论《红字》的清教观(1)学毕业论文网(2)

D.Dimmesdale’s attitude toward his sin

In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale and Hester commit the same sin but they suffer the different punishment and have the different attitude toward it. Since religion was such a key point of their lives, anyone who did disobey their god was looked down upon. What made religion ironically in this story is that the difference between people’s attitude towards the reverend and Hester.The reverend who had committed the same sin still own high reputation but Hester was looked down upon severely. Dimmesdale said “before the judgment-seat, thy mother, and thou, and I, must stand together! But daylight of this world shall not see our meeting!”[9](P129)The reverend knows his sin and wants to be punished with Hester and Pearl, yet not until what he calls judgment day. The Puritans are intolerant of anything they consider to be evil. Their community, Boston, is an experiment, where the Christian world is watching with interest—so intolerance of evil must be their watchword. Hester is forced to openly accept her shame. Dimmesdale, her lover, is able to avoid public shame. But when Dimmesdale appeared again, it seemed that he was suffering from poor health. One reason might be that he labored long and hard at his religious duties, but another—more important—reason was probably that he was plagued by his conscience, the knowledge of his hypocrisy. And it is very ironical that as a Puritan authority to determine others’ sin, Dimmesdale himself is a sinner who has committed adultery. But he is an intransigent Puritan and nothing can make him change-not even death. He becomes the embodiment of Puritanism, follows more closely than any philosophy that his relationship with God matters more than anything else, and that he must only answer to God. Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale as a symbol of Puritanism. He picks up and exaggerates the flaws in Puritanism and makes them become Dimmesdale’s characteristics. Dimmesdale feels that God will punish him for his sin and that he need only answer to God for his sin, so he keeps it as a secret. He tries to live a life as if nothing has changed, but his guilt weakens him and ends him in death. “At the end of the novel, he died tragically in confession and atonement and became a victim in religious monasticism. The restraint from religion in human nature not only wrecks the god-people like Hester but also ruins the devout clergies like Dimmesdale.”[10] (48) He is the victim of the Puritan society. And another aspect of Puritanism is the source of God’s will. It is in the Bible. The Puritans distrust nature as a guide for behavior, which just explain why Hester and Dimmesdale feel free in the forest during their talk. University trains clergymen such as Dimmesdale and Wilson from Cambridge, England are highly respected, for they are well able to interpret the meaning of the Bible. David, Bathsheba, and Nathan the prophet are not exactly representative of the Christian virtues of fidelity emphasized by the Puritans.

E.The confession in the Puritan society

In addition, the Puritans greatly view the value of confession. The first members of the Boston Puritan church are required to make a public acknowledgment of their sins. Later, the new members of the Puritan group are allowed to confess their sins in the privacy of the minister’s study. How Hester’s scarlet symbol must delight her viewers, for she is constantly confessing to the world by displaying her letter of adultery! How unattractive to Dimmesdale the confessing be! He can work himself into an emotional state in which he feels that at any moment he may confess such as his humiliation in the pulpit, or his scream for attention on the scaffold in the middle of the night. But,after having relieved his conscience to some extent by those long preparations, he then retreats from actually telling his sin. His hidden sin burns inside his breast, this remorse is intensified by the goading of Chillingworth, who has no real wish to reveal Dimmesdale as a sinner of hiding congregation. His wish is to torture him with thoughts of public shame if distrust in decisions reached only by the head; the Puritans feel the necessity of understanding as a result of spontaneous decision coming from the heart. Notice that Dimmesdale’s great popularity as a speaker stems from his wonderful ability to excite the imagination, no fire but the enthusiasm of his hearers. Dimmesdale’s greatness does not appeal solely to the mind—his greatest sermons speak to the heart.

Finally, the fidelity in marriage and the sacredness of the family are both stressed by the Puritan “fathers”. So Hester is regarded as a crime for she is not loyal to her husband. Although it is believed that her husband has been dead, Hester is still not allowed to have love affairs with other men. When Hester is talking to Dimmesdale in the forest he is very surprised, for she is not quite sure that a human being is talking to her. It is the first time that Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale have been together since the midnight watch on the scaffold. Before that time Pearl and Chillingworth had observed them. Now they are alone, for Pearl is playing at some distance in the forest. The two lovers address each other wonderingly—almost as if each doubted that the other lived. Seven years have gone since they met each other last time. How cruel it is for two lovers. Hester’s husband has been disappeared for such a long time that Hester has her own right to accept a new love affair, or even marriage. But under the doctrine of the Puritanism, it is impossible because Hester is strongly requested to be faithful to her husband whether he is alive or dead. But the irony of the novel lies in the fact that the most respected member of this Puritanical society, the Reverend Dimmesdale, is Hester's partner in sin. Hester, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale struggle throughout the novel to find happiness while staying within their belief. Hester ultimately finds happiness by venturing beyond the confines of pure Puritanism though it is her Puritan faith that causes her life to stay in Boston and wear the scarlet letter. Chillingworth is unable to stray from his strict adherence to logic and reason. He is doomed by needing to know who has committed the sinful act of adultery with his wife. His logic and reason guide him to his answer but his drive to know eventually weakens and kills him. Reverend Dimmesdale strayed from his Puritan beliefs when he committed adultery. His struggle is not with reason but with his stead adherence to the Puritan belief. Dimmesdale does not find reason within himself for his relationship with Hester nor does he reveal the truth about his sinful relationship until he realizes he is dying. So in this Puritanism society, everyone no matter who has done something wrong will get punished.

F.The features of the punishment in Puritan society

Many laws were enacted in Boston, and a lot of Puritans were similarly punished. The custom of labeling a criminal with words or initials expositive of his political or religious offense is so ancient in the Puritan communities.

It was the characteristics of the times—every little Puritan community sought to know by every fireside, to hate in every heart, offence, great or small, which could hinder the growth and prosperity of the new abiding-place, which was to all a true home, and which they loved with a fervor that would be incomprehensible. As we know that their spiritual exaltation is their new found freedom to worship God. Since they were human, they sinned. But the sinners were never spared, either in publicity or punishment. Keen justice made the magistrate rigid and exact in the exposition and publication of crime, hence the labeling of an offender. However, the most severe punishment for those sinners is the isolation from the society or the community he or she lives in.

The harsh, Puritanical point of view is noted in the unfriendly attitude of the townspeople toward Hester. They also feel that her sentence is much too lenient. They punish her further by making both Hester and Pearl social outcasts. They avoid interaction with either of them and often cast suspicious looks and insulting comments in their direction. Hester's sin, shame, and guilt are clearly heightened by the fact that she lives in a strict Puritanical society, which is unable and unwilling to forgive her sin. The “little Puritans” are very “intolerant” of the mother and the child and often “scorn” them in their hearts and say unkind things to them. A t home, Pearl makes companions of everyday objects. She talks with ancient pine trees, imagining them to be Puritan elders. By resenting and reacting against the Puritan children, Pearl joins her mother in the same circle of seclusion from human society.

No better place to put someone on display for alleged wrongdoing. People are so consumed with others lives and "spirituality" that they completely ignore their own. This is because the actions of individuals are put in the spotlight for public scrutiny. The veil and letter are successful devices because of the shallowness of the Puritan community, especially those portrayed within these two works. The outsiders miss the point completely, the allegory is lost, but we see a positive result in The Scarlet Letter. Found in the conclusion is a description of Hester's growth as a result of the letter. Being able to withdraw herself from her mundane surroundings and ideals, she is able to gain perspective and see the reactions of her community for what they really are. Women in the community for advice seek her out because of her experience and the resulting wisdom she has gained. The true righteousness and genius within these works lie within the two put on display for their community; inflicted with seemingly dark and wicked symbols, they are able to stand on the other side of the madness and judge for themselves.

G.Nathaniel Hawthorne’s attitude towards Puritanism

In this novel, Hawthorne used the repressive, authoritarian Puritan society as an analogue for humankind in general. The Puritan setting also enabled him to portray the human soul under extreme pressure. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, while unquestionable part of the Puritan society in which they live, also reflect universal experiences. Hawthorne speaks specially to American issues, but he circumvents the aesthetic and thematic limitations that might accompany such focus. His university and his dramatic flair have ensured his place in the literary canon.

Back to his attitude towards the Puritanism of ancestors, when Hawthorne read the accounts about his first American ancestors, he was reported to have read them with fascination and horror. He was different from his ancestors; he had a feeling to some extent of Puritanism as being intolerant and cruel. He seemes to think that the Puritan religion was too strict and harsh. You can see how he disliked them by the way people act, talk, and live.

Meanwhile, he also showed how he thought the Puritan people would react to the manner in which Hester stitched the "A", and he did not make them look very pleasant. By showing them as being ruthless, and evil, Hawthorne was able to reveal his views of the Puritan people, and how he disliked them through the townsfolk (the woman in particular). He made them come across as people you would love to hate. Throughout the entire book, Hester was looked down upon though slightly less as the story progressed, and treated like a second class citizen. Hawthorne showed his distaste of the Puritan culture by expressing himself through the characters and their actions.  Not one person in this novel was truly good, and all the characters sinned.  It was impossible to have a perfect society, and Nathaniel Hawthorne explained to us in The Scarlet Letter, that one ruled by the Puritan religion, proved this true.

Nevertheless, although he was shocked by the Puritan injustice, he was convinced that there was both good and evil in Puritanism. He thought a lot about the conflict of God as omniscient and omnipotent on one hand, and vengeful and cruel on the other. He saw that religion was able to produce evil. Things like the witch trials, where innocent people had to die, could happen in his Puritan hometown of Salem, which led him to the opinion that the fusion of religious dogma and political authority was the worst evil. His ancestors and all the other Puritans maybe thought to have found the devil when prosecuting witches, but Hawthorne was of a different opinion. Whose side was the devil on? Hawthorne’s answer was evil in everybody. It makes people blind so they are not able to recognize the evil in themselves. Therefore, Hawthorne tried to find distance from this face of Puritanism and lived Puritan ideology and philosophy in his own way.

In a whole, Hawthorne’s attitude towards Puritanism was split. There were things he was absolutely in favor of and things he condemned from the depth of his heart. And to some extent, Hawthorne was a Puritan because of his Puritan origin. It was Puritanism that has led to today’s American achievement oriented society. But Hawthorne described the Puritan society of the 17th century as narrow and relentless. He did not share the dogmas and delusions of the people be condemned because he had little interest and less belief in doctrines and theological debate. His imagination was repeatedly drawn the subjects of temptation, guilt and shame. He sought the depth of the human things.

Of course Hawthorne’s point of view is that of the 19th century, not that of 17th century, where his short stories are settled. He is aware of his roots and history, but he questions these roots and history from his modern point of view.

Ⅲ.Conclusion

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne explores several aspects in the Puritan community of 17th century Boston.Such as the relationship, religion, community, discipline and punishment and so on.Relationship between men and women are very constrained and that are what made adultery such a bad sin in the eyes of everyone in the community. Religion seemes to govern over all. Reverends own high status in the Puritan society and people completely believe that their fate are relevent with God. Public discipline and punishment are used to discourage everyone else from committing the same crime or sin as the offending criminal did. The communities always follow the belief of God and try best to do their duties. And are always here to criticize and punish all who disobeyed the religion or laws.

In 17th century Boston every thing was very strict and everyone was expected to follow the laws, which makes Hester's sin such an excellent illustration of the belief of that time period. Through the things like relationship, religion, community, discipline and punishment,the reader can get a better understanding of what was expected of town’s people in the 17th century. The Scarlet Letter shows the pain and suffering a woman went through when she broke her marriage, and disobeyed her religion. The fate driven religious society in 17th century Boston would not accept sin of any kind so they branded Hester Prynne with the letter A for the rest of her life and made her stand in front of the whole community as an illustration for everyone that sin and corruption was not accepted in their Puritan society.After the 17th century, the Puritans as a political entity largely disappeared, but Puritan attitudes and ethics continued to exert an influence on American society. They made a virtue of qualities that made for economic success---self-reliance, frugality, industry, and energy, and through them influenced modern social and economic life. Their concern for education was important in the development of the United States, and the idea of congregational democratic church government was carried into the political life of the state as a source of modern democracy. Through The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorn highly praises the beauty of human nature and comprehends the Puritan thought and values which deeply influence the Americans.He also “condemns the negative impact of Puritan society on people’s spirit.”[11](P41) And at the same time helps people                   

to realize the dark side of Puritan: harshness and persecutions.

Bibliography:

〔1〕余志远.英语国家概况.北京：外语教学与研究出版社,2000.P238.

〔2〕史志康.美文学背景概观 [M].上海：上海外语教育出版社,1998.P65.

〔3〕朱锦锐.“The Puritan Flavour---Comment on The Scarlet Letter”. Journal of Changji University,Sept.2002,No.3:P92.

〔4〕liu Feng. “A Pietist, or Sceptic---On Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Puritanism Thought”. Chang Chun University of Science and Technology (Social Sciences),Vol.18,Mar.2005,No.1:P47.

〔5〕Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter .青岛：青岛出版社，2004.P42.

〔6〕Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter .青岛：青岛出版社，2004.P43.

〔7〕Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter .青岛：青岛出版社，2004.P147.

〔8〕张丽君.“Hester As a Rebel Against Puritanism”. Journal of Hulunbeir College,No.2 Vol.7,Sept.1999:P85.

〔9〕Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter .青岛：青岛出版社，2004.P129.

〔10〕liu Feng. “A Pietist, or Sceptic---On Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Puritanism Thought”. Chang Chun University of Science and Technology (Social Sciences),Vol.18 No.1,Mar.2005:P48.

〔11〕张雅琳.“The Scarlet Letter---An Accusation Against Puritan Law.” Journal of Jinzhong Teachers College,Vol.17 No.4,Dec.2000:P41.

〔12〕 Emory Elliott, General Editor. Columbia Literary History of the United States. New York: Columbia University Press, 1988.

〔13〕 Horton, Rod W. and Herbert W. Edwards. Backgrounds of American Literary Thought [M]. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentic-Hall, Inc, 1974.

〔14〕 Ye Chunli .“Hawthorne’s Thoughts in The Scarlet Letter”. Journal of Bingtuan Education Institute,vol.10 No.3,Sep.2000.

〔15〕姚乃强译.红字（M）.南京：译林出版社，1996.

共2页: 2