红字对清教主义的怀疑

　　【EnglishAbstract】TheScarletLetterbyNathanielHawthorneisaclassicalnovelinAmericanliteratureinthe19thcentury。SincethefirstChinesetranslationofTheScarletLetterappearedinthe1950’sscholarsandreadersinthiscountryhaveshownaneverincreasinginterestinhisworks。ItsimmortalenchantmentliesinnotonlyitscondemnationofthenegativeimpactofPuritansocietyonpeople’sspirit，butalsoitsaffirmationofgoodness。ThenovelaimsatcriticizingseverelyPuritanicalasceticism，suggestingHawthorne’sfurtherthinkingovertheoriginalsingoodandevilsoulsalvationtotaldepravitybyanalyzingthefourmaincharactersinthenovel。Thenovelconcernstheconsequencecausedbythesinandpeople’sattitudetowardssinratherthanthesinitself。Hebelievesmancandogooddeedstogetridofevilinhisheart。
　　【KeyWords】Puritanism；Humannature；Prynne；Dimmesdale；Roger；Pearl；thescarletletter
　　【中文摘要】lt；lt；红字gt；gt；是十九世纪美国作家霍桑的成名作。自从本世纪五十年代被译介到我国以来，一直倍受读者的喜爱。其不朽的魅力在于它不仅无情的鞭挞了清教法规对人性的践踏，更重要的是作者对人性的善的肯定。本文旨在通过小说中四位主要人物的分析，阐明作品所表现的深刻思想内涵：通过与邪恶的搏斗，人可以获得道德上的完善，从而批判了清教主义所倡导的原罪善恶拯救灵魂彻底堕落的说法：小说作者主要关心的是原罪导致的后果及人们对待原罪的态度，而不是罪孽本身，他认为由于爱而犯下罪过可以得到忏悔拯救。
　　【关键字】清教法规；人性；白兰；丁梅斯代尔；齐灵沃斯；珍珠；红字A
　　1Introduction
　　Hisshortstoriesandnovelincludes：TheMinister’sBlackVeil，TwiceToldTales，MossesfromanOldManse，TheHouseofTheSevenGables，TheMarbleFaun，amongwhichTheScarletLetteristhemostfamous。Thenovelisshortbutverymoving。Prynne，ayoungandbeautifulwoman，cametoNewEnglandtwoyearsbeforehishusband，anold，uglymanwhocannotgivePrynnelove。Prynne，thenfallsinlovewithDimmesdale，ayounghandsomeclergymanandthenhasababy，Pearl，becauseshecannotgetanynewsfromherhusband，thinkingthathehasdied。Whenheradulteryisdiscovered，sheispunishedtowearascarletletterAonherchestallherlife。Herhusband，Roger，trieshisbesttotormentDismmesdale。AndDimmesdale，sufferingfrombothphysicalandspirittorment，announceshissinatlast，hediesanhonestman。Roger，withersatlast，Prynne，restructuresherlifeandwinspeople’srespect，Pearl，leavesforEurope，marriesanoblefamily，leadingahappylife。
　　Hawthorne’sthoughtwasfullofcontradictions。Inhisdays，Americancapitalismwasdevelopingrapidly，andthesocialstructurewaschangeable。Hecouldn’tunderstandthischange，andtriedtoexplainitbydiscoveringthehiddenevilineveryone’sheartbecauseoftheinfluenceofPuritanism。Heusedsymbolismandimagination，whichmadehisworksfullofmysticalcolor。
　　Inthisresearchpaper，IanalsizethemaincharactersofthenovelaimingatdiscussingthenovelisaskeptictothePuritanThought。
　　2PuritanisminAmerican
　　TheycametoAmericaoutofvariousreasons，butitshouldberememberedthattheywereagroupofserious，religiouspeople，advocatinghighlyreligiousandmoralprinciples。Theybelievethatthechurchshouldberestoredtocompletepurity，theyacceptedthedoctrineofpredestination，originalsinandtotaldepravity，andlimitedatonementthroughaspecialinfusionofgracefromGod。Puritans’liveswereextremelydisciplinedandhard。Asacultureheritage，PuritanismdidhaveaprofoundinfluenceontheearlyAmericanmind。AmericanPuritanismalsohadaenduringinfluenceonAmericanliterature。Ithadbecome，tosomeextent，somuchastateofmind，somuchapartofthenationalculturalatmosphere，ratherthanasetoftenets。
　　3Theanalysisofcharacters
　　3。1HesterPrynne
　　HesterPrynnewasawomanwhocommittedadultery，whichisrepresentationofevilofhumannatureinPuritans’eye，andcannotbeacceptedbythepuritansandthesocietyatthattimeand。HesterbetrayedherhusbandandwentagainsttheprincipleofhonestyaccordingtoPuritanism，soshemustaccepttheseverepenaltyinthepuritansociety，wearingascarletletterAonherbreastallherlifewhichmeansadultery。Attheleast，theyshouldhaveputthebrandofahotirononHesterPrynne’sforehead。Thiswomanhasbroughtshameuponusall，andoughttodie。〔7〕P43Thewomen’sviciouscursewasthesupplementofthepuritanicalcodeoflaw。Tothepuritans，thecivilizedlifewastothrowthehumannatureintotheprison。Here，wecanseethewriter’snegationtotheGailthesymbolofthePuritanism。ButAndneverhadHesterPrynneappearedmoreladylike，intheantiqueinterpretationoftheterm，thanassheissuedfromtheprison。〔8〕P45Thedoorofthejailbeingflungopenfromwithin，thereappeared，inthefirstplace，likeablackshadowemergingintosunshine，thegrimandgrislypresenceofthetownbeadle，withaswordbyhissideandhisstuffofofficeinhishand〔9〕P44
　　3。2DimmesdaleandRoger
　　UnlikeHesterandRogerwhorepresentedtwopoplarsofpassionandpuritandoctrine，Dimmesdalestruggledbetweenthetwoextremes。Therigorousdoctrineofpuritansocietygothimstuckinhisdilemma。NeithercouldhedenyhislovetoHesternorcouldhemakeapublicconfessionabouthissinbecausehewasafraidoftheconsequence。Thisdilemmagnawedhishearttillhisfinalconfessionanddeath。〔15〕P43
　　Asapuritanrepresentative，hesufferedmorefromtheguiltofhishypocrisythanfromtheguiltofhispassion。Hewasaclergyman，meanwhilehewasamanfullofcompassionandhumannature，helovedPrynneverymuch，andhecommittedadulterywhichbetrayedthepuritanicalcodeoflaw。Fourdecisionswerethusforceduponhim；hemustasserthispositioninrelationtoman，God，hisoriginalsinandbetterself。Ineachcase，heonlyaddednewfalsitytohistormentandsuffering。Hewasstrugglingontheedgeofthespiritandfleshcomingbreakdown，andhewasbeatandlashedbythesocalledarticlesofreligionthegorywhipateverymoment。Itmustbeconsideredthathecontinuedtobeengagedinthepuremissionofapriestwiththecriminalbodyshouldbeagreataffronttogodandadeceptiontogodpeople。Eventually，hetoldthesecretinmindwithpinecourage，heobtainstranquilandthenewbornofspirit。〔16〕P48thisrestraintfromreligioninhumannatureexposesthehypocrisyofPuritanismanditsdoctrineofpredestination。
　　Rogerwasthefullembodimentandvictimoftherigorouscodeofpuritansocietywhichnegateshumanpassion。Herepresentedmoralevilanddestroyingpower。Whenhisevilworkwasdonehepositivelywitheredup，shriveledawaylikeanuprootedweedthatlaywiltinginthesun。Somepeoplemaythinkthathewasthevictimandherevengedforhisdignity。ButfromthecruelmeansherevengedonPrynneandDimmesdalehecommittedanunforgivablesin。WhenDimondale，histormentedsubject，ascendedthescaffoldtoconfesshissintriumphantly，hewascompletelydefeatedjustasthepuritanhierarchywasdefeated。
　　PrynneandDimmesdaleweresinnersatfirst，theycommittedthe‘originalsin’accordingtothePuritanicalcodeoflaw，andhowever，theydidgooddeedstoothersandgotridofevilintheirheart。Onthecontrary，Rogerwasnotforgivablehesawrevengehissolepurposeoflife。
　　3。3TheRoleofPearl
　　Pearlwasacharacterwhohasnotyetchosengoodorevil。Shewasinanaturalpremoralstate。Inthiscrucialsenseshewasanunformedpersonandareadercannotpenetratemuchofhepersonality。Herinnocenceistaintedwithanaturalinclinationtoselfishness，perhapsstrengthenedbyhersadlysolitarylife。HawthornetriedtoshowthatPearwaslikearipplingstream，mirroringlifearoundherwithoutreallyunderstudyorjudgingitforherself。〔18〕P63Pearlwasinfactthescarletletterinanotherform，itendowedwithlife。Shewasalivingsymbolofadultery。〔19〕P111ShewasviewedalmostasaghostinthePuritans’eyes。However，inlittlePearl’smind，thescarletletteristhefirstthingshegotusedto。Itwasthetokenthatherlovingtendercaremotherwarequiteoppositetothepuritan’soutlook，shedidn’tconsiderthescarletletteronhermother’sbreastasasignofshame，butanundispatchablepartofhermother。HerideaaboutAwasarebellionagainstthePuritansocietywhichshefoundnocommonwith。
　　Pearldidn’tgowiththesocietywhichshelivesin。Onsomeothertimes，likeabravewarriorinthebattle，shefightsforcefullyagainstthepuritan。Sheisnotacowardanyway。Itisthesocialisolationanddiscriminationthatshapehercharacterinlife。Fortunately，natureoffersherwarmthtoPearl，fromthebeginningtotheend，thesunshineisalwayswithher。Shestoodlaughinginthemidstofit，allbrightenedbyitssplendors，andscintillatingwiththevivacityexcitedbyrapidmotion。Thelightlingeredaboutthelonelychild，asifgladofsuchaplaymate。〔20〕P155
　　Theimpressivefriendshipofthenaturemakesherfeelthatsheisoneofthemembersinnaturelikeawildanimal。Intheforest，itisunderstandablethatapigeonthesymbolofpeace，uttersasoundtogreetthegirl。Whatismorefascinatingisthatthewolfthewildestanimalinthatforest，hassurlylapsedhistaleintotheimprovable，cameupandsmeltofPearl’srobeandofferedhissavageheadtobepattedbyherhand。〔21〕P173
　　Attheendofthenovel，PearlleftEnglandtoEurope，leadingahappylife，whichannouncedanaffirmationfromtheauthorthatPearlwouldbeunabletoobtainhappinessinthestrictandseverePuritanismsociety。
　　4Conclusion
　　Thefourcharactersareasignificantarrangement。Theydisplayapictureofalldesiresandsufferings。goodandevil，andtherefore，theymakethebookanallegoryofmankind。Toconcludethestory，Hawthorneputsintoasentenceonemostimportantmoral：Betrue！Betrue！Betrue！Showfreelytotheworld，ifnotyourworst，yetsometraitwherebytheworstmaybeinferred！〔24〕P236Whenpeoplearenottruetotheworldandtothemselves，howisitpossibleforthemtomakeanyjudgment？TheauthorseemstohaveexaminedthebasisofthewholesystemofPuritancivilizationandhestressesthatallhumanactionshouldbeopentointerpretation，andpeoplecannotandshouldnotimposethetruthwithabsolutecertainty。TheidealsocietyasHawthorneimagesshouldbebuiltnotonfalseliving，butonanewmoralorder，inwhichbroadmindedness，compassion，andinpidualismwillbehighlyvalued。Andfromthesefigures，webegantocomprehendthePuritanthoughtsandvalues。WehaverealizedwhatthedarksideofPuritanis：harshness，persecutionsandabsolutecertainty。
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