《红字》意义英文论文

Meaningful Letter A In Different Phases

Submitted to English Departmen

of Foreign Languages School of Shandong University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement

For the Degree of Bachelor of Arts

Content

Abstract............................................................................................1. 摘要 (1)

Introduction (2)

Chapter One Adultery (3)

1.1 The origin of scarlet letter A (4)

1.2 Analysis of Puritanism (4)

1.3 Different views about letter A (4)

Chapter Two Alone and Alienate (5)

1.1 Causes the aspects of loneliness in The Scarlet Letter (6)

1.2 From adultery to alone and alienate (6)

1.3 The loneliness of three other characters (7)

Chapter Three Able (8)

1.1.From alone to able……………………………………………………………9.

1.2 A brief sum of this phase (10)

Chapter Four Admiration and Angel (11)

1.1 Analysis of Hester＇s symbol (12)

1.2.The final meaning of letter A (12)

Conclusion (13)

Bibliography (14)

Abstract

The Scarlet Letter makes the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne known all around the world. In this literary work, red cloth A has profound and varied meaning with the development of the plot of fiction.At the beginning ,Hester Prynne ,the protagonist of this text ，commits adultery and is forced to wear a scarlet letter A on her breast .Obviously ,here A is considered as a symbol of sin of adultery,which is untolerable in a puritan＇s opinion.Beacause what they advocate and glorify is nothing but asceticism、stressed work、thrift、piety and sobriety; After Hester getting out of prison, its primary meaning is substituted by alone and alienate;.Gradually its malicious meaning becomes more and more important,even changes to a beautiful mark embodying able in linght of Hester Prynne making a living and raising her daughter dependently by sewing and needling,moreover doing her utmost to being accepted by others using her own hands. In this phase ,letter A stands for able ;.In the end of the story,Hester Prynne gives somebody a hand at the same time she constantly makes up for her past mistake ,letter A is explained as a kind of entire new understand by almost all the townpeople that is,admiration ．angel.

摘要

《红字》使得美国作家纳撒尼尔·霍桑，一举成名。在这部文学作品中A深刻的象征意义随着作品的发展而不断发生变化.故事刚开始时，故事的主人公海斯特白兰因犯有通奸罪被迫在胸上带上红字A.很明显在这里A是通奸罪的象征,这对于清教徒来说是不可容忍的，因为他们所宣扬和美化的是禁欲主义、劳苦工作、节俭、虔诚以及冷静持重。海斯特出狱后,红字的最初含义被孤独和疏远所取代.后来白兰靠做针线活儿维持生计全心抚养珠儿用自己的双手劳动得来了世人的认可，在这个阶段A渐渐代表能干，而它的不良含义也渐渐变淡。由于白兰在为自己过去的过错赎罪的同时还帮助了别人,在故事的最后，红字A被几乎所有的村民赋予一种全新的含义，即敬佩、和天使。

Keywords

Scarlet Letter A,adultery,alone,alienate ,able,angel,background，phase ，symbol

Introduction