霍桑《红字》中的生命意识探析

《红字》是美国著名作家霍桑的代表作,小说超越了清教传统的原罪思想,从生命本身来关注人性的危机.霍桑反对以理性规范戕害他人的医生齐灵沃思,也不赞同以上帝名义逃避责任的牧师丁梅斯代尔,只有热爱与敬畏生命的女性海丝特才成为他歌颂的中心.与灰色阴森的现实背景相对比,海丝特胸前鲜红的A字不再是耻辱的标志,而是生命的象征.同样,作为爱的结晶,无拘无束的女孩珠儿与自然为伍,宛若林间精灵,完全成为了生命的化身.

Analysis of Life Consciousness in Hawthorne’s the Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter is a masterpiece of Nathaniel Hawthorne,a famous American writer.The thoughts contained in the novel go beyond the original sin of Puritan tradition,proceeding from life itself to focus on the bisexual and human crisis.Hawthorne was against Dr Chillingworth who harmed the others according to rational norms.He also opposed Reverend Dimmesdale who evaded responsibility in the name of God.Only Hester became the center of his praise because of her love and reverence of life.Compared with the gloomy realistic background,the scarlet letter A on Hester’s breast is no longer a mark of shame,but a symbol of life.Similarly,Pearl,the daughter of Hester,living freely in nature as a forest fairy,has completely become the incarnation of life.