从红字和荆棘鸟看宗教禁欲主义下的爱情

　　Abstract
　　Love is the eternal theme in human life. However, love changes much because of the influence of asceticism. Although love is a tragedy, the spirit of main characters longing for love and struggling with the doctrine of religions is worth learning. It can also be learned that the asceticism restrains the human nature and results in the destruction.
　　This thesis will deal with the influence of asceticism on love in The Scarlet Letter and The Thorn Birds. The influence reflects mainly in the leading characters Dimmesdale and Ralph. Both of them are priests and fall in love. The worse is that each of them has a child. However, they have to abandon their beloved because of the asceticism, and they bear too much torture. So tragedy cannot be avoided.
　　Key Words
　　Love; desire; tragedy; asceticism
　　摘 要
　　爱情是人类永恒的话题. 可是在西方社会中，爱情由于宗教禁欲主义的影响发生了一些变化，带有了一定的悲剧色彩。在西方描写神职人员爱情的文学作品中，虽然他们的爱情是悲剧，但他们那种为了爱情而努力奋斗，甚至和宗教做抗争的精神使我们振奋。从中我们也能深刻的感受到宗教对人性的摧残。
　　本篇论文将从《红字》和《荆棘鸟》两部作品中的主要人物丁梅斯代尔和拉尔夫来看宗教禁欲主义对他们内心的摧残和折磨,从而导致的悲剧. 丁梅斯代尔和拉尔夫都是牧师，却同样陷入了感情之中。但是因为宗教的禁欲主义，他们不能接触爱情，一旦有了感情就要经受很多折磨和痛苦。所以悲剧的产生是必然的。
　　关键词
　　爱情; 欲望; 悲剧; 禁欲主义
　　Introduction
　　Love, one of the most beautiful and romantic emotion in human life, has been struggling with Asceticism in western society. Just because of this, love, the most beautiful feeling in human’s heart, is both a dream and a punishment in the eyes of clergymen under Asceticism. Therefore, love of clergymen in the western literary works ends in tragedy. This paper will deal with the love tragedy under Asceticism in The Scarlet Letter and The Thorn Birds.
　　The Scarlet Letter is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story happened in the background of American colony ruled by Puritan in the sixteenth century. The leading characters in this novel Dimmesdale and Hester fall in love with each other. But Dimmesdale is a priest. Before he meets Hester, he has devoted himself to the God. In this paper, you can learn Dimmesdale’s mixed feeling. He loves Hester, but he must abide by the rule of Puritan. Pearl’s birth not only sends Hester to the prison and Hester is sentenced to wear the scarlet letter ＂A＂ all her life, but also gives Dimmesdale more spiritual torture, because Dimmesdale has no courage to confess his sin. He is afraid of losing his fame, his status and the punishment of religion. The torture he suffering is not so much coming from his conscience as coming from the forbidden of asceticism. Therefore, it is asceticism that results in the tragedy love between Dimmesdale and Hester.
　　In The Thorn Birds, Ralph has more than one chance to choose his own life, which is not controlled by the doctrine of religion. In order to get the power, fame and his career, Ralph abandons his love. His choice provides him with the power, and forbids himself at the same time. But on the other hand, he cannot forget Meggie and he realizes the importance that Meggie means to him gradually. At that time, the religious doctrines have taken back his right staying with Meggie. Therefore, the tragedy happens inevitably.
　　In a word, Asceticism is cruel and inhuman to the priests in western society. It strangles too much love and resulted in too many tragedies.
　　I. Love in Guilty and Self-accusation—Tragedy under Asceticism in The Scarlet Letter
　　A. The Brief Contents of The Scarlet Letter
　　The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses the original sin of human being through the love tragedy between Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale with the background of American colony ruled by Puritan in sixteenth century. The story tells about the life of the resident under the surrounding of persecution derived from the ineradicable religion in Massachusetts of Boston in New England in public. The symbol of Asceticism in this article is the scarlet letter ＂A＂. The four leading actors are: Hester Prynne, a woman with her beloved but living in injury because of adultery; Arthur Dimmesdale, a handsome and educated young man, at one time, whose behaviors and words are generally regarded as pine sign among all inhabitants in that place and godly pastor of Hester. However, he falls in love with Hester and because he is a minister, so their love is forbidden, they must face the love tragedy; by contraries, Roger Chillingworth, husband of Hester, is an ugly old man being a both skillful physician and surgeon. Unfortunately, he pursues to revenge for the humiliation by Dimmesdale with taking care at the same time, digging at him for monstrous contentment. Seen from another angle, he is also a victim of Asceticism. The last role is small Pearl, the daughter of Hester and Dimmesdale.
　　The story begins in the sixteenth-century in Boston. At that time, it was a puritan settlement. Therefore, the ethics was puritan’s asceticism. The atmosphere at that time was rather depressing by the rule of Stern Puritan. People regarded exploring their real feeling as a shame. Hester is a woman who was released from the town prison with her illegal infant daughter Pearl. Hester is found adulterous guilty and sentenced to wear a scarlet letter to show her sin. Hester’s husband, a scholar much older than her sends her ahead to American, but he does not arrived in Boston. Therefore, Hester thinks he has dead. The fact is that he has lost at sea. While waiting for her husband, Hester has love affair with a young minister Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester’s husband, who is now practicing medicine and calling himself Chillingworth, intends on revenge when he escapes and arrives at Boston. For the reason that he wants to find the ＂true criminal＂, he becomes another victim of asceticism.
　　Readers often interpret The Scarlet Letter as a tale of sin. However, this novel is much more a love story between Hester and Dimmesdale than everything else. Through the strong emphasis of love, Pearl’s presence and Dimmesdale’s torture, it can be identified as a tale of romance.
　　B. Dimmesdale’s Tragedy
　　Dimmesdale, the hidden scarlet letter, dies after suffering the long torture and self-punishment.
　　Life is hard, but accepting that fact makes it easier. This common phrase has been proven true in many people’s lives, but it is also a harsh fact that Dimmesdale, the key character in the Scarlet Letter, have to face. In this twisted story of deception and adultery set in the Puritan era, Hawthorne introduces Dimmesdale as a weak and cowardly man who refuses to take responsibility for his actions. Yet, at last, he frees himself through facing his sin before it is too late, ultimately finding happiness.
　　In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes imagery to convey that Dimmesdale can represent Puritan society rather than round character that can be seen on the surface level. This is seen through the imagery and symbolism of hypocrisy, Dimmesdale as a Christ figure, and the scarlet letter. Living in such surrounding, as a minister, because of the love, he drops in the abyss of misery.
　　In this article, Hawthorne describes Dimmesdale as ＂a viler companion of the vilest, the worse of sinners,＂ (Hawthorne, 2001) even though Dimmesdale is seen as the most holy man in the Puritan community. One really cannot understand Dimmesdale or his dilemma without at least a cursory understanding of the Puritans who inhabited Boston at this time and because he is in the dilemma of the love to Hester and Pearl and the loyalty to the God, so it is destined that he is a tragic character.
　　Dimmesdale is a minister, love means sin to him. But he loves Hester. From this point, he is not only a sinner to God but also a lover of Hester and a father to Pearl. He lives in this dilemma and cannot get away from it.
　　As a minister, Dimmesdale has a voice that consoles and an ability to sway audience. His congregation adores him and his parishioners seek his advice. As a minister, Dimmesdale must be above reproach, and there is no question that he excels at his profession and enjoys a reputation among his ministry aids people in leading good lives. If he publicly confesses, he will lose his ability to be effective in this regard.
　　For Dimmesdale, however, his effectiveness betrays his desire to confess. The more he suffers the better his sermons become. The more he whips himself, the more eloquent he is on Sunday and the more his congregation worships his words. Nevertheless, Hawthorne states in chapter 20, ＂No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.＂ (Hawthorne, 2001)
　　As a sinner, Dimmesdale is weakened to temptation. As demonstrated later, his weakened condition makes it easier for him to associate himself with Black Man in the forest. His congregations expect himto be above other mortals, and his life and thoughts must exist on a higher spiritual plant than others. Accordingly, his wonderful sermons are applauded by all for a reason his listeners do not understand. Sin and agony have enabled the intellectual scholar-minister to recognize and emphasized with other sinners.
　　Hawthorne writes about one of Dimmesdale’s sermons that are, ＂addressed to the multitude a discourse on sin, in all its branches.＂ (Hawthorne, 2001) In Dimmesdale’s sermons, he speaks out against sin while at the same time he commits his sin, just as the Puritans commit sins that they condemn Dimmesdale’s character models Puritan society in the way they treat religions persecution. In fact, Dimmesdale has many opportunities to admit his sin and get the guilt off his chest. The first opportunity is when Dimmesdale was making his speech in front of an audience. He tries to tell the truth but more lies just come out. The second opportunity that Dimmesdale has to confess what is troubling him and again, Dimmesdale refuses to confess. Finally, the third time that Dimmesdale has a great opportunity to confess is at the end of the story during the festival on the scaffold. Standing there with Hester and Pearl, Dimmesdale is still too much of a coward to admit his sin and release the anguish from his burning chest.
　　He cannot confess his sin, just because he does not want to lose his good fame, his status. He bears long torture and pain. He desires to liberate himself. He wants to expiate Hester and Pearl, but he has not the courage. He is a coward facing the God. He is afraid to be punished by God. Therefore, even though he has more chance, he can do nothing except when his life is going to end.
　　As Hester’s lover, he is coward. When Hester is placed before public in burning shame and orders to wear an ＂A＂, a scarlet letter on her breast, Dimmesdale does not stand out to admit his sin. On the contrary, he keeps his dreadful secret for seven years just for fear that, he will lose the citizen’s love and they will not forgive him. He is too weak to admit his sin and love openly and entirely. Just because of this, Hester tasks on all the love and all the punishments.
　　Dimmesdale is a sinner to God, and to Hester he is also a sinner. His sin against Hester and Pearl is that he will not acknowledge them as his wife and daughter. He loves Hester, but Hester bears all the miseries and punishments. On the other hand, it can be seen that Dimmesdale wants to reduce his sin. He loves Hester and his Pearl. At the town meeting where the governor plans to take custody of Hester’s daughter Pearl, Dimmesdale convinced G.ov.Wilson to let her retain custody. The town meeting is set up by the author to appear as a reminder of Hester and Dimmesdale’s sin. However, it is Dimmesdale’s love for Hester that ultimately carries the scene. While defending Hester, he speaks ＂with a voice sweet, tremendous but powerful.＂ He could have spoken in the darker tone. Therefore, it can prove he also love Hester.
　　The forest scene is crucial in the narrative of the Scarlet Letter and a proper understanding of what happens in the forest is necessary for any interpretation of Dimmesdale’s last days of life and his final ＂confession＂. The meeting in the forest can say at the times Dimmesdale is wakening. He was getting rid of the tie of asceticism gradually. He wants to start a new life with Hester and Pearl. He knows what he loves and he can confess his sin to get the new life. The meet in the forest proves the harmony nature. There, Dimmesdale gets away from the God, reflexes his heart, and has a rest at that time.
　　Hester is afraid that Chillingworth would do something bad to Dimmesdale, so they plan to run away four days after their meeting in the forest. Dimmesdale comforts himself with the knowledge that he would give his sermons predestination on the third day and thus leave his community with fond memories of his final exhortation. Dimmesdale’s flaw can be found in the fact that he chooses to value the public view above those of Hester, his love, and God, his master.
　　In the forest scene, Dimmesdale evidently realizes that he is a human and he should ask for forgiveness and do penance openly. On the way home, he sees how far his defenses have been breached by evil. These thoughts explain why he could so easily write his Election Day sermon, which is filled with the passion of his struggle and his humanity.
　　Dimmesdale’s confession in the third scaffold scene and the climax of the story     ensures his salvation. The reader senses that whether chosen or earned, Dimmesdale’s salvation is a reality. Having had several opportunities to confess, without success until this scene, true to his nature if not his ministry, he asks for God’s forgiveness not only for himself, but also for Chillingworth, who confirms the minister’s triumph when he laments, ＂Thou hast escaped me! ….Thou hast escaped me＂! (Hawthorne, 2001) Dimmesdale’s confession also brings about Pearl’s humane metamorphosis.
　　He lives in big pain of discomposure because of the secrecy of his thought that he has brought the heavy stress to Hester. On one hand, he feels greatly guilty when the dweller treats him as venerator, because he has to pretend to be noble-minded. On the other hand, he is ashamed of making Hester’s life harder and he is guilty to Hester and their love. Worse lucky, Chillingworth lives with Dimmesdale and he tries his best to torture Dimmesdale’s heart. Thus, it makes him incriminatory all days and becomes afflict himself everyday for releasing multiple pains. Furthermore, he turns to breakdown nearly due to the unmeant but huge strike on him slowly and continually every day. Moreover, his spirit lacks the strength and dies after revealing the whole thing. Tremendous burdens have been pressed on him for a long period during most of his lifetime. Moreover, once releasing from his heart, his life would come to the end and the heavy burdens makes up of all his love.
　　C. Hester’s Tragedy
　　Dimmesdale seeks to hide his sin, his love, but on the contrary, Hester is brave to confess and face her sin, to pursue the true love.
　　Hester Prynne is left a deep impression to the readers. Hester is a woman, who has great courage to devote to real love and a woman who experiences hard life and longs for freedom. She loves her life no matter how difficult it is. She tries her best to struggle against the adversity. She is a beautiful, virtuous, brave and tough woman.
　　Hester, marries with an unloved ugly old man, nothing but having great knowledge admired by all fools. However, when Hester goes to Massachusetts of Boston, She falls in love with Dimmesdale who is her true lover. It should be a good matter, so to speak, if she could porce from the oldest Chillingworth and then marry Dimmesdale it would be a romantic love story. Unfortunately, it is disgraceful of a married woman to love another man even if that is her beloved one in that abnormal time. So, what a disgraced thing it is that she has to be set up to public shame and wore a mark of shame upon her bosom letter A stands for adultery that makes her bring sermon against sin, until the ignominious scarlet letter be engraved upon her tombstone .But that does not impact on her life even if all dwells give a wide berth to her and use the most incautious words to aggress her later. Because of her benevolence, the inhabitants accept her gradually though they insult her sometimes. Hester does not mind it, because what she concerns is Whether Dimmesdale’s life is good or not.
　　Hester is the only person who wears the ＂A＂, in the whole article. Which power does on earth make her be willing to wear it all day long after the punishment of three hours standing on the scaffold? Hester can leave the Massachusetts colony, for it is kept no restrictive clause of her condemnation with in the limits of the puritan settlement. She does not flee and regards the place as her home living as the type of shame. It is love, which is the only reason for her to live in that place. The kind of love is declared guilty according to the puritan religion, which takes the asceticism as the local law at that time. ＂There trode the feet of one with whom she deemed herself connected in a union….would bring them together before the bar of final judgment, and make that their marriage-alter, for a joint futurity of endless retribution (Hawthorne, 2001 ). May be at that time, Hester’s choice seems a little innocent. Just for the faith for love, which can also be regarded as the passion in a short while though wild nature as she has, she restrains her be behavior from then on for she thinks herself commit an offence. Her swears of keeping the secret of the relationship between her and her husband Chillingworth shows that she is in blame at that time and puzzled with her love.
　　The later seven years consume her a lot from spirit to body. The scarlet letter does not change her from appearance but from the inside of her, on the contrary it lets her grow strong and think deeply the guilty of herself. She found that the problem happened between her and Dimmesdale was not solved. Nothing changes. The free thinking temperament does not make her atone from her crime but be more puzzled.
　　Hester tried her best to insist on and protect her love, her lover, and she struggles with asceticism, struggles with the hard environment. In the fourteen chapter ＂Hester and the physician＂ puts on a new look. Hester’s counterattack to Chillingworth identifies that she has a kind of more strong power at that time. This power comes from her love to Dimmesdale. Then the meet between Hester and Dimmesdale in the forest describes one possible way of resolving the problem. They plan to flee away to live a happy life and shake off the so-called sin here. The plan of fleeing reflects the human nature of looking for happiness. Thought at least the nature played on them a joke in this drama, Hester has already known how to get what she wants and how to realize love. She stands for the thought of releasing from the original .sin and the possibility of happy life of female. She completes the discussion of significance of love through the scarlet letter.
　　The love between Hester and Dimmesdale is true. However, their end is a tragedy. Because of the long inner torture, Dimmesdale dies and then Hester comes back to her home England and memorizes their love. After Pearl married, she goes to Massachusetts and stays with Dimmesdale. Their love is great, but because of this love, Chillingworth hates Dimmesdale and tries his best to revenge him, at last, it results in the tragedy.
　　D. Chillingworth’s Tragedy
　　Love and hate are totally different things. Some said that the hatred coming from love is absolutely horrible, which could completely change one’s philosophy even life. Roger Chillingworth is a good example. Because of hatred, he becomes the slave of asceticism, and the murderous tool of asceticism. Almost all know he is despicable, abhorrent and dad-burned, however he is the most tragic and pathetic person. Because it is known that, the former aspect of Roger Chillingworth is intellectual and studious, calm and quiet. When knowing the whole thing, he succeeds in being an eager, searching, and almost fierce yet carefully guarded look. In a word, old Roger Chillingworth is a striking evidence of man’s faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he will only, for a reasonable space of time, undertake a devil’s office. This unhappy person has effected such a transformation, by devoting himself, for seven years, to the constant analysis of a heart full of tortures, and deriving his enjoyment thence, and adding fuel to those fiery tortures, which he analyses and gloats over. By reason of hatred, he becomes a sin. From this, it is clearly known that he is the real poor guy for as much as people will not be woeful so long as they get their own life even if it may be disturbed by others sometimes for what do is related to them at any rate. When one loses his own way, he loses everything, not only atman but also fleshes and blood. Therefore, Chillingworth sets a guideline in his whole life carrying out the plan of revenging gradually. Finally, after finishing the task completely, the black-hearted guideline loses its object, and he gets lost and dies. One lives for others, life is insignificant and nothing. The whole life of Chillingworth is revenging. For this object, he loses himself and sells his soul. He does not live for himself, but for evil, for religion’s asceticism. His life is also one tragedy under asceticism.
　　II. The Conflict between Asceticism and Love—the Tragedy End in The Thorn Birds
　　A. The Choice between Ambition and Love Ralph Faced
　　In The Thorn Bird, God has given Ralph freedom of choice. Before Mary dies, she gives Ralph an envelope, which is Mary’s testament. It can bring great treasure, good fame and the power to Ralph, but at the same time, he must leave Meggie. The testament ties the fate of Ralph’s life and his soul. Ralph refuses Mary’s love on the present that he is a priest and was married to the church. So at that time, Mary says＂ I must lose you to Meggie, but I’ve made sure she doesn’t get you either.＂ In fact, Mary had known the choice Ralph would make.
　　Facing the important choice, Ralph chose power, and he left Meggie. Just in virtue of such choice, he must abide by asceticism, the doctrine of religious. Just because of his chose, Maggie and their son Dane must face the tragic end. Of course, just owning to Ralph’s choice, asceticism forbade Ralph and Maggie’s love, even their life. Therefore, Ralph’s choice makes him be controlled by asceticism. It was destined tragedy end.
　　B. The Hypocrite and The Love Forbidden by God
　　When Ralph goes to the station to pick up Cleary family, when he meets Meggie, the future of Ralph and Meggie has been destined. Ralph is the center of young Meggie’s life and Ralph has never felt so strong about any other girls. Meggie is happy with Ralph and her dear brother Frank. However, Frank’s relationship with his father Paddy has never been peaceful. At last, Frank runs away from the family and become a boxer. With Frank’s leave, Meggie is very sad and she clings to Ralph. For in the world, Ralph can teach her how to study, how to become a respectful girl, and how to ride. Under the good ten dace of Ralph, Meggie lives happily. However, Ralph is a priest and he dreams to be the eparch. He loves his God so he cannot love Meggie. In order to gain more money to help him advance in the catholic hierarchy, Ralph goes close to Mary who is Paddy’s sister and the richest person in the Drogheda area. Ralph is a handsome and ambitious priest. The treasure of Mary is attractive. She knows Ralph love Meggie. She also knows she loves Ralph but Ralph could not accept her love so she carries out a perfect revenge. Just this revenge Changes the whole life of Meggie and Ralph. Ralph always refuses Mary putting him being a priest not a man as excise. He also refuses Meggie. At last, he gets the chance to the Catholic hierarchy, and he loses his freedom, his love even his all. He ignores that he is also a man, a nature man. He can love others. This is one nature as a man. Therefore, Ralph is painful. He puts himself in the dilemma of loving God or loving Meggie. Due to Mary’s money, Ralph gains the attention of the church and is promoted to Sydney.
　　Before he leaves, Meggie confesses her love for him. Ralph refuses her because of his duties as a priest and he entreats Meggie to find and marry a beau. Then he leaves her. Then Meggie courts Luke, who has recently come to Drogheda. He looks remarkably like Ralph and Meggie take a liking to him .He marries her and takes her away. After Meggie married, Ralph knows he loves Meggie so deep. He always thought Meggie could not marry because she belongs to him forever. Meggie is lonely and distraught for Luke leaves her in a poor place and goes to become a sugar cutter. When Meggie bears Justine, Ralph visits her once. He wants to say goodbye to Meggie because he is leaving Australia but whether Meggie yells and swears at him, he leaves her again.
　　Meggie is getting weaker and weaker and the family she is staying with pities her greatly. Therefore, they sent her to a quiet summer resort for rest. Ralph comes back on a holiday to find Meggie. The family tells him where Meggie is. Then Ralph joins Meggie, and then a revelation comes over him. He loves Meggie more than He loves God and he is indeed only a man, no matter how godlike he had tried to become. They spend two days together, and he is forced to return to his position. No matter how deep he loves Meggie he cannot change the fact that he is a priest and his whole life belongs to God. When Meggie comes back from the island, she leaves Luke, but she does not porce him, because she is now pregnant with Ralph’s baby.
　　C. The Ultimate Victim—Meggie
　　As Dane grows up he wants to be a priest, Fee tells Meggie that she has to give what she steals from God back. Justine wants to be an actress. Therefore, she leaves Australia to seek for her dream. Dane goes to Ralph who is now a cardinal but Ralph does not know that Dane is his own child. He takes great care of him just because of their resemblance; people mistake them for uncle and nephew. Ralph and Dane encourage the rumor. So Ralph’s close relationship with Dane is not mistaken.
　　Dane drowns in Greece in order to rescue two girls life. It was the time that the civil war is going on. Meggie needs to find her child. She needs Ralph’s help. He refuses to help right away. Therefore, Meggie speaks out the truth she wants to keep secret the whole life –Dane is his son. Soon after Dane’s death, Ralph passes away.
　　Ralph contributes his all to God. At last, he loses everything except the love coming from Meggie. For the love to Ralph, Meggie struggles with the God and the surrounding. She can abandon her all for Ralph. However, their end is tragic. Ralph passes away and so does Dane. The only thing Meggie steals from the God is taken away by God. At last, Meggie has noting but she knows clearly she is right, just because she loves Ralph. It is worthy to her.
　　In this story, the main protagonist Ralph also cannot break away from the asceticism, but as a man having rich emotion, he cannot end his passion. He cannot help to love Meggie. His soul is struggling with the pain and torment. As the same to Dimmesdale, Ralph cannot get rid of the desires to power and the need to love. When the rich Mary died, she leaves her property to the church of Roman catholic but she asked the church must admire Ralph’s ability and value. From then on, Ralph has been put in the war between the God and Meggie, the Power and love. To Ralph, both of God and Meggie are important. He does not want to give up each one. At last, the power defeats the love. The God wins Meggie.
　　As if it is destined, Ralph does not belong to the God completely. He also does not belong to Meggie. They struggle with God, with the rule of religion----asceticism. They have the right to love each other because love is human nature. The legend of the thorn birds predicts the life of Ralph and Meggie. The most valuable must be exchanged with high costly. Meggie gives back what she steals from God—Dane. Their love is destined to a tragedy
　　Ⅲ. Analysis of Love Under Asceticism in The Scarlet Letter and The Thorn birds
　　Perhaps in everyone’s mind, both Hester and Meggie are sympathized in that they are the victims of asceticism. In fact, the tragedy results from not only the asceticism, but also the human being themselves. They have freedom to choose their own lives. That is to say, their tragic lives are their choice. When they face between love and power even their ambition, they both drop their love and choose their career, fame and power. After they satisfy their desire, they find love is very important to them. They want to be normal human and live a normal life, but at the time they make the decision, their loves are destined to forbidden love. Love is sin and criminal in Bible. From this, it can be said asceticism is inhuman to clergyman. But they choose God, so their love is cursed.
　　Dimmsdale and Ralph choose their career, the ultimate victim are Hester and Meggie. They must bear more than others. The pressure coming from religion and society is great. In fact, Hester and Meggie have the right to choose. Perhaps they can get the happy life if they give up this abnormal love, but they choose to keep on this distorted love, so their tragedy is inevitable.
　　Dimmsdale and Ralph get the fame and career, but the ultimate victims are Hester and Meggie. Both The Scarlet Letter and The Thorn Birds are different stories, but it can be found the common places—both of the stories are love tragedy under asceticism.
　　Conclusion
　　Both The Scarlet Letter and The Thorn Birds describe the love of clergyman and the conflict in their heart. Both of Ralph and Dimmesdale are in misery and they want to get the free love. However, in fact both of them do not escape from the doctrines of religion.
　　Asceticism is one moral principle or lifestyle which asks human to control their desire to human body. Religion takes the desire to body as vulgar and thinks that sex is the roots of sin and evil. When Dimmsdale and Ralph choose priest as their career, it is destined that they have not the right to live with their beloved and it is sin that they have the child. It is forbidden in the society which takes asceticism as the moral standard. Asceticism changes their lives and deprives their right to be a normal man. So asceticism is inhuman to the priests in western society.
　　Although love in The Scarlet Letter and The Thorn Birds is a tragedy, the courage and spirit the main characters pursue the true love is worth learning. The two novels provide us with a perspective to view love under asceticism.
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