現(xiàn)當代文學(xué)論文-關(guān)于霍桑作品的基本主題Abstract：NathanielHawthorneswholelifeisperplexedbyhumanbeingssinandevil.Hisdeep-rootedconsciousnessofPuritanismisshowninhisworks,andtheseextraordinaryworkshaveasimilartheme,namely,theprocessfromtheoriginalsintoredemption.Inthefirstpartofthispaper,theauthordiscussesthebasicthemerepresentedinHawthornesshortstoriesincludingYoungGoodmanBrown,TheMinistersBlackVeil,EgotismortheBosomSerpent,RogerMelvinsBurialandhismasterpieceTheScarletLetter.Moreover,theauthorsummarizesdiscrepanciesamongthesefiveworksalthoughtheyhaveacommonsubjectofsin.ThesecondpartfocusesonthereasonswhyNathanielHawthornechoosessuchabasictheme.HawthorneisadescendantofthePuritansandlivesinaPuritantown,sothePuritanheritageplaysalargepartinhislifeandliteraryworks.Andthethemeisinfluencedbyhisfamilylifeaswellashisownhermitlife.Furthermore,thefrequentrecollectionofhissinfulancestorsurgesHawthornetosetsuchagloomybasictheme.Andthelastreasonistomoralizepeopletogetawayfromsinfulbehavior.Inthelastpartofthispaper,theauthorilluminatesthesignificanceofHawthornesbasictheme.ThewholepaperisaimedathelpingreaderstobetterunderstandandappreciateHawthornesworks.Keywords:basictheme,sin,expiation,redemption,Puritan,Calvinism論文摘要:納撒尼爾霍桑是美國19世紀影響最偉大的浪漫主義小說家，同時又是一個深受新英格蘭清教傳統(tǒng)影響的作家。他多以加爾文教派的善惡觀念來認識社會和整個世界，幾乎傾其一生致力于探討人性中的罪惡這一問題。他的作品反應(yīng)了他根深蒂固的清教主義思想，因此很多作品都表現(xiàn)了一個相似的基本主題原罪-贖罪-救贖。該論文的第一部分以霍桑的五部作品為例-好人布朗、胸中的蛇、教長的黑面紗、羅杰麥文的葬禮、以及最著名的紅字來探討他的上述基本主題，并歸納出這五部作品的精神意義。論文的第二部分通過霍桑家鄉(xiāng)的所在地，家庭背景，和霍桑祖先的行為分析了霍桑選擇這一主題的原因和清教徒迫害異端的事件對霍桑的思想所產(chǎn)生的深刻影響。而在最后一部分，論文闡釋了霍桑這一基本主題的社會意義和人文意義?；羯５淖髌分袧B透著加爾文教派中關(guān)于“原罪”、“徹底墮落”等教義的觀念”，略顯隱晦難懂，本論文的目的在于幫助讀者更好的理解和欣賞霍桑的作品及其意義。論文關(guān)鍵詞：基本主題原罪悔罪救贖清教加爾文教.IntroductionNathanielHawthorneisagreatbrilliantAmericanwriterfullofinspirationandtalent.HeishonoredasoneofthebestandmostimportantnovelistofAmericainthe19thcenturyand“thegreatestimaginativegeniussinceShakespeare”(W.JLong,392).Nevertheless,manyreaders,whileappreciatinghisexcellentartistictechniques,findhisworksverydifficulttounderstand.Theobstacles,asfarasIamconcerned,areprobablyduetoHawthornesbasicthemewhichisrelatedwithCalvinism；thereforeitisnecessarytodeeplyexploreit.Ibelievethattheresultoftheexplorationwillhelpthereadertounderstandthisgreatgeniusmoredeeplyandtoappreciatehisworksbetter.ThebasicthemeofHawthorneswritingsAccordingtoChristianity,eversinceAdamandEvearedeceivedbySatanintoeatingthefruitandexpelledfromtheGardenofEdenbyGod,evilhasenteredtheworld,andhumanbeingsaredoomedtocarrytheburdenofsin.DeeplyinfluencedbyChristianity,HawthorneputstheCalvinismideaoforiginalsinanddepravityintohisworks.Inmanyofhisshortstoriesandromances,Hawthornepresentsacentralthemeoforiginalsin,togetherwithanaccompanyingthemeofthehungerforconfessionandexpiation.Hisworksmakeusrealizethatpeoplearebornsinfulandeveryonehassomesecretguiltandsinhiddeninheart,thatsinexistseverywhereintheworld,andthathumanlifeisasufferingjourneyofself-redemption.BycitingthefollowingworksofHawthorne,Iwishtofullydisplayhisbasicthemeofsin-expiation-redemption.A.YoungGoodmanBrownDisillusionmentinfaithNathanielHawthornesbestshortstoryYoungGoodmanBrowntellsreadersthestoryofthedisillusionmentinfaith,whichcouldbecomprehendedintwoaspects:thedisillusionmentoftheheroBrownsfaithofhisown,andthatofhisfaithinothers.GoodmanBrownisanhonestyoungmaninpeopleseyes,butislaterseducedbyevil.HeoncegoestoattendthewitchesSabbath,buttherehefindsoutsomeguiltysecretsofotherpeople.Hemeetsalltherespectable,reputable,andpiouspersonsofthevillageincludingtheladyofgovernor,wivesofhonoredhusband,excellentfairyounggirls,andchurchmembersofthevillagefamousfortheirespecialsanctity.Tohisgreatersurprise,heevenseeshisnewlymarriedwife,thepureandsweetestFaith.Therefore,Brownrealizestheevilofothersandcannotbelieveingoodinhimselfandinothers.Inthestory,Hawthornecreatesa“darkfigure”totellBrown,orratherthereadersthefollowingwords:“Thereareallwhomyehavereverencedfromyouth.Yedeemedthemholierthanyourselves,andshrankfromyourownsin,contrastingitwiththeirlivesofrighteousnessandprayerfulaspirationsheavenward.Yetherearetheyallinmyworshipingassembly.Thisnightitshallbegrantedyoutoknowtheirsecretdeeds:howhoary-beardedeldersofthechurchhavewhisperedwantonwordstotheyoungmaidsoftheirhousehold；howawoman,eagerforwidowsweeds,hasgivenherhusbandadrinkatbedtimeandlethimsleephislastsleepinherboson,howbeardlessyouthshavemadehastetoinherittheirfatherswealth；andhowfairdamselsblushnot,sweetones-haveduglittlegravesinthegardenandbiddenmethesoleguesttoaninfantsfuneral.Bythesympathyofyourhumanheartsforsinyeshallscentoutalltheplaces-whetherinchurch,bedchamber,street,field,orforest-wherecrimehasbeencommitted,andshallexulttobeholdthewholeearthonestainofguilt,onemightybloodspot.Farmorethanthis,itshallbeyourstopenetrate,ineverybosom,thedeepmysteryofsin,thefountainofallwickedarts,andwhichinexhaustiblysuppliesmoreevilimpulsesthanhumanpowercanmakemanifestindeed.”(Cowley65)Inthisstory,attendingtheSabbathcouldbeactuallyconsideredas“aspiritualjourneyforexploringthetruthofhumanworld”(Wang3),whichisfilledwithsinandguilt.AndwecanalsoconcludethatthepathintheforestsymbolizesadarkjourneyofBrowntomeetthedeepmysteryoforiginalsin.FromtheangleoforiginalsinofPuritanism,thisjourneymakeshimagonybecausehefindsthedarknessandsininthedeepheartofhumanbeings.Fromthemomenthedecidestoleavehiswife,Faith,Brownbetrayshisfaith.Moreover,whilehelooksathiswifeandotherpeoplearoundhimwithsuspicioussightthenextmorning,theinnocentBrownchangescompletelyintoanotherperson,gloomyandunbelieving.ThoughthisyoungmanisstillcalledGoodmanBrown,thereadersknowthereinnogoodmaninrealityandthateveryoneissinful.B.TheMinistersBlackVeilRevelationofsinHawthornes“TheMinistersBlackVeil”isregardedasoneoftheearliestandgreatestAmericanshortstories.LikemanyofHawthornesstories,thenatureofsecretsinandhumansfallennaturearethemaintheme,whilethisstoryisspeciallyfocusedontherevelationofsininpeoplesheart.Theyoungrespectableministeronedaysuddenlyputsablackveilonhisfaceandcontinuestowearituntilhedies.Thoughseverelycriticized,heneverexplainswhyhedoesso.Yettheauthorgivesthereadersahintthathestartstoweartheblackveilonthedayayounggirlinhisparishdies,leadingthereadertorealizethattheministerhassomesecretguiltconnectingwiththedeadgirl.Atthelastmomentofhislife,theministersaystothepeoplearoundhim,“Whydoyoutrembleatmealone?Tremblealsoateachother!.Whenthefriendshowshisinmosthearttohisfriend；thelovertohisbestbeloved；whenmandoesnotvainlyshrinkfromeyeofhisCreator,loathsomelytreasuringupthesecretofhissin；thendeemmeamonster,forthesymbolbeneathwhichIhavelived,anddie!”(Hawthorne181)Mr.Hoopersdeathbedremarksshowthatheintendstheblackveiltosymbolizethesecretsinwhichallmen“l(fā)oathsomelytreasureup”intheirhearts.(Wan3)Mr.Hooperrevealshissinbywearingaveilforalifelongtime,andthesinsofpeopleinhisparisharerevealedbyfeelingfrightenedofHoopersveil,becauseonlythosepeoplewhohidetheirsinsdeeplyintheirheartswouldbeafraidofthesightofMr.Hooperbehindhisveil.Onthewedding,“hisframeshudderedhislipsgrewwhitehespilttheuntastedwineuponthecarpetandrushedforthintothedarkness”(Hawthorne180).Hisbehaviorarousesawarenessofthemajorityofpeoplepresentattheweddingthatitisinevitablethateveryoneisasinnerevenincludingtheministerhimself.ThusHoopertearsawaypeopleswrongillusionofapriestwhoisabsolutelyaholyrepresentativeofGod.Heseemstotellthevillagersthat“toerrishuman；toforgiveisdivine”.Hoopergoestogreatlengthstorevealhissininsteadofbeautifyinghimselfjustbecausehehasdiscovered“theEarth,too,hadonherBlackVeil”(Hawthorne181).WhilemanyreadersconsiderHooperacoward,Iprefertoseehimasarelativelyhonestman.Evenhishiddensintothatyoungladyistrue,theactionofcomingtotheladysfuneralstillshowshisgutandrepentanceofwhathedoes.Hisconfessionofhissinthroughwearingtheblackveillastsforalife-timelong,whichpresentshishonesty.Thewearingoftheveil,inmypointofview,doesnotindicatethattheministerdespairsofhisownandhiscongregationssalvation.Onthecontrary,itismotivatedbyhishopeforpeaceofmindintheafterlife:“Itisbutamortalveilitisnotforeternity!”(Hawthorne181)Comparedwiththosewhokeeptheirsinsecretinheart,Mr.Hooperhasthewillingnesstoremedyhismistake,whichismoreadmirableandvenerable.C.Egotism,ortheBosomSerpentPerceptivityonsinsAnotherexample,theshortstoryEgotismortheBosomSerpentalsoclearlyshowsHawthornesblacktheme.Heprovidesaverypowerfulinsightintotheself-obsessionknownasegotism.TheheroRoderickEllistonisestrangedfromhiswife,andfromthenon,asingulargloomspreadsoverhisdailylife.Hebelievesthatthereisaliveserpentinhisbosomperpetuallygnawinghim.Itleaveshimonlywhenheisabletomeethiswifeagainandforgetshisobsessionwithhisownills.Actuallythesnakeisthesymbolofpeoplesinnermostsinfulconsciousness.Asallpeoplearesinful,theyhavesnakesintheirhearts,too.SinceRoderickhimselfkeepstheguiltyandsinfulsenseinhisbosom,hehasabetterperceptivityofthesinscommitted,andhecanseekouthisowndiseaseineverybreast.Whenhemeetsanindividualwhoforthirtyyearshascherishedhatredagainsthisownbrother,heimmediatelyperceivesthatthereisaserpentinthemansheartwhichisgnawinghim,too.Whenheencountersanambitiousstatement,heaffirmsthatthegentlemansserpentmustbeofthespeciesoftheboaconstrictor,“foritsappetiteisenormousenoughtodevourthewholecountryandconstitution.”(Pearson1110)Onceheassures“aclose-fistedoldfellow,ofgreatwealth,butwhoskulksaboutthecityintheguiseofa