《红字》中丁梅斯代尔的性格解析.docx

《红字》中丁梅斯代尔的性格解析.docx

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《红字》中丁梅斯代尔的性格解析

TheUniqueCharacterofHesterPrynne

intheScarletLetter

INathanielHawthorneandtheScarletLetter

WiththepublicationoftheScarletLetter，NathanielHawthornebecameoneofthegreatestwriteratthattimeandbuilthisreputationasamajorAmericanauthor.Sincethenpeoplebegantotakegreatinterestinallaspectsofhislifeandbiographicalandcriticalstudieshavebeenwrittenabouthimandhisworks,whichmakehimbecomemoreandmorefamousandpopular.Moreover,manypeoplehaveshownanever-increasinginterestinhisworks.InthehistoryofAmericanliteratureduringtheromantic,NathanielHawthorneranksfirstinalmosteveryone’smind.

HawthornewasbornonthefourthofJuly,in1840inSalem,Massachusetts;someofhisancestorswereprominentinthePuritantheocracyofseventeenthcenturyNewEngland.OneofhisancestorswasacolonialmagistratenotoriousforhisparticipationinthepersecutionofQuakers,andanotherwasajudgeattheSalemWitchcraftTrailin1692.Gradually,thefamilybegantodecline.Hawthorne’sfatherwasaseacaptainwhodiedinanaccidentandlefthismotherandhimselfalone.YoungHawthornewasawareofthemisdeedsofhisPuritanancestorsandgreatinfluencedbythem.

InBowdoinCollegehedevelopedfriendshipwithmanyimportantpersonswhohadallexertedinfluenceonhislifeandcreation.From1825to1837Hawthornelivedinsolitudeandseclusion,andreadwidely.Inprocessofprobingintothenatureofhumanbeings,hesuccessfullycreatedatypicalwomanwholeftdeepimpressiononpeople.

ThestoryoftheScarletLetterbeginsinseventeenth-centuryBoston,apuritansettlement.HesterPrynneisawomanwhoisledfromthetownprisonwithherillegalinfantdaughter,Pearl.HesterPrynneisfoundguiltyofhavingbeenadulterousandissentencedtowearascarletlettertoshowhersin.Hester’shusband,ascholarmucholderthanher,sendsheraheadtoAmerica,butheneverarrivesinBoston,becausehehasbeenlostatsea.Whilewaitingforherhusband,HesterhasaloveaffairwithayoungministerArthurDimmesdale.Hester’shusband,whoisnowpracticingmedicineandcallinghimselfRogerChillingworthtriestorevealthetruecriminalandmakeshisrevenge.Dimmesdaleseekstohidehissin,upholdingtherightnessofhisministryastheexcuse.However,heappearstobewastingawayandsuffersfrommysterioushearttrouble,seeminglycausedbypsychologicaldistress.ThissecretdoesnotfleefromtheterribleperceptionofHester’shusband,Chillingworth.Makinguseofhisprofession,hedestroysDimmesdalestepbystepuntildeathandinthiswayChillingworthchangesfromavictimintoadevil.Inthemeantime,Hesteracquiresarealsignificancewhenshereestablishesameaningfulrelationshipwithherfellowmen.

SincetheScarletLetterwaspublishedithasbeenregardedasoneofthegreatestworksinAmericanliterature.ThroughtheanalysisofthemaincharactersandthedifferentmeaningsofthescarletletterA,wecanseeHawthorneisamasterofsymbolism,andhisinfluencehasbeengreat.

IITheUniqueCharacterofHesterintheScarletLetter

TheScarletLetterfocusesonthethemeofguiltandpunishmentanddescribesamovinglovestory.Theauthorcreatedsuccessfullyatypicalwoman,HesterPrynne,wholeftadeepimpressiononthereaders.

2.1Hester’sFirmness

Hesterisawomanwhohasgreatcouragetodevotetotruelove,awomanwhoexperienceshardlifeandlongsforfreedom.Shelovesherlife,andnomatterhowdifficultitis,shetriesherbesttostruggleagainsttheadversity.

Thebeginningofthestory,whichgivesmanydescriptionsontheappearanceofHesterPrynne.Itreadsthat,

Thedoorofjailbeingflungopenfromwithin,thereappeared,HesterPrynnewhoboreinherarmsachild,ababyofsomethreemonthsold.Onthethresholdoftheprison-door,sherepelledthetown-beadlebyanactionmarkedwithnaturaldignityandforceofcharacter,andsteppedintotheopenairasifbyownfreewill,whenHesterPrynnefinallystandsonthescaffold.Sheiscrowdedbymanypeople.①

WecanseethatHestersustainsherselfundertheheavyweightofathousandandunrelentingeyes,allfixeduponher,andconcentrateuponherbosom.It’salmostintolerabletoher,buttooursurpriseisthatwhenshestoodfullybeforethecrowd,

Withaburningblush,andahaughtysmile,andaglancethatwouldnotbeabashed,lookedaroundathertownspeopleandneighbors.Onthebreastofhergown,infineredcloth,surroundedwithelaborateembroideryandfantasticflourishesofgoldthread,appearedtheletterA.TheYoungwomanwastall.Withafigureofperfecteleganceonalargescalewhowaslady-like.Characterizedbyacertainstateanddignity,ratherthanbythedelicate,evanescent,andindescribablegrace.②

ObviouslyHesterwantedtodisplayherchallengestothewholedismalseverityofthepuritanicalcodeoflaw.

Inaddition,Hester’sdependenceandself-reliancewerealsoreflectedinherhardlife.Afterhavingexperiencedhardlifeandsufferedinsultandpersecution,shewentonlivingbravelyindifficultiesandhardships,andshefacedherexistenceasahumanbeingratherthanescapedandcommittedsuicide.Sheneverquarreledwiththepublic,anddidnotseektoacquireanythingbeyondsubsistence.Withthedevelopmentofthestory,theauthorconstantlyendowstheletterAwithnewmeanings,whichChangesfromasymbolofshametoatokenofbeauty,Hester’slifeeventuallyacquiresarealsignificanceandtheletterAonherbreastchangesfrom“Adultery”to“Able”and“Angel”.

Hester’sfirmconvictionkeepsHesterinBostonclosetoDimmesdaleallthoselong,sadyears.

Thetendencyofherfateandfortuneshadbeentosetherfree…shame,Despair,Solitude!

③

Thosehadbeenherteachers,andshelearnedfromthemandtheyhadmadeherstrong.

2.2Hester’sRebellion

Hesterisrebellious,andinasense,herrebelliousactionsmarkthematurityofherself.Hester’sfirstrebellionisseeninchaptersevenattheGovernor’sHall.InordertodefendherrighttoraisePearl,Hesterdoesn’tfearintheconfrontationwithGovernorBellingham.Althoughsheisaloneintheworldandcastedoffbyit,shefeelsthatshepossessesindefeasiblerightsagainsttheworld,andisreadytodefendthemtothedeath.Furthermore,Pearlisherverylife,heronlytreasurepurchasedwithallshehadandtheonlythingtoconnectherparentsforever,soalthoughHesterisisolatedandcastofffromhelpanditseemsscarcelyanunequalmatchbetweenthePuritanicalMagistrates,HesterPrynnestillsetforthfromhersolitarycottageandgetsreadytodefendherself.AtGovernor’sHallHesterrealizesthatshehastheresponsibilityandcapacitytobringupthechild,sosherepeals,raisinghervoicealmosttoashriek.“Godgaveherintomykeeping;Iwillnotgiveherup!

”④Herextraordinarycourageandrebelliousspiritwererevealedcompletely.

Hester’ssecondrebellionisshowedbyexposingherformerhusband,thetrueidentityofChillingworth.

IthasbeensevenyearssinceHesterPrynnewasreleasedfromthejail.Sevenyearsago,whenHesterPrynnewasstillinprison,herformerhusbandChillingworthcametotheprisonandtalkedwithher,askingHestertohidehistrueidentity.ThelifeandfameofDimmesdalewereinhishands,soinordernottodestroyherlover,HesterhadnochoicebuttomakeapromisetoChillingworth.Insomesenses,HesterPrynnewasrightandwasworthyofunderstanding.Moreover,atthattimeshedidn’tknowCillingworth’srealmotiveofdoingthis.Butwhenshehadwitnessedthemiseryoftheminister,shebegantorealizeherhusband’struepurpose.MoreoverDimmesdalewasalmostonthevergeoflunacy;hegottofurtherinternalizehisguiltandself-punishmentandledtostillmoredeteriorationinhisphysicalandspiritualcondition.Hesterwasupsetinmindandwasafraidoflosingherbeloved.Therefore,shedeterminedtoredeemhererrortostopChillingworthfromhurtingDimmesdalefurther.Weweretoldthatinchapterfourteen,HesterandthePhysician.

WhenwelastspokentogethersaidHesternowsevenyearsago,itwasyourpleasuretoextortapromiseofsecrecy.Astouchingtheformerrelationsbetwixtyourselfandme.Ihavetobesilent,yetitwasnotwithoutheavymisgivingsthatIthusboundmyself.HoweverInpledgingmyselftokeepyourcounselIwasbetrayinghim…ImustrevealthesecretansweredHesterfirmly.⑤

Finally,HesterPrynneresolvedtomeetChillingworth,anddowhatmightbeinherpowerfortherescueofthevictimonwhomhehadsoevidentlysethisgripe.WedaresaythatHester’srupturewithChillingworthjustsymbolized.“Divorce”–theactiononlymodernwomandaretotake.Meanwhile,itmanifestedthatthereexistedindeedfeministideasinHester’smind.

ThethirdrebellionofHesterPrynnewasfiercer,reflectinghertenaciousdesireandradicalthought.ShepersuadedtheministerDimmesdaletopursueanewLifewithher.Nomatterhowdifficultitis,shewantstolookforanewwayoflifewithherbeloved.

Istheworldthen,sonarrow?

DoththeUniverseLiewithinthecompassofyonderlawn;whitherleadsyonderforesttrack?

Therethouartfree!

SobriefaJourneywouldbringtheefromaworldwherethoumayeststillbehappy.⑥

Dimmesdale’sinnerworldwasfullofconflictsbetweennaturalattributeandsocialattribute,suchasimpulseandrepentance,honestyandhypocrisy,loveandreligiousdoctrine,Dimmesdaledidn’twanttoconfessthis,sohechosetoconcealit,thusbecameweakerandmoredependentuponPuritancreedforsevenyears.ItwasmuchtoberegrettedthatDimmesdaleavictimofreligionsbeliefthoughtthathewaspowerlesstogo