本科生期末论文
( 2011 届 )
题
目： 19 世纪美国文学上重要的女性形象—
多方面解读海斯特的性格特点
学
院：
专
业：
学生姓名：
指导教师：
行
英
林琼豪
江玉娇
合作导师：
完成时间：
成
绩：
知
学 院
语
学号：
09096109
职称：
教授
职称：
2011
年
12
月
One of the Most Important Female Protagonists of 19th Century in American Literature—Analysis of Hester’s
Character
目录
Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 1
摘要：............................................................................................................................ 1
1.
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 2
1.1 A brief introduction of the author................................................................ 2
1.2 A brief introduction of The Scarlet Letter..................................................... 2
2.
Hester’s attitudes ................................................................................................ 3
2.1 Hester’s attitude to Dimmesdale .......................................................... 3
2.2 Hester’s attitude to Pearl ...................................................................... 3
2.3 Hester’s attitude to her husband .......................................................... 3
2.4 Hester’s attitude to the surrounding .................................................... 4
2.5 Hester’s attitude to letter “A” ............................................................... 4
2.6 Hester’s attitude to life ......................................................................... 5
3.
Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 5
Work cited ...................................................................................................................... 6
One of the Most Important Female Protagonists of 19th Century in American Literature—Analysis of Hester’s
Character
One of The Most Important Female Protagonists of 19th
Century in American Literature
— Analysis of Hester’s Character
Lin qionghao
Abstract: Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the well-known romantic novelists of
the 19th century in American literature. The novelist the scarlet letter is one of his
famous works. The protagonist Hester is a person who dared to go against the
tradition. This thought awake is the thing that we can not ignore. So, this paper is
focus on the protagonist’s characters toward different person, especially love of her
lover and daughter. Then, we can get a better understanding of the work.
Key words: thought, emotion, love
19 世纪美国文学上重要的女性形象
— 多方面解读海斯特的性格特点
林琼豪
摘要：纳撒尼尔·霍桑是美国 19 世纪著名的浪漫主义作家之一。《红字》是他
的代表作之一。女主人公海斯特是个敢于冲破传统的女性。其中的思想觉醒是
我们所不能忽视的。因此，本文通过分析女主人公的不同性格表现，尤其是对
她情人和女儿的爱，从而使我们更深入的了解作品的内在涵义。
关键词：思想、情感、爱
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One of the Most Important Female Protagonists of 19th Century in American Literature—Analysis of Hester’s
Character
One of The Most Important Female Protagonists of 19th
Century in American Literature
— Analysis of Hester’s character
Lin qionghao（090109）
1. Introduction
1.1 A brief introduction of the author
Nathaniel hawthorne (1804 – 1864) was born in Salem, Massachusetts and
studied at Bowdoin College. After graduation he decided to be a writer and wrote the
stories and sketches that first appeared in Twice-Told Tales in 1837. They brought
him neither renown nor money, so in 1839 he took a job in the Boston Custom House
and, when he lost it, spent some time at Brook Farm, an experiment in communal
living that provided him with background for his novel The Blithedale Romance
(1852) . The Scarlet Letter (1850) brought him recognition as a major literary figure.
His other novels include The House of Seven Gables (1851) and The Marble Faun
(1860). His books of short stories are two volumes of Twice-Told Tales (1837 and
1842) and Mosses from an Old Manse (1846).
1.2 A brief introduction of The Scarlet Letter
The story happened in two hundred years ago the Boston. Hester Prynne had
committed adultery is a Calvinistic authority of punishment, chest wearing the red
logo adultery "A" word stand in ancient flail scaffold streets. Her hand holding the
iniquity of evidence: a born only months of babies. In people under the gaze of
ruthless, she refused youth pastor Arthur Dimmesdale proposed confession and for the
accomplice of requirements. Received punishment, Hester outside the town of crowds
in a hut lived. She with needlework subsist, and carefully care with her daughter Pearl. At this moment, Hyster’s husband came to the place. He was filled with hatred
was renamed Roger chillingworth, to the doctor's identity butterworth-type secretly
with Hester adultery that you visit the accomplice. Soon seven years past. Pearl has
grown into a beautiful and lovely girl. While Hester because constantly zeal and help
others, and finally put won people's respect, make bosom that originally a stigma
letter became a noble and good virtue symbol. But after years of spy on, Roger also
identified "moral great" Dimmesdale priests are the hidden accomplice. So he left no
stone unturned in closer to the priest, constantly mentally tortured for ministers.
Hester in order to make Dimmesdale escape from her husband's shadow, determined
to take his daughter and he fled together. But Roger found and the plan failed. But for
Roger and fear oneself conceal crafted suffering make Dimmesdale health
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One of the Most Important Female Protagonists of 19th Century in American Literature—Analysis of Hester’s
Character
deteriorated. Finally in the eve of passing away, he is in front of all the pilgrims
church.he help Hester and their daughter Pearl boarded a flail scaffold to life as price
of deeply repent for moral freshman.
2. Hester’s attitudes
2.1 Hester’s attitude to Dimmesdale
Arthur Dimmesdale is a respected minister in Boston and the father of Pearl.
While Hester waited for her husband to arrive from Amsterdam, she met Dimmesdale
and had an adulterous affair with him, which led to the birth of their daughter.
In my opinion, Hester’s love is unselfish, brave and determine. When the rulers
lured her to tell them her lover’s name, in order to protect him against the stress of
society and losing his social status, she chose “would that I might endure his agony,
as well as mine”. In the dismal apartment, when Chillingworth came to visit her, she
refused to tell her lover either. At the same time, she promised her husband that she
will keep the poor man’s secret because of worrying about the fame, position and life
of her lover. What’s more, the elegant woman chose to stay in Boston instead of
leaving. She also raised Preal by herself, not because she would stay here to accept
the punishment, but because she believed that the amalgamation of them was the
sacred love and this love would bring happiness to them. In the forest, she asked her
lover to run away from the place that they can live a happily life. When he died, she
chose to leave Boston. And in this relationship, Hester played the optimistic attitude
and she can ignore the religious things and want to escape the place. For the contrary,
Arther is described as having “a white, lofty, and impending brow". But he is suffered
by his religion and his true love. He is a contradictor and can not find the way to save
his soul.
2.2 Hester’s attitude to Pearl
As the child of “nature” and love, pearl was born, the “natural trait” came with
her was well romanced in the novel. Those views of sun, forest and making friends
with wolf proved that she was a part of the nature. But the existence of this little girl
as a kind of punishment reminded Hester her crime. The girl also is the supportive
person in Hester’s life. She raised her daughter, Pearl, by herself, fighting to keep her
when the authorities tried to take the child away. Her love is contradicted. But her
love for this little angle is strong. And in her future, the happily picture is that three of
them are living together.
2.3 Hester’s attitude to her husband
Hester's husband from the Netherlands. Chillingworth arrives in Boston on the
day that Hester is publicly shamed and forced to wear the scarlet letter. He vows
revenge on the father of Pearl, and he soon moves in with Arthur Dimmesdale, who
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One of the Most Important Female Protagonists of 19th Century in American Literature—Analysis of Hester’s
Character
Chillingworth knows has committed adultery with his wife. This is a person
persuiting his successful life to make up for his physical defeats. So he got a good
career and beautiful wife. however, the betray of his wife make him become a evil
person. The changed name means “renown plus spear” and worth to chill. The only
thing for him is revenge. In the end, Chillingworth, having lost the object of his
hatred, dies soon. In Hester’s eyes, this is the person who destroyed her life. Betraying
her budding youth into false relation is the old man. For him, she held a source of
suffering. When wearing A, she felt guilt for betray of her husband. However, She
wished that the poor man will disappear forever and never come back. In her life, her
husband means nothing but a destroyer. It was the old man who destroyed their
escaping plan. Because of chillingworth, the life of Hester became more suffering.
Chillingworth is supposed to be an innocent sufferer, but he becomes the emissary of
Satan. He should be a scholar to explore civilization for human beings, but he loses
the universal love and forgiveness of the human nature, the knowledge he owned
which is good for humans becomes obstacle of full development of humans. The sin
he committed not only betrayed the laws at that time, but also at any period.
2.4 Hester’s attitude to the surrounding
Hester moved to a little, lonesome dwelling on the outskirts of the town. Hester’s
situation is lonely. There is no friend on earth who dared to show himself. Suffering
in disgrace and isolation, Hester, devoting her life to charitable service and winning
the hidden admiration of her peers. Hester builds a small business doing
embroidery-work. For the years, Hester gains the respect of other women in Boston,
becoming something of a quiet confidante for them. These people are Puritan. Puritan
is the name given in the 16th century to the more extreme Protestants within the
Church of England. These Protestants thought the English Reformation had not gone
far enough in reforming the doctrines and structure of the church. They wanted to
purify their church. In the 17th century many Puritans immigrated to the New World,
where they sought to found a holy Commonwealth in New England. Hester is not
only fighting with these people but also fighting with the dogma.
2.5 Hester’s attitude to letter “A”
Hester’s fate is closely tied to the scarlet letter “A”. The attitude can be divided
into two parts. To begin with, the scarlet letter means “Adultery”. And she always
expressed her thought frankly, so she doomed to suffer more hurt than others in the
society. She wanted to take off the scarlet letter and throw it away. And the person
insisted that she should be responsible for her misbehavior. Ironically, the society
wanted to change Hester, but the result was she awoke her compatriot on a certain
degree with her brave heart and rebellious spirit, which overcame the outmoded
customs and habits, and pulled the society forward. As time went by, people began to
give the letter a new meaning. “A” means “Amour” and “Angel”. With the changing
meaning of “A”, Hester became more and more strong. At the end of the story, she
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One of the Most Important Female Protagonists of 19th Century in American Literature—Analysis of Hester’s
Character
came back with her fantastic “A”. This can give us a deep expression that this woman
was also the confident and elegant person.
2.6 Hester’s attitude to life
Hester's such an arresting and slightly ambiguous figure. She's a funny mix of a
truly liberated, defiantly sexual woman, but in the end a woman who accepts the
penance that society imposed on her. But she is a mythic version of every woman's
attempt to integrate her sexuality with societal demands. Hester was a great female in
that society. A person who dare to go against the tradition. Even under the bad
situation, she never depressed and always optimistic.
3. Conclusion
As a woman, Hester took it for granted that “if woman’s feeling of love reign
supreme, all the problems will disappear.” She believed the real relation between man
and woman should base on the happiness, and insisted on seeking for equal status in
her ideal with the way of her own. Just because she was full of love and hope, she
chose to return to the prison, and wore the scarlet letter “A”, which brought comfort
and hope to those women who were in trouble. Nowadays, most people will take
economic condition as the primary rule to choose the other part. The spirit reflecting
on Hester is a good leading for us. We should find our true love in the society and
lead a happy life. Her love for her lover, daughter and her own life can give us a deep
impression. We should try our best to pursuit happiness.
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One of the Most Important Female Protagonists of 19th Century in American Literature—Analysis of Hester’s
Character
Work cited
Yang yujie. “My View on The Scarlet Letter.”Overseas English，5(2011):221.
Hu Yan ，“the Symbolism in the scarlet letter”，overseas english，7(2011):234
[美]纳撒尼尔·霍桑，郑土生译，《红字》，北京：航空工业出版社，2007 年
[Nathaniel hawthorne, the scarlet letter. Trans. Zheng Tusheng. Beijing: aviation
industry press,2007.]
芳笑君主编，《美国文学选读》，对外经济贸易大学出版社，2009 年
[Ed. Fang xiaojun. Selected readings in American literature. University of
international business and economic press. 2009. ]
贾宏春，“《红字》罗格·齐灵渥斯的人物形象解读”，《作家杂志》，2011
年 8 号刊，第 56 页
[Jia hongchun, analysis of the images of Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter.
Writer Magazine. 8(2011):56]
麻晓敏，“解读美国作家霍桑的小说《红字》”，《文学评论》，2010 年 4 月，
第 25 页
[Ma xiaomin. The analysis of The Scarlet Letter written by hawthorne. Literary
Review. 4(2010):25]
http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/196994730.html
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