1、 高等院校英語本科教材 A Survey of American Literature The 3rd EDITION 美國文學(xué)簡史 （第三版） 常耀信 著 課件作者: 鄭佩偉 南開大學(xué)出版社2022/7/261 Chapter 1 Colonial AmericaI.The Origin of American Literature(美國文學(xué)的起源） 四種觀點：1、1492年，即意大利人Clumbus首次置足美洲大陸為起點。2、1607年，首批英國移民橫渡大西洋到達(dá)現(xiàn)在的Virginia一帶，并在那里建立第一個永久性殖民點(Jamestown)。3、1616，Smith 在英國出版的關(guān)于弗吉

2、尼亞的真正敘述被看做美國文 學(xué)的真正開端。4、1620年，大批英國移民乘坐“五月花號”帆船來到北美大陸，并在普利茅 斯（Plymouth)建立第二個殖民點。II. Puritanism 1、起源與主張： 清教，基督教新教派別之一。16世紀(jì)出現(xiàn)于英國。該派要求以加爾文學(xué)說為依據(jù)改革英國國教會，承認(rèn)圣經(jīng)為唯一權(quán)威，反對國王和主教的專制。主張清除國教中的天主教殘余，純潔教會，簡化儀式。2022/7/262 反對主教制，要求教會組織民主化。在世俗生活上，清教徒主張節(jié)儉、勤勞，厭惡懶惰和邪惡。 18世紀(jì)中葉英國著名的清教徒布道家約翰衛(wèi)斯理(John Wesley)的一句名言成為了清教徒精神的精辟概括：“

3、拼命地掙錢、拼命地省錢、拼命地捐錢(earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can)。Methodism, 就是由他創(chuàng)立的，在英國叫循道公會，在美國叫衛(wèi)理公會?？傊?，清教徒懷著一種使命感、神圣感在創(chuàng)業(yè)，在美國的開拓疆土、擴大產(chǎn)業(yè)、增加財富視為天職，他們始終過著一種圣潔、公義的生活，他們將自己的一切活動都神圣化，他們因此為美國人立下了奠定千秋萬代的產(chǎn)業(yè)和基業(yè)，為人類社會發(fā)展市場經(jīng)濟立下了典范和原動力. 2、清教主義思想的淵源加爾文教 John Calvin(15091564),法國神學(xué)家（theologian)。其宗教出發(fā)點就是“預(yù)定論”

4、(predestination)。曾提出“選民說”和“救贖理論”。他說：“為什么有些人一生默默無聞，有些人卻飛黃騰達(dá)？為什么有些人身居高位，而有些人卻抑居卑下？其根本原因是上帝的揀選”。選中的為選民，未被選中的為棄民。其積極意義在于以上帝的絕對權(quán)威否定了教皇的權(quán)威。他認(rèn)為要當(dāng)選民必須具有3個條件：對基督的虔誠；勇于斗爭、百折不撓地爭取事業(yè)的成功；具有高尚的道德品德。 2022/7/263加爾文教5大觀點： 1、人人生而有罪。2、上帝選擇有限。3、基督拯救有限。4、恩惠不由索取。5、圣徒保佑清教。III. 早期美國文學(xué)形式及主要作家 文學(xué)形式：diaries, journals, letters

5、, commonplace books(小冊子)，travel books, sermons. 主要作家：Anne Bradstreet（安妮.布拉德斯特里特），Edward Taylor(愛德華.泰勒)，Roger Williams(羅杰.威廉姆斯)，John Woolman(約翰.伍爾曼)，Thomas Paine(托馬斯.潘恩)，Philip Freneau(菲利普.弗瑞諾) 1、 Anne Bradstreet（16121672） 她是殖民地時期的第一位詩人，其第一部詩集：最近在北美出現(xiàn)的第十位繆斯（The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America，

6、1650)是移民在北美創(chuàng)作的第一部文學(xué)作品集。她有“第十位繆斯”之稱。作品題材分為兩類：一類是體現(xiàn)清教主義精神的宗教沉思，代表作有沉思錄(Meditations)，靈與肉(The Flesh and the Spirit). 第二類體現(xiàn)對丈夫、孩子、家庭、親友等真誠炙熱的愛。代表作有致我親愛的丈夫（To My Dear and Loving Husband). Contemlations(9) 我聽見歡快的蚱蜢在歌唱 黑衣蟋蟀扮演又一角色 他們保持同一音調(diào)演奏同一樂章 似乎為獻(xiàn)一小技而自鳴得意 當(dāng)我不能盡情高歌 可憐的小生靈們還能抬高嗓音 將它們的造物主放聲歌唱？ 2022/7/2642、 P

7、hilip Freneau（1752-1832） 有“美國詩歌之父”和“美國革命詩人”之稱。主要作品有：美國的榮耀蒸蒸日上(The Rising Glory of America, 1772), 英國囚船(The British Prison Ship, 1781), 野忍冬(The Wild Honey Suckle).美麗的花兒你長得如此秀麗，你銀裝素裹是大自然將你打扮， 卻藏身在這幽靜沉悶的地方，她吩咐你避開那世俗的目光， 甜美的花兒開了卻沒人親昵， 在這里她拋下綠蔭將你守看，招展的纖細(xì)枝條也沒人觀賞； 還送來潺潺流水環(huán)繞你身旁，沒游來蕩去的腳來把你摧殘， 就這樣夏日靜靜地走過你面前，

8、沒東攀西摘的手來將你折攀。 你時日流盡芳顏終槁靜臥安眠。2022/7/265 你的嬌媚終會凋謝讓我傷心， 你末日的芳顏流盡我無限哀嘆， 別的那些花兒也不比你幸運 ， 就連伊甸園的花兒也不能幸免于難； 這霜的嚴(yán)酷，秋的肅殺毫無情面 將這花兒摧殘，余痕難留一點。 當(dāng)初從晨曦和夜露之間 你這小小的生命來到世上， 你來時無牽掛去時無牽連， 因為你的死讓你同先前一樣； 這來去之間不過是一個鐘點， 這就是脆弱的花享有的天年。2022/7/266 Chapter 3 American RomanticismI. A brief introduction 美國浪漫主義時期開始于十八世紀(jì)末，到內(nèi)戰(zhàn)爆發(fā)為止，是美

9、國文學(xué)史上最重要的時期。華盛頓歐文出版的見聞札記標(biāo)志著美國文學(xué)的開端，新英格蘭超驗主義是美國浪漫主義達(dá)到鼎盛時期的標(biāo)志，惠特曼的草葉集是浪漫主義時期文學(xué)的壓卷之作。浪漫主義時期的文學(xué)是美國文學(xué)的繁榮時期，所以也稱為“美國的文藝復(fù)興。” 19世紀(jì)初，美國完全擺脫了對英國的依賴，以獨立國家的身份進(jìn)入世界政治舞臺。隨著獨立的美國政府的成立，美國人民已感到需要有美國文學(xué)，表達(dá)美國人民所特有的經(jīng)歷:早期清教徒的移民，與印第安人的遭遇，邊疆開發(fā)者的生活以及西部荒原等。 這時期作家們跟英國浪漫主義作家一樣，強調(diào)文學(xué)的想象力和感情色彩，反對古典主義的形式和觀點，歌頌大自然，崇尚個性解放與人的情感表達(dá)。這個時期

10、的主要作家有：華盛頓歐文 ，詹姆斯費尼莫庫柏 ，埃德加愛倫坡 ，艾默生，梭羅，霍桑，麥爾維爾，惠特曼，狄金森，布萊恩特，朗費羅。2022/7/267II.Life of Washington Irving 華盛頓歐文是美國著名作家，他于1783年4月3日出生在紐約一個富商家庭。歐文從少年時代起就喜愛閱讀英國作家司各特、拜侖和彭斯等人的作品。中學(xué)畢業(yè)后，他遵從父命在律師事務(wù)所學(xué)習(xí)法律，但他的志趣卻在文學(xué)方面。后來他因病赴歐洲休養(yǎng)，游歷了法國、英國和意大利，作了大量旅途筆記，為以后的創(chuàng)作積累了豐富的素材。1809年，他的第一部作品紐約外史以“迪德里希尼克博克”(Diedrich Knickerbo

11、cker)的筆名出版。這是一部具有獨特風(fēng)格的詼諧之作，充分顯露出歐文的幽默才能，這部作品使歐文成為紐約文壇風(fēng)靡一時的人物。 1815年，歐文再度赴英國，結(jié)識了司各特，騷塞等著名作家，同時獲得牛津大學(xué)授予的法學(xué)博士學(xué)位?；貒鬂撔母阄膶W(xué)創(chuàng)作，于1820年寫出了著名的見聞札記，這是歐文的代表作，包括小說、散文、雜感等32篇，其中包括兩個著名短篇小說：瑞普凡溫克爾和睡谷傳奇。以幽默風(fēng)趣的筆調(diào)和富于幻想的浪漫色彩，描寫了英國和美國古老的風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣以及善良淳樸的舊式人物。這部作品在英國出版后，受到歐美文學(xué)界的高度重視，奠定了歐文在美國文學(xué)史上的地位。1929年前后，他寫了三部有關(guān)西班牙的著作：哥倫布傳、攻

12、克格拉納達(dá)和阿爾罕伯拉。1850年（67歲），又一次赴英國旅游，并與狄更斯和薩克雷結(jié)為知己。他的晚年，除了當(dāng)過幾年美國駐西班牙公使外，絕大部分是在家鄉(xiāng)度過的。1859年11月28日，歐文與世長辭。美國人民為了懷念這位在文學(xué)方面做出突出貢獻(xiàn)的作家，在紐約下半旗致哀，而歐文的許多優(yōu)秀作品則被人們傳誦至今，成為珍貴的文學(xué)遺產(chǎn)。他本人更被尊為“美國文學(xué)之父”。 2022/7/268II.Main works 1. A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty(1809) 2.

13、The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent(1819- 1820) a. Rip Van Winkle b. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 3. The History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus 4. A Chronicle of the Conquest of Grannada 5. The Alhambra 6. Life of Goldsmith（哥爾德史密斯傳） 7. Life of Washington2022/7/269III.About Rip V

14、an Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 1. Rip Van Winkle 1).Main plot（主要情節(jié)） It is a short story by Washington Irving, published in THE SKETCH BOOK in 1819-20. Though set in the Dutch culture of pre-Revolutionary War New York state, the story of Rip Van Winkle is based on a German folktale. Rip Va

15、n Winkle is an amiable farmer who wanders into the Catskill Mountains, where he comes upon a group of dwarfs playing ninepins. Rip accepts their offer of a drink of liquor and promptly falls asleep. When he awakens, 20 years later, he is an old man with a long, white beard; the dwarfs are nowhere in

16、 sight. Rip goes into town and finds that everything is changed: his wife is dead, his children are grown, and George Washingtons portrait hangs in place of King George IIIs. The old man entertains the townspeople with tales of the old days and of his encounter with the little men in the Catskill mo

17、untains . 2）Further comments(其他） 這篇小說鄉(xiāng)土風(fēng)味濃郁，充滿浪漫主義奇想，流露出作者本人的保守觀點，也巧妙暗示了資產(chǎn)階級革命的局限。小說反映了兩大主題，一是避世（seclusion or solitude)。瑞普為躲避悍妻的咒罵離家出走就是對現(xiàn)實生活的逃避。再就是變革（social reform), 瑞普在山中只一宿，人2022/7/2610 間數(shù)十載，醒后下山回家，發(fā)現(xiàn)時間已過了整整二十年，人世滄桑，一切都十分陌生。原本閉塞的山村現(xiàn)在一片沸騰，到處是演說、傳單、競選。恍惚中，瑞普發(fā)現(xiàn)酒店招牌上英王喬治的畫像變了。紅色的上衣變成了藍(lán)黃色，手中的王笏變成寶劍，頭冠

18、三角帽，下面是“華盛頓將軍”的字眼。瑞普終于知道，他現(xiàn)在已由英王的臣民變?yōu)椤昂媳妵囊粋€自由的公民”。 另外，Rip Van Winkle 這個名字成了“時代的落伍者”和“思想上的落后者”的代名詞。 Rip(rest in peace). 2. Sleepy Hollow 1) Main characters Ichabod Crane(伊卡鮑德.克萊恩） Brom Bones(布羅姆.波恩斯） Katrina(卡純娜） 2）Main plot On the eastern side of the Hudson River in New York, there is a small marke

19、t town called Tarrytown. About two miles from Tarrytown is a little valley. People call it Sleepy Hollow. Soon after the end of the U.S. Revolutionary War(1775-6), a man named Ichabod Crane came to Sleepy Hollow to be the teacher in the area. He made himself useful in many ways. He helped the farmer

20、s with their daily works. 2022/7/2611 Soon Ichabod Crane became interested in Katrina Van Tassel, the only child of Baltus Van Tassel who had a big farm. However, Ichabod did have a rival, Abraham Van Brunt, whose nickname was Brom Bones. One autumn day Ichabod was invited to a party that evening at

21、 Mynheer Van Tassels. In the afternoon, he then borrowed a horse named Gunpower from a bad tempered farmer he lived with. Soon the party broke up; Ichabod, however, stayed on to talk with Katrina for a little while. When he left her he felt somewhat disappointed, without knowing exactly how she felt

22、 about him. He rode off on the old horse he had borrowed. It was the middle of the night when Ichabod approached the place where so many of the ghost story scenes supposedly took place. Two hundred yards ahead there was a bridge over a river. Ichabods horse suddenly stopped before the bridge. And ju

23、st then Ichabod saw something huge climbing upward in the shadow of the grove. Ichabod was terrified. He asked in unsteady voice: Who are you？ There was no response. And the unknown thing moved to the center of the road. This thing appeared to be a large horseman, on a powerful black horse! Ichabod

24、quickened his horse, and the stranger kept up with him. When Ichabods horse slowed down, the other horse did too. Ichabods heartbeat quickened. As he turned around, he was shocked to see that the horseman did not have a head! The head was carried beside the saddle. Ichabod tried to get away from the

25、 monster, but all he did was in vain. 2022/7/2612 The monster came closer and closer. As they reached the churchyard, the monster hit Ichabod with its own head. Ichabod fell off and tumbled headlong into the dust.Next morning the old horse was found. But no one could find Ichabod. What they did find

26、 was a shattered pumpkin on the ground. The people in the area came to the conclusion that Ichabod had been carried off by the galloping horseman. But an old farmer, who had been to New York City, learned that Ichabod was still alive and became a judge in the city. Brom Bones, in the meantime, had m

27、arried Katrina. Whenever he heard anyone tell this story, he always smiled. He laughed especially heartily when anyone mentioned the pumpkin. 3) Other comments 這個故事表現(xiàn)了“睡谷”與社會隔絕的特點以及由此造成的人們思想上的停滯與迷信，并以贊賞的口吻描寫了這個偏僻小村里喜氣洋洋的豐收景象和農(nóng)家的殷實富足。作者的用意在于美化早期美國殖民地宗法社會，想盡力展現(xiàn)鄉(xiāng)下比喧嘩的大都市優(yōu)越。2022/7/2613 Chapter 4 New Eng

28、land TranscendentalismI. What is Transcendentalism New England Transcendentalism was a religious, philosophical, and literary movement flourishing in New England in the 1830s. Transcendentalists assert the existence of an ideal spiritual state that transcends the physical and empirical and is only r

29、ealized through the individuals intuition, rather than through human knowledge, experience and reason. The ideas of transcendentalism were most eloquently expressed by Ralph Waldo Emerson in such essays as “Nature” (1836), “Self-Reliance,” and “The Over-Soul” (both 1841), and by Henry David Thoreau

30、in his book Walden (1854).II. The major features of Transcendentalism 1).Transcendentalists placed emphasis on spirit, or the Oversoul, as the most important thing in the universe. 2). Transcendentalists stressed the importance of the individual. To them the individual is the most element of society

31、. 3). Transcendentalists offered a fresh perception of nature as sybolic of the Spirit or God.2022/7/2614III. Life of Ralph Waldo Emerson(18031882) 拉爾夫瓦爾多愛默生思想家、散文作家、詩人。1803年5月25日生于波士頓一個牧師家庭。8歲喪父，家境陷入貧困。14歲前為了積累學(xué)費以備考入大學(xué)深造，便在中學(xué)食堂里謀得一個侍者的職位，邊求學(xué)，邊做工。1817年考入哈弗學(xué)院，1821年畢業(yè)后在他兄長開辦的波斯頓女子學(xué)校任教直到1825年。1826年進(jìn)入哈佛

32、神學(xué)院中級班學(xué)習(xí)，次年被獲準(zhǔn)講道。1828年成為波士頓第二教堂牧師，并以唯一神教牧師的身份布道。后因不贊成這一教派的某些教義，放棄了這一神職。 1833年赴歐游歷，拜訪浪漫主義運動的先驅(qū)人物柯爾律治、華茲華斯等，與卡萊爾結(jié)為知交，并深受康德先驗論哲學(xué)的影響?；貒笥?836年出版了被稱為是“超驗主義宣言”的集中闡述其超驗主義觀點的第一篇重要作品論自然。同年又同幾個志同道合的作家開始不定期聚會，探討神學(xué)、哲學(xué)及文學(xué)等方面的問題，并出版綜合文藝刊物日晷(The Dial)。1837年8月31日，愛默生在美國大學(xué)生聯(lián)誼會上2022/7/2615 以論美國學(xué)者為題發(fā)表演講，抨擊美國社會中靈魂從屬于金錢

33、的拜金主義和資本主義勞動分工使人異化為物的現(xiàn)象，強調(diào)人的價值；提出學(xué)者的任務(wù)是自由而勇敢地從皮相中揭示真實，以鼓舞人、提高人、引導(dǎo)人；他號召發(fā)揚民族自尊心，反對一味追隨外國的學(xué)說。這一演講轟動一時，對美國民族文化的興起產(chǎn)生重大的影響，被霍爾姆斯譽為“我們的思想上的獨立宣言”。 1861-1865內(nèi)戰(zhàn)期間，他積極反對南方蓄奴制，支持約翰.布朗的行動，在一次演講中公開稱自己為絕對的廢奴主義者(abolitionist)，1862年發(fā)表題為“美國文明”的講演，并令見林肯。林肯遭暗殺后，他稱林肯為“這片大陸上的真正的代表人物”。1882年4月27日病逝于家鄉(xiāng)康科德鎮(zhèn)（Concord)，離他80歲生日僅

34、差不到一個月。 IV.His main works 1. Nature(論自然) 2. Self-Reliance(論自助) 3. The Oversoul(論超靈) 4.The American Scholar(美國學(xué)者) 5. The Divine School Address(神學(xué)院獻(xiàn)辭) 6.The Poet2022/7/2616 Chapter 5 Nathaniel HawthorneI.Life of the author 納森尼爾霍桑（18041864）美國小說家，是美國19世紀(jì)影響最大的浪漫主義小說家和心理小說家。愛倫.坡曾贊揚他“他具有非凡的文學(xué)天賦，無論是在美國還是在其他

35、國家都是獨一無二的”。他被認(rèn)為是美國文學(xué)史上浪漫主義小說和心理分析小說的開創(chuàng)者。1804年7月4日出生于馬薩諸塞州薩萊姆鎮(zhèn)一個沒落的世家。他的祖輩之中有人(William Hawthorne, John Hawthorne)曾參與清教徒迫害異端的事件，為著名的1692年“薩萊姆驅(qū)巫案”(The Salem Witchcraft Trial)的3 名法官之一。這段歷史對霍桑的思想產(chǎn)生了深刻的影響?；羯５母赣H是一名船長,在他4歲時去世。1821年霍桑在親戚資助下進(jìn)入博多因?qū)W院，同學(xué)中有詩人朗費羅與后來當(dāng)選為總統(tǒng)的皮爾斯等. 1825年大學(xué)畢業(yè)，回到塞勒姆鎮(zhèn)，從事寫作。據(jù)他姐姐回憶，霍桑讀大學(xué)期間學(xué)

36、業(yè)平平，他熱衷于政治社會活動，經(jīng)常因違反校規(guī)被罰款和警告，畢業(yè)前后曾寫過幾個短篇，但被退稿，他一氣之下燒了手稿。 1836年和1846年霍桑曾兩度在海關(guān)任職，1841年曾參加超驗主義者創(chuàng)辦的布魯克農(nóng)場。他于1842年結(jié)婚，在康科德村居住，結(jié)識了作家愛默生、梭羅等人。1848年由于政見與當(dāng)局不同,失去海關(guān)的職務(wù),便致力于創(chuàng)作活動，寫出了他最重要的長篇小說紅字(1850），使他成為公認(rèn)的當(dāng)時最重要的小說家。皮爾斯當(dāng)選為美國總統(tǒng)后，霍桑于1853年被任命為駐英國利物浦的領(lǐng)事。2022/7/2617 1857年后,霍桑僑居意大利,創(chuàng)作了另一部討論善惡問題的長篇小說玉石雕像(1860)。1860年霍桑返

37、回美國，在康科德定居，堅持寫作。1864年5月19日去世，身后留下4部未完成的長篇小說。II. 霍桑文學(xué)創(chuàng)作思想 霍桑是一個思想上充滿矛盾的作家，新英格蘭的清教主義傳統(tǒng)對他影響很深。他自幼受故鄉(xiāng)宗教氣氛的熏陶，他的童年時代是在薩萊姆鎮(zhèn)上的林蔭遮蔽的凄涼城堡中度過的，敗落的家境使幼小的霍桑性格變得內(nèi)向，常常帶有幾分的壓抑和消沉。一方面他反抗這個傳統(tǒng)，抨擊宗教狂熱和狹隘、虛偽的宗教信條；另一方面他又受這個傳統(tǒng)的束縛，以加爾文教派的善惡觀念來認(rèn)識社會和整個世界。作家梅爾維爾曾指出，他的作品中滲透著“加爾文教派的人性本質(zhì)和原罪的觀念”。霍桑思想保守，對生產(chǎn)的發(fā)展和技術(shù)進(jìn)步抱有抵觸情緒，對社會改革持懷疑

38、態(tài)度，對當(dāng)時蓬勃開展的廢奴運動不很理解。這些在他的作品中都有所流露。在藝術(shù)上他獨具一格，擅長心理描寫，善于揭示人物的內(nèi)心沖突。他把自己的小說稱為“心理羅曼史”。他潛心挖掘隱藏在事物背后的不易覺察的意義，作品想象豐富，結(jié)構(gòu)嚴(yán)謹(jǐn) 。 他認(rèn)為人生都是“惡”，人的一切罪行皆來源于內(nèi)心的“惡”，“惡”無處不在，無處不有，他認(rèn)為“內(nèi)在世界一旦凈化，外在世界游蕩著的許多罪惡都會自行消失”。 2022/7/2618III.Main works 1.Twice Told Tales(1837,重講一遍的故事第一個短篇小說集） 2. Mosses from an Old Manse古屋青苔 3. The Scar

39、let Letter(1850) 4. The House of the Seven Gables帶七個尖角閣的房子 5. The Ministers Black Veil牧師的黑面紗 6. The Marble Faun玉石雕像 7. Young Goodman Brown青年古德曼.布朗 8. The Blithedale Romance福谷傳奇IV. About The Scarlet Letter 1. Main characters Hester Prynne(海絲特.白蘭）Chillingworth（齊靈沃斯） Dimmesdale（狄梅斯代爾） Pearl（珍珠） 2022/7/

40、2619 The 10 Commandments Gods Revelation in the Old TestamentThe 10 Commandments are found in the Bibles Old Testament at Exodus, Chapter 20. They were given directly by God to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai after He had delivered them from slavery in Egypt: And God spoke all these words, sayin

41、g: I am the LORD your God ONE: You shall have no other gods before Me. TWO: You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. THREE: You shall not take the name of the LORD your G

42、od in vain. FOUR: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. FIVE: Honor your father and your mother. SIX: You shall not murder. SEVEN: You shall not commit adultery. EIGHT: You shall not steal. NINE: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. TEN: You shall not covet your neighbors hou

43、se; you shall not covet your neighbors wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbors. 2022/7/26202.Plot A young woman, Hester Prynne, is led from the town prison with her infant daughter, Pearl, in her arms and the scarlet letter

44、“A” on her breast. A man in the crowd tells an elderly onlooker that Hester is being punished for adultery. Hesters husband, a scholar much older than she is, sent her ahead to America, wherebut Hester has apparently had an affair. She will not reveal her lovers identity. The elderly onlooker is Hes

45、ters missing husband, who is now practicing medicine and calling himself Roger Chillingworth. He settles in Boston, intent on revenge. He reveals his true identity to no one but Hester. Dimmesdale, however, appears to be wasting away and suffers from mysterious heart trouble, seemingly caused by psy

46、chological distress. Chillingworth suspects that there may be a connection between the ministers torments and Hesters secret, and he begins to test Dimmesdale to see what he can learn. One afternoon, while the minister sleeps, Chillingworth discovers a mark on the mans breast which convinces him tha

47、t his suspicions are correct. Dimmesdales psychological anguish deepens, and he invents new tortures for himself. Hester goes to Chillingworth and asks him to stop adding to Dimmesdales self-torment. Chillingworth refuses. 2022/7/2621 Hester arranges an encounter with Dimmesdale in the forest becaus

48、e she is aware that Chillingworth has probably guessed that she plans to reveal his identity to Dimmesdale. The former lovers decide to flee to Europe, where they can live with Pearl as a family. They will take a ship sailing from Boston in four days. Both feel a sense of release and Hester removes

49、her scarlet letter and lets down her hair. The day before the ship is to sail, the townspeople gather for a holiday and Dimmesdale preaches his most eloquent sermon ever. Meanwhile, Hester has learned that Chillingworth knows of their plan and has booked passage on the same ship. Dimmesdale, leaving

50、 the church after his sermon, sees Hester and Pearl standing before the town scaffold. He impulsively mounts the scaffold with his lover and his daughter, and confesses publicly, exposing a scarlet letter seared into the flesh of his chest. He falls dead. Frustrated in his revenge, Chillingworth die

51、s a year later. Hester and Pearl leave Boston, and no one knows what has happened to them. Many years later, Hester returns alone, still wearing the scarlet letter, to live in her old cottage and resume her charitable work. She receives occasional letters from Pearl, who has married a European arist

52、ocrat and established a family of her own. When Hester dies, she is buried next to Dimmesdale. 2022/7/2622V.Themes of the Scarlet Letter 1. Sin, Rejection, and Redemption Hester must wear a red badge of shame, identifying her an adulteress and making her an outcast in her community. On the pillory,

53、she endures the glare of scornful eyes and thereafter lives on the outskirts of town with her child, Pearl. However, though Hester has committed a grave sin, she redeems herself by accepting her punishment, and living an exemplary life. 2. Self-Respect Hester proudly carries on as she wears the scar

54、let letter, deciding to live according to the high standards she sets for herself rather than the low standards others have set for her. She takes responsibility for herself and establishes her own identity, winning the admiration of the townspeople in the end. 3. Good From Evil Hesters adultery, a

55、heinous crime in Puritan Boston, results in the birth of her daughter, Pearl. Though unruly and wild when growing up, Pearl is a blessinga little gem that gives off a bright light at a time of darkness. 4. Revenge Chillingworth made use of all means to revenge himself on Dimmesdale. 5. Rigidity and

56、Legalism The Puritan officials had rigid adherence to their moral code.2022/7/2623VI. Symbols in the novel 1. The Letter A: The scarlet letter obviously symbolizes a grave sin, adultery. 2. The Rosebush: Growing outside the prison, this shrub seems to represent pity, hope and survival. The rosebush

57、may also symbolize the mixture of goodness (the roses) and evil (the thorns) in and around each human being. 3. Dimmesdale: The ministers name represents the state of his existence: dim, gloomy, dark. 4. Pillory: The pillory represents the rigidity of the Puritan religious code . 5. Pearl: Hesters d

58、aughter Pearl symbolizes the shining goodness that can result from a sinful act. 6. Clothes of Roger Chillingworth: When Chillingworth appears in Boston with an Indian, he is clad in a strange disarray(=disorder) of civilized and savage costume. His apparel(clothes) seems to symbolize two sides of C

59、hillingworth. One is the enlightened Chillingworth .The other Chillingworth is the barbarous one who seeks revenge 7. Blackness, Darkness: Blackness and darkness are important images in the novel, symbolizing the sternness and rigidity of the Puritans, the somberness of life in colonial Boston, and

60、sinfulness and secrecy. 2022/7/2624VII.Hawthornes language in the novel peraventure=perhaps in fine=finally well-nigh=almost ere=before dexterity=skill hidden import=meaning wherefore=why heretofore=until now betoken=indicate nigh=close to or near dame=woman inasmuch as=because of late=recently betw