《红字》中丁梅斯代尔的性格解析.docx

1、红字中丁梅斯代尔的性格解析The Unique Character of Hester Prynnein the Scarlet LetterI Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Scarlet Letter With the publication of the Scarlet Letter，Nathaniel Hawthorne became one of the greatest writer at that time and built his reputation as a major American author. Since then people beg

2、an to take great interest in all aspects of his life and biographical and critical studies have been written about him and his works, which make him become more and more famous and popular. Moreover, many people have shown an ever-increasing interest in his works. In the history of American literatu

3、re during the romantic, Nathaniel Hawthorne ranks first in almost everyones mind. Hawthorne was born on the fourth of July, in 1840 in Salem, Massachusetts; some of his ancestors were prominent in the Puritan theocracy of seventeenth century New England. One of his ancestors was a colonial magistrat

4、e notorious for his participation in the persecution of Quakers, and another was a judge at the Salem Witchcraft Trail in 1692. Gradually, the family began to decline. Hawthornes father was a sea captain who died in an accident and left his mother and himself alone. Young Hawthorne was aware of the

5、misdeeds of his Puritan ancestors and great influenced by them. In Bowdoin College he developed friendship with many important persons who had all exerted influence on his life and creation. From 1825 to 1837 Hawthorne lived in solitude and seclusion, and read widely. In process of probing into the

6、nature of human beings, he successfully created a typical woman who left deep impression on people. The story of the Scarlet Letter begins in seventeenth-century Boston, a puritan settlement. Hester Prynne is a woman who is led from the town prison with her illegal infant daughter, Pearl. Hester Pry

7、nne is found guilty of having been adulterous and is sentenced to wear a scarlet letter to show her sin. Hesters husband, a scholar much older than her, sends her ahead to America, but he never arrives in Boston, because he has been lost at sea. While waiting for her husband, Hester has a love affai

8、r with a young minister Arthur Dimmesdale. Hesters husband, who is now practicing medicine and calling himself Roger Chillingworth tries to reveal the true criminal and makes his revenge. Dimmesdale seeks to hide his sin, upholding the rightness of his ministry as the excuse. However, he appears to

9、be wasting away and suffers from mysterious heart trouble, seemingly caused by psychological distress. This secret does not flee from the terrible perception of Hesters husband, Chillingworth .Making use of his profession, he destroys Dimmesdale step by step until death and in this way Chillingworth

10、 changes from a victim into a devil. In the meantime, Hester acquires a real significance when she reestablishes a meaningful relationship with her fellowmen. Since the Scarlet Letter was published it has been regarded as one of the greatest works in American literature. Through the analysis of the

11、main characters and the different meanings of the scarlet letter A, we can see Hawthorne is a master of symbolism, and his influence has been great. II The Unique Character of Hester in the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter focuses on the theme of guilt and punishment and describes a moving love sto

12、ry. The author created successfully a typical woman, Hester Prynne, who left a deep impression on the readers. 2.1 Hesters Firmness Hester is a woman who has great courage to devote to true love, a woman who experiences hard life and longs for freedom. She loves her life, and no matter how difficult

13、 it is, she tries her best to struggle against the adversity.The beginning of the story, which gives many descriptions on the appearance of Hester Prynne. It reads that,The door of jail being flung open from within, there appeared, Hester Prynne who bore in her arms a child, a baby of some three mon

14、ths old. On the threshold of the prison-door, she repelled the town-beadle by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air as if by own free will, when Hester Prynne finally stands on the scaffold. She is crowded by many people.We can see that Hester su

15、stains herself under the heavy weight of a thousand and unrelenting eyes, all fixed upon her, and concentrate upon her bosom. Its almost intolerable to her, but to our surprise is that when she stood fully before the crowd, With a burning blush, and a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be ab

16、ashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbors. On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. The Young woman was tall. With a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale who was lady-like. Ch

17、aracterized by a certain state and dignity, rather than by the delicate, evanescent, and indescribable grace.Obviously Hester wanted to display her challenges to the whole dismal severity of the puritanical code of law.In addition, Hesters dependence and self-reliance were also reflected in her hard

18、 life. After having experienced hard life and suffered insult and persecution, she went on living bravely in difficulties and hardships, and she faced her existence as a human being rather than escaped and committed suicide. She never quarreled with the public, and did not seek to acquire anything b

19、eyond subsistence. With the development of the story, the author constantly endows the letter A with new meanings, which Changes from a symbol of shame to a token of beauty, Hesters life eventually acquires a real significance and the letter A on her breast changes from “Adultery” to “Able” and “Ang

20、el”.Hesters firm conviction keeps Hester in Boston close to Dimmesdale all those long, sad years. The tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free shame, Despair, Solitude! Those had been her teachers, and she learned from them and they had made her strong. 2.2 Hesters RebellionHester

21、is rebellious, and in a sense, her rebellious actions mark the maturity of herself. Hesters first rebellion is seen in chapter seven at the Governors Hall .In order to defend her right to raise Pearl, Hester doesnt fear in the confrontation with Governor Bellingham. Although she is alone in the worl

22、d and casted off by it, she feels that she possesses indefeasible rights against the world, and is ready to defend them to the death. Furthermore, Pearl is her very life, her only treasure purchased with all she had and the only thing to connect her parents forever, so although Hester is isolated an

23、d cast off from help and it seems scarcely an unequal match between the Puritanical Magistrates, Hester Prynne still set forth from her solitary cottage and gets ready to defend herself. At Governors Hall Hester realizes that she has the responsibility and capacity to bring up the child, so she repe

24、als, raising her voice almost to a shriek. “God gave her into my keeping; I will not give her up!” Her extraordinary courage and rebellious spirit were revealed completely.Hesters second rebellion is showed by exposing her former husband, the true identity of Chillingworth.It has been seven years si

25、nce Hester Prynne was released from the jail. Seven years ago, when Hester Prynne was still in prison, her former husband Chillingworth came to the prison and talked with her, asking Hester to hide his true identity. The life and fame of Dimmesdale were in his hands, so in order not to destroy her l

26、over, Hester had no choice but to make a promise to Chillingworth. In some senses, Hester Prynne was right and was worthy of understanding. Moreover, at that time she didnt know Cillingworths real motive of doing this. But when she had witnessed the misery of the minister, she began to realize her h

27、usbands true purpose. Moreover Dimmesdale was almost on the verge of lunacy; he got to further internalize his guilt and self-punishment and led to still more deterioration in his physical and spiritual condition. Hester was upset in mind and was afraid of losing her beloved. Therefore, she determin

28、ed to redeem her error to stop Chillingworth from hurting Dimmesdale further. We were told that in chapter fourteen, Hester and the Physician. When we last spoken together said Hester now seven years ago, it was your pleasure to extort a promise of secrecy. As touching the former relations betwixt y

29、ourself and me. I have to be silent, yet it was not without heavy misgivings that I thus bound myself. However In pledging myself to keep your counsel I was betraying him I must reveal the secret answered Hester firmly. Finally, Hester Prynne resolved to meet Chillingworth, and do what might be in h

30、er power for the rescue of the victim on whom he had so evidently set his gripe. We dare say that Hesters rupture with Chillingworth just symbolized. “Divorce” the action only modern woman dare to take. Meanwhile, it manifested that there existed indeed feminist ideas in Hesters mind.The third rebel

31、lion of Hester Prynne was fiercer, reflecting her tenacious desire and radical thought. She persuaded the minister Dimmesdale to pursue a new Life with her. No matter how difficult it is, she wants to look for a new way of life with her beloved. Is the world then, so narrow? Doth the Universe Lie wi

32、thin the compass of yonder lawn; whither leads yonder forest track? There thou art free! So brief a Journey would bring thee from a world where thou mayest still be happy. Dimmesdales inner world was full of conflicts between natural attribute and social attribute, such as impulse and repentance, honesty and hypocrisy, love and religious doctrine, Dimmesdale didnt want to confess this, so he chose to conceal it, thus became weaker and more dependent upon Puritan creed for seven years. It was much to be regretted that Dimmesdale a victim of religions belief thought that he was powerless to go