Symbolism Behind the Scarlet Letter 《红字》背后的象征手法.doc

Symbolism Behind the Scarlet Letter Abstract: As a great romantic novelist in America in 19th century, Hawthorne was outstanding in handling the application of symbolism, and a study of his symbols is necessary to understanding his novels. The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne’s most important symbolic novel, which stands as the best work of Hawthorne and one of the indubitable masterpieces of American literature. This thesis aims at the exploration of the usage of the symbolism in the novel. It mainly discusses the deep symbolic significance of the scarlet letter “A” and the major characters. The scarlet letter is the central symbol of the novel. Its symbolic meaning changes from” adultery” to” angel, it also examines the symbolic meanings of little Pearl and Hester Prynne. Key words: symbolism; Scarlet Letter. 《红字》背后的象征手法 摘 要：作为19世纪美国著名的浪漫主义小说家，霍桑在象征手法的运用上尤为出色。霍桑的代表作——《红字》被公认为一部不朽之作，其中精妙的象征手法始终贯穿全文，进一步提高了作品的艺术价值。本文从红字的多种象征意义主要人物的方面入手，研究《红字》中的象征手法。Nathaniel Hawthorne is a great romantic novelist in American inthe19th century，and is a central figure in the American Renaissance. His novels are penetrating exploration of moral and spiritual conflicts. He is outstanding in literary skills，especially in his use of symbolism. In The Scarlet Letter，symbolism runs through the whole novel where the scarlet letter A ,the characters of the story and the settings are all endowed with a deep symbolic significance. This essay highlights and interprets the major symbolism of the book represented by the colors, the characters and above all，the scarlet letter. 1 Symbolism Behind the Red Color and the Capital Letter A 1. 1 The Colors Hawthorne uses colors as a major form of symbolism. According to the book，outside the door of the prison，“the black flower of civilized society,” sprung a wild rosebush in nominal of the deep sympathetic heart o f Nature. Black thus seems to symbolize the dogmatic, harsh, and restrictive nature of Man’s law and civilized society, whereas red is s