霍桑的清教思想

霍桑的清教思想,以及霍桑对于清教的理解与发展.

I’d like to introduce how hawthorn’s family influence hawthorns puritanical thought and his contradictory attitude towards Puritanism.

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was romantic novelist and short-story writer, and he first great American writer of fiction to work in the moralistic tradition. He Combined the American romanticism with puritan moralism.

Most of his works discussed the important issues that concern the moral life of man and human history. Hawthorne’s view of man and human history originates, to a great extent, in Puritanism. He was not a Puritan himself, but he had Puritan ancestors who played an important role in his life and works. He often wondered if he might have inherited some of their guilt. This sensibility led to his understanding of evil being at the very core of human life.

He has contradictory attitude towards Puritanism. Hawthorne establishes his own Puritanism through challenging Puritanism:

1. Their religious doctrines VS he believes in men’s ability to redeem themselves or advocates individuality.

2. Their rigid, inhuman attitude toward life and enjoyment: suppress men’s all desires, live a hard, disciplined and ascetic life, discriminate men’s rights for happiness. VS stress men’s rights and desires for pleasure.

3. Their hypocrisy VS clergymen commiting crimes against their preaching and beliefs.

Some of Hawthorne’s Sayings reflect his Puritanical thought:

●There is evil in every human heart, which may remain latent,

through the whole life; but circumstances may rouse it to activity.

●The wrong doing of one generation lives into the successive ones.

（因果报应）

● A piece of literary work should show how we are wronged and

wrongers, and avenge one another.