelaire, where lets Feurs du mal decadent by his contemporaries. The symbolist movement survived well into the 1890s, in the works of such French poets as Jules Laforgue and Paul Valery, as well as those of writer and critic Rerry de Gourment. From France, symbolism spread worldwide-notably to Russia, where it was evidenced in the work pf the poet .Aleksande Blok-and had great influence on the shaping of 20th century literature.
III. The Use of Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter is pervaded with symbolism. A religion can be described as a language of concepts related to human spiritualism. Symbolism hence is an important aspect of most religions. The interpretation of abstract symbols has had an important role in religion and psychoanalysis.
This novel is full of the religions, most Christian religious symbolism are emblems figures of ideas drawn from the cultures which Christianity has superseded, so that symbols existing in those cultures have been adopted but imbued with Christian meaning.
3.1 Different Meanings of the Scarlet Letter “A”
In the novel the Scarlet Letter capital letter “A” changes its meaning many different times. So it’s ambiguous. This change is significant. It shows grows in characters all the community in which they live. The letter “A” begins as a symbol of sin. It then
4
becomes a symbol of word “Able” “Angel’’ “Admirable”. The letter “A” is the first letter of the word “Adultery”. It is considered as “mark of guilt’’ when it appears at the first time. For Hester commits the crime of adultery, in accordance with the stern puritan laws she is made to stand in the public scaffold with her illegitimate child and to wear the letter “ A” embroidered on her dress. The puritan treatment continues, as Hester continues walks through the streets, he will be looked down upon as if she is some sort of demon from hell that commits a terrible crime. The letter is meant to be worn in shame and to make Hester feel unwanted. Hester is ashamed of her sin, but she could not escape it. Through she is ashamed; she also receives her great treasure Pearl, as her only source of survival. She is a very strong woman to be able to hold up so well against what she must face. Other people will have fled Boston, and seek a place where no one knows of her terrible sin. That Hester chooses to stay there shows a lot of strength and integrity of her.
The Scarlet Letter A also stands for Hester’s lonely life in New England. After she is released, Hester lives in a cottage near the outskirts of the city. Hester’s social life is virtually eliminated as a result of her shameful history.
However, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came to contact, implied, and she often expressed, that she was hashed, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere, or communicated with the common nature by other organs and senses than the rest of human kind. She stood apart from moral interest ….seemed to the sole portion that she retained in the universal heart. (Hawthorne, 1946, p203) Hester has no friends in the world, and little Pearl is the only companion of her lonely life, so the Scarlet Letter “A” is also a symbol of the words “Alone” and “Alienate”.
Later the Scarlet Letter A also stands for Hester’s ability and virtuous hearts. So the Scarlet Letter “A” changes its meaning into being “Able”, “Angel” and “Admirable”. Hester is skillful in her beautiful needlework for the rich allows her to maintain a family lifestyle. She tries her best to help the poor and the sick although she is really poor too.
5
Gradually, people begin to regard Hester as a diligent kindhearted and able woman. “Do you see that woman with the embroidered badge? It is our Hester-the town’s Hester-who is so kind to the poor, so comfortable to the afflicted”. (Hawthorne, 1946, p101) Till now Hester becomes a highly respected person in puritan society by overcoming one of the harshest punishments, the Scarlet Letter. This objects on her bosom. However, does the exact opposite of that which it was meant for. Eventually, Hester invents all the odds against here due to her courage, pride, and effort. Hester went beyond the letter of the law and did everything asked for here in order to prove that she is able. At last, Hester became quite a popular seamstress, admitted all over the town of Boston for her work. The letter “A” meant “Angel’’ in their eyes. The changes in The Scarlet Letter are significant. They show the progressive possession of her sin, her lonely and her ability, Hester is a strong woman who goes through more emotional torture than that of most people goes through in a lifetime. 3.2 Symbolism Names of Characters
The Scarlet Letter is a novel in which lots of symbolism is used. Throughout the novel several characters represent other ideas. 3.2.1 Hester Prynne
One of the most complex and misunderstood characters in the novel is Hester Prynne. The writer gives her much symbolic meaning by giving her this name. Hester sounds like Hastier, Zeus’ sister in Greek mythology, who is a very beautiful goddess and the beauty. “The young woman was tall, a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale. She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam, and a face which, besides being beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion, had the impressiveness belonging to a marked brow and deep black eyes. (霍桑, 1946, p69). Society condemned her for her sin. Without knowing anything else Hester was forced to live alone on the outskirts of the city. She was a seamstress, but got very little business. When she used her skills to decorate the “A”, things only got worse. People felt that she was proud to be. Clearly it was the first invention of the symbol to reveal that Hester Prynne was an adulterness. Hester’s guilt, however, is derived from both Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. Chillingworth married
6
a woman who did not love him, which is one of the causes of Hester’s guilt.
Also, Hester is the homophone of word haste. At first she gets married to Roger Prynne. Not having got the news about her husband who should have arrived by ship from England, she fell in love with Arthur hastily and gave birth to Pearl, for which she was condemned to wear on the breast of her gown the scarlet letter “A”, which stands for adultery. But Hester’s adultery haste is nothing but a very natural thing but to do. 3.2. 2 Pearl
Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne, throughout the story develops into a dynamic symbol-one that is always changing. Pearl was a source of many different kinds of burden, yet lives for Hester. Besides, Pearl is a child of nature, a rose bush and sunshine.
Initially, Pearl symbolizes the shame of Hester’s punishment for adultery. Although Hester has so much trouble with Pearl, she still treats Pearl as her only treasure. Without Pearl, Hester will feel no enjoy in her life. In other aspect, Pearl symbolizes god’s way of punishing Hester for adultery and is readable letter A. If Pearl had never been born, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery. “She is my happiness! She is my torture. Nonetheless Pearl keeps me here in life. Pearl punishes me too!” Pearl is her burden, but Hester loves her deeply. So Pearl is not only her mother’s only treasure, she also her mother’s only source of survival.
Pearl also serve as moral in this novel, the moral she is meant to teach that Hester and Dimmesdale should fully confess their sin and then take responsibility for their sin. The first thing Pearl sees in her infancy is the scarlet letter on her mother’s bosom. As a baby, she even reaches up and touches the letter. That causes her mother intense agony. Later she plays a game she throw flowers to her mother. When she sees the flowers hit the scarlet letter, she jumps around in glee. She also makes her own letter “A” to wear. Finding that Hester removes the scarlet letter from her chest in the forest, Pearl begins to scream and convulse, and then refuses to cross the stream until Hester reattaches the letter. She is really a constant mental and physical minder to Hester of what she was done wrong. With Pearl at her side, Hester will never escape from the
7
punishment of wrong deed.
Pearl is the living letter “A”—Pearl. To Dimmesdale, she is a reminder of his sin. He loved her but much more frightened by her. “I have even been afraid of little pearl” “That this dear child, tripping about always at thy side, hath caused me many an alarm!”(Hawthorne, 1946, p211) Therefore, Pearl like a spirit, gave him happiness but more sadness and unforgiving guilt. To Chilingworth, she is an unforgettable shame and the motivation to take his revenge. Every time he saw her, he thought of the adultery between Hester and Dimmesdale. And in order to save his face and “dignity”, he took his revenge plan and got more and more power from the living letter” A”.
Pearl is also a symbol of rosebush. She symbolizes freedom under the high pressure of society. Pearl is also sunshine, which is the source of life, so in Pearl’s nature, there is nothing but this eternal energy that makes her so impressive. This is just what author wants to bestow on Pearl. 3.2.3 Roger Chillingworth
Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, like the two other main characters, he is both a victim and a sinner. The word “chilling” and “worth” compose the surname chillingworth. Chilling comes from the word “chilly”, which means this man is a merciless avenger. In this novel Chillingworth looks like a gentleman, but the truth is different, he like a devil. The devil can transform himself into an angel of light. (Hu, 1995).
He is a bookworm who spends his best time in libraries, and shows no love to his young wife. It is he who has destroyed Hester’s flower like youth, and indirectly leads to Hester’s tragedy. He used to be a scholar, who dedicates his best years to feed the hungry dream of knowledge, but his new allegiance becomes finding and slowly punishing the man who seduces his wife. He soon becomes obsessed with his new mission in life, he is turning from a victim to a sinner, and Chillingworth is also means that the avenger’s life is worthless. The poor forlorn creative is more wretched than his victim is –the avenger had devoted himself. 3.2.4 Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale
8
Dimmesdale is one of the complex and misunderstood symbols in the book, Dimmesdale’s sin is not adultery but no having the courage to admit that he had adulterated. Therefore he is a “concealed sin”. Dimmensdale’s guilt is filled with mental anguish, and severs as a constant reminder of his sin. He remains silent so that he can continue to do god’s work as a minister.
The word Dimmesdale also has many symbolic meanings. Dim means dark and weak and dale means valley, so the dimdale here is actually a symbol of “dim- interior”. He loves Hester deeply, and he is the father of Pearl, but he can only show his passion for her in the forest of darkness. There is no man who doesn’t sin. (Huxinnian, 1995).
3.3 Symbolic Natural Environment and Objects Described in the Novel.
In The Scarlet Letter, most of the objects and natural environment have many symbolic meanings. 3.3.1 Red Bird
Throughout the entire novel, the symbols had been spread so widely and profoundly. And they give a different meaning to express his view of good and evil. At first, red is
an evil color in the Scarlet Letter, it means sexual desire and lust in our inner heart. When Hester finds herself a house near the forest and takes a walk in it she sees by chance a naked young man swimming in the river nearby. We can see there is a red bird in the bush. The red bird leads Hester to see Dimmesdale taking a bath. So the red bird has its own unique symbolic meaning “evil” “sexual desire”, and the mystical.
3.3.2 Light and Darkness
As the author mentioned earlier, the Scarlet Letter is pervaded with symbolism. Some prominent and complex symbols have already been revealed. However the novel also revolves around two other major symbols: light and darkness.
The novel is filled with light and darkness symbols because they represent the most common battle of all time, good versus evil. When Hester and her daughter are walking in the forest, Pearl exclaims: “Mother, the sunshine does not like you. It runs away and hides itself. Because it is afraid of something on you bosom, Now see!
9
There it is, playing a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it .I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet”. (Hawthorne, 1946, p239) At that time Hester tries to stretch her hand into the circle of light. But the sunshine vanishes. This short scene actually Hester’s daily struggle in her life. The light represents that Hester wants to be, which is pure. The movement of the light represents Hester’s constant denial of acceptance. Hester is lack of surprise and quick suggestion. To go into the forest, where is a dark, show that she never expected to be admitted and is resigned to her station in life? Another way light and darkness is used in symbolism is in the way Hester and Dimmensdale’s plan to escape is doomed. Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the shadows of the forest with a gloomy sky and a threatening storm overhead when they discuss their plans for the future. The gloomy weather and shadows exemplify the fact that they can’t get away from the repressive force of their sins. It is later proven when Dimmesdale dies on the scaffold, instead of leaving with Hester and going to England. A final example occurs in the fact that Hester and Dimmesdale can not acknowledge their love in front of others. When they meet in the woods, feel that “No golden light had ever been as precious as the gloomy of this dark forest”. This emotion foretells that they will never get together openly because their sin has separated them far for from normal life. 3.3.3 Prison and scaffold
The novel begins with the description of the prison “Wooden jail has already marked with weather stains and other indications of age, which gave a yet darker aspect to its beetle browed and gloomy front”. (Hawthorne, 1946, p67)The rusting iron on the prison creates an overall appearance of decay. It symbolizes “the civilization of the society”. In the Scarlet Letter, the scaffold is viewed more as a place of judgment. “Meager…was the sympathy that a transgressor might look for, from such bystanders, at the scaffold…”(Hawthorne, 1946, p68)The twenty-four chapters of The Scarlet Letter are closely knitted together by means of the scaffold scenes that appear three times, almost symmetrically. In the beginning, the middle, and the end of the book, each time bringing the four characters (Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Pearl). Indeed, the prison and the scaffold are the symbols for the
10
puritanical severity of law. It shows the rigorous enforcement of law and the inability to break free of them.
3.3.4 The Forest and the Stream
It is in the forest that Hester and Dimmesdale had met for several times. So the forest also has its symbolic meaning. The forest represents love or wildness where the strict puritanical moral code. But rather tries to live in a place of limbo between the moral and immoral universe simultaneously. The stream in the forest also has its special meaning. In the chapter nineteen, pearl refuses to cross the stream on the other side of the boundary, even though her parents think they can run away. “I have a strange fancy, that this brook is the boundary of two worlds-the child and the parents! And it shows that the two lovers never really meet their daughter.
IV．The Influence of Symbolism in America Literature
The Scarlet Letter is one of the most famous works in the world, and it exerts a very important influence in America literature. In literature, “symbolism’’ may refer to the use of abstract concepts, as a way to obfuscate any literal interpretation, or to allow for the broader applicability of the prose to meanings beyond what may be literally described.
Before Hawthorne, there were some writers to show the short story, but only arrived. Hawthorne, the novel just had the magic of miraculous sort. He was leaved this precious art will have the value forever. (毛鑫德，1998). In the English speaking world, the closest counterparts to symbolism was aestheticism, the Pre-Raphaelites, also, were contemporaries of the earlier symbolists, and have much in common with them. Symbolism had a significant influence on modernism and its traces can be seen in a number of modernist artists, including Wallace Stevens, Conrad Aiken, Hart Crane, and William Butler Yeats in the Anglophone tradition. The early poems of Guillaume Apollinaire have strong affinities with symbolism.
V．Conclusion
In closing, one of the most important reasons that The Scarlet Letter is so well known is the way Hawthorne leaves the novel open to be interpreted several different
11
ways by his abundant use of symbolism. This background has a believable plot, convincing characterization, and important literary devices. The theme is beneficial because it can be put into term in today’s world. The Scarlet Letter is one of the few books that will be timeless, because it deals with alienation, sin, punishment, and guilt, emotions that will continue to be felt by every generation to come. At the same time, though the tragic love between Hester and Dimmesdale, Hawthorne gives us the deep meaningful lesson. Marriage should be based on pure love with aim to make both men and women feel happy in their relationship. So Hawthorne is no doubt a quite famous symbolist. In the Scarlet Letter, the abundant and unique symbolism has a great influence on the theme of the novel. This eventually leads to different interpretations of the novel, which though sometimes caused differently to the reader, helps a lot in making this novel. Hawthorne’s masterpiece and a rewarding work to read even today. Hopefully, this thesis will help, to some extent, some confused readers of The Scarlet Letter to develop a better understanding of Hawthorne’s novel.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hawthorne, the Scarlet Letter. (1992) [N]. Wordsworth Editions Ltd press. Claudia Durst Johnson, ( 2008) Women's issues in Nathaniel.
Chang YaoXing, (1998). The History of American Literature. TianJing.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, (2001) The Scarlet Letter, Translate. WangHuiJun and Others.
YiLi: YiLi People’s Press.
Hawthorne, (1946) the Scarlet Letter. The continental Book Company, Stockholm. 亨利·詹姆斯.霍桑及其《红字》[A].智量.外国文学名家论名家[C].上海:华东师范大学出版社,1985.
董琦琦.论《红字》中异质文化的独特 太原师范学院学报，2004. 翟士钊.简论《红字》的主人公 [J].河南大学学报, 1991年05期. 尼尔,霍桑. 红字 (5000词床头灯英语学习读本). 航空工业出版社,2000. 王丽丽.王向辉.浅谈《红字》中珠儿形象的作用 [J].山东大学学报(社会科学版),1995年03期.
12
李淑萍.论海斯特.白兰的性格发展 [J].外国文学研究,1995年04期.
苑望 ,张滨生.试论《红字》思想内容 [J].黑龙江教育学院学报,1995年02期. 程树华.《红字》女性认识的新认识 [J].新疆师范大学学报(哲学社会科学版), 1997年02期.
张军.论海斯特的反抗精神与她联系在一起的红色 “A”字 [J].学术交 流,1999.
王奇.改写《红字》. [N].上海人民美术出版社，2006.
附件1:开题报告
贵州师范大学本科毕业论文(设计)开题报告
学院：外国语学院 专业：英语 级别：2008级 英文 课题名称 中文 学生 龙淼 姓名 霍桑与《红字》象征手法的运用 学号 080501010056 指导教刘杨 师姓名 职称 副教授 学位 Hawthorne And The Use of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter 开题报告内容（英语专业学生用英语撰写）： 1.Purpose/研究目的 This paper through analyzing Hawthorne and the use of symbols in the Scarlet Letter to show the Author’s Growth and Main Works, the Fame of the Author, and different symbolism meaning in the Scarlet Letter. 2.Contents/研究内容 This paper presents the brief introduction of the author. The different symbols of Scarlet Letter “A”, Symbolism Names of Characters, Symbolic Natural Environment and Objects Described in the Novel and their functions in America literature. 3.significance/研究意义 The research takes an analysis on the author and different symbols. Such as, red bird, light and darkness, prison and scaffold, the forest and the stream. It shows the symbols are just like the cells of the novel, which connects with the work closely. The research helps to learn more about the significant meaning of symbols. 13
4. Approach and methodology/研究方法 Library Research The Secondary Research 5. Work plan/工作计划 Internet Research 1）二零一一年八月十五日到九月十五日 ：收集资料，分析资料； 2）九月十五日到十二月三十日：完成论文初稿； 3）二零一二年一月份：提交初稿，在指导教师的指导下完成论文一稿； 4）二月份：在指导教师的指导下完成论文二稿； 5）三月份：在指导教师的指导下完成论文三稿； 6）四月份：在指导教师的指导下完成论文终稿； 7）四月二十七：论文答辩。 6. Outline/论文提纲 Abstract（in English） Abstract（in Chinese） I．Introduction 1.1 The Brief Introduction of the Story 1.2 An Introduction to the Author 1. 2.1 The Author’s Growth and Main Works 1.2.2 The Fame of the Author 1.3 Background 1.3.1 Social Background of the 17th Century 1.3.2 The Puritanism in America II. Symbolism 2.1 The Definition of Symbolism 2.2 The Form of Symbolism III. The Use of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter 3.1 Different Meanings of The Scarlet Letter “A” 3.2 Symbolism Names of Characters 3.2.1 Hester Prynne 3.2. 2 Pearl 3.2.3 Roger Chillingworth 3.2.4 Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale 3.3 Symbolic Natural Environment and Objects Described in the Novel 3.3.1 Red Bird 3.3.2 Light and Darkness 3.3.3 Prison and scaffold 3.3.4 The Forest and the Stream IV．The Influence of Symbolism in America Literature V．Conclusion 14
7. References/参考文献 Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter [N]. Wordsworth Editions Ltd press, 1992. Claudia Durst Johnson. Women's issues in Nathaniel .2008 Chang Yao Xing. The History of American Literature. TianJing: 1998. Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. Translate. WangHuiJun and Others. YiLi: YiLi People’s Press, 2001 亨利·詹姆斯.霍桑及其《红字》[A].智量.外国文学名家论名家[C].上海:华东师范大学出版社,1985. 董琦琦. 论《红字》中异质文化的独特 .太原师范学院学报，2004. 翟士钊.简论《红字》的主人公 [J].河南大学学报,1991年05期. 霍桑[M]. 红字 (5000词床头灯英语学习读本). 航空工业出版社 , 2000. 王丽丽，王向辉;浅谈《红字》中珠儿形象的作用 [J].山东大学学报,1995年03期 李淑萍.论海斯特.白兰的性格发展 [J].外国文学研究,1995年04期 苑望.张滨生;试论《红字》思想内容 [J].黑龙江教育学院学报,1995年02期 程树华.《红字》女性认识的新认识 [J].新疆师范大学学报,1997年02期 张军.论海斯特的反抗精神与她联系在一起的红色 “A”字 [J]. 1997年05期 王奇.改写《红字》. [N].上海人民美术出版社，2006 指导教师意见： 签 名： 年 月 日 注：此表须打印，不够填写可续页。 15
附件2：指导记录表
贵州师范大学本科毕业论文(设计)指导教师指导记录表 学院：外国语学院 专业：英语 级别：2008级 Hawthorne And The Use of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter 论文(设计)题目 霍桑与《红字》象征手法的运用 (英中文) 学生姓名 指导内容： 学生签名： 教师签名： 年 月 日 指导内容： 学生签名： 教师签名： 年 月 日 指导内容： 学生签名： 教师签名： 年 月 日 指导内容： 学生签名： 教师签名： 年 月 日 备注：1、此表由学生根据老师每次指导的内容手工填写，指导教师签字后学生保存，完成论文（设计）
后与论文一并交学院。 2、此表可以续页。
龙淼 学 号 080501010056 指导教师姓名 刘杨
16
附件3：指导教师评价表
贵州师范大学本科毕业论文（设计）指导教师评价表
学院：外国语学院 专业：英语 级别：2008级 Hawthorne And The Use of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter 论文（设计）题目 霍桑与《红字》象征手法的运用 学号 080501010056 指导教师 刘杨 学生姓名 龙淼 指导教师评语（参照《贵州师范大学本科毕业论文（设计）成绩评定参考标准》）： 建议成绩： 指导教师签名： 年 月 日
17
附件4：同行教师评审表
贵州师范大学本科毕业论文（设计）同行教师评审表
学院：外国语学院 专业：英语 级别：2008级 Hawthorne And The Use of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter 论文（设计）题目 霍桑与《红字》象征手法的运用 080501010056 学生姓名 龙淼 学号 指导教师 刘杨 同行教师评审意见： 建议成绩： 同行教师签名： 年 月 日
18
附件5：答辩记录表
贵州师范大学本科毕业论文（设计）答辩记录表
学院：外国语学院 专业：英语 级别：2008级 论文（设计）题目 Hawthorne And The Use of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter ……………………………………………………………………………… 霍桑与《红字》象征手法的运用 090501010056 指导教师姓名 刘杨 学生姓名 龙淼 学号 答辩情况记录： 记录人： 年 月 日 答辩委员会成员签名： 年 月 日 答辩委员会负责人签字： 年 月 日 19
附件6：论文（设计）成绩表
贵州师范大学本科毕业论文（设计）成绩表
学院： 外国语学院 专业：英语 级别：2008级 论文（设计）题目 （英中文） 学生姓名 龙淼 Hawthorne And The Use of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter 霍桑与《红字》象征手法的运用 080501010056 学号 指导教师 刘杨 答辩委员会评定意见： 答辩委员会负责人签名： 年 月 日 毕业论文（设计）成绩： 答辩委员会负责人签名： 年 月 日 学院本科毕业论文（设计）指导委员会负责人签字： 年 月 日 20
DECLARATION
Long Miao, the undersigned, hereby declare that this thesis does not contain any material which has been accepted for the award of any other higher degree or graduate diploma in any tertiary institution and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis does not contain any material previously published or written by another person, except when due reference is made in the text of the thesis.
Signed: Dated:
21
因篇幅问题不能全部显示，请点此查看更多更全内容