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Abstract: A famous writer in American Renaissance, Nathaniel Hawthorne was deeply influenced by three thoughts, Puritanism consciousness, transcendental philosophy and transcendentalism .Novel The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne‘s most remarkable masterpiece. It thoroughly response to people‘s spirit wreck of Puritanism and unbridled pursuit for happy life. Meanwhile, The Scarlet Letter also makes Nathaniel Hawthorne known all around the world. Hawthorne uses the symbolism so skillful that it enhances the artistic effects of his work greatly. This paper researches the symbolism in this novel from many objects that are described in the novel to make the symbolism clear to the readers.
Keywords: scarlet letter, symbolism, objects
中圖分类号：O141文献标识码： A
ⅠIntroduction
Nathaniel Hawthorne is a great romantic novelist in America in the 19th 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 is a system of symbols and symbolic representations. Moreover, some other objects described in the novel also have their symbolic meanings.
Ⅱ The Symbolic Meanings of the Objects described in the Novel
In The Scarlet Letter, most of the objects that are described have many symbolic meanings.
2.1 Objects with positive symbolic meaning
The forest represents a free and dark world, which is a place where no Puritan law exists. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of a mysterious forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a shelter for members of society in great need of an escape from daily Puritan life. In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the important characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. Mistress Hibbing invites Hester to attend one of their meanings in the forest. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This is precisely the escape route from strict rules of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as women, can open up and be themselves. For Pearl, it is a place where she can run and play freely picking flowers and makes friends with the animals who live there. It also represents a dark world where witches gather, individuals sell their souls to the devil, and where Dimondale can acknowledge his sin to Hester, but not to the rest of the world. The trees surrounding it allow for only little sunlight to penetrate. The forest looks like a place of gloom and darkness, which is trapped in the symbol of evil and sin .It is a place where one can find their way by following narrow paths. It is also here that Hester can openly express her love to Dimmesdale. The forest itself is the embodiment of freedom. Nobody watches in the woods to report misbehavior. It is here that individuals may do as they wish and the rosebush has positive values that represent righteousness.
The rose bush is a symbol of passion. As will later become obvious, Hester Prune’s sin is one of passion, thus linking her crime to the image of the rosebush. Hawthorne also indirectly compares Hester with Ann Hutchinson via the rosebush, and again makes the same parallel in Chapter 13, Another View of Hester. Cleverly linked to the wilderness surrounding Boston, the rose bush may be a remnant of the former forest covering the area.
2.2 Objects with negative symbolic meaning
The cemetery and the prison have negative values representing evil. The prison represents several different symbols. Foremost it is a symbol for the Puritanical severity of law. The description of the prison indicates that it is old, rusted, yet strong with an “iron-clamped. Oaken door.” This represents the rigorous enforcement of laws and the inability to break free of them. The prison also serves as the symbol of the authority of the regime, which will not tolerate deviance. Hawthorne directly challenges this notion by throwing the name Ann Hutchinson into the opening pages. Hutchinson was a religious woman who disagreed with the Puritanical teachings, and as a result was imprisoned in Boston.
2.3 Symbolic meaning of different colors
Hawthorne also gives symbolic meanings to the colors that he employs in the novel. The dark, sober, sable garments that Hester wears represent her dull and gloomy life filled with grief, guilt and sorrow. Those colors also represent those imprisoned by the rules of Puritan society .In contrast; Hester dresses Pearl in bright colors, especially crimson, in defiance of the scarlet letter and as a symbol of the child’s free spirit. The color of the letter carries special significance. It is red because that is the color associated with the devil, and the puritans believe that Hester’s sin is a mark of Satan. Ironically, the innocent Pearl fashions a letter “A” for herself, but she makes it out of seaweed that is bright green, the color of life itself. Black is also used in the novel. Mistress Hibbing practices black magic throughout the book, and many suspect Chilling worth of doing the same.
ⅢConclusion
Hawthorne’s unique style is what stands out about his novel. He manages to weave an important message into a very well written novel. His many symbols stand for anything from the corruptness and pointlessness of Puritan punishment, to the good and pure that can sprout from dark roots. In the novel the author uses the symbolic technique to illustrate this theme. The symbolic reading of The Scarlet Letter helps the readers understand more about the characters and the social history they live in. Through the analysis of the symbolic significance of the natural environment that the characters situated, we can have a deep understanding of the symbolism in the novel.
Symbolism is a traditional artistic form; it also is a major feature of Romanticism. As a famous writer of romanticism, Hawthorne is skillful at the using of symbolism in his works. The various usage of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter comes to be a work of the world. Therefore, Hawthorne fully deserves the title “the prophet of symbolism.”
Bibliography
(1) 李宏偉. 1997. 第9期. 红字中的象征[J]. 山西大学师范学院学报
(2) Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1981.The Scarlet letter. USA: Bantam Books.
(3) Feidelson, Charles, Jr. Symbolism and American Literature, Chicago. The University of Chicago Press.
(4) 高淑兰. 1994.第4期. 红字人物形象分析[J]. 黑龙江教育学院学报
Keywords: scarlet letter, symbolism, objects
中圖分类号：O141文献标识码： A
ⅠIntroduction
Nathaniel Hawthorne is a great romantic novelist in America in the 19th 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 is a system of symbols and symbolic representations. Moreover, some other objects described in the novel also have their symbolic meanings.
Ⅱ The Symbolic Meanings of the Objects described in the Novel
In The Scarlet Letter, most of the objects that are described have many symbolic meanings.
2.1 Objects with positive symbolic meaning
The forest represents a free and dark world, which is a place where no Puritan law exists. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of a mysterious forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a shelter for members of society in great need of an escape from daily Puritan life. In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the important characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. Mistress Hibbing invites Hester to attend one of their meanings in the forest. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This is precisely the escape route from strict rules of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as women, can open up and be themselves. For Pearl, it is a place where she can run and play freely picking flowers and makes friends with the animals who live there. It also represents a dark world where witches gather, individuals sell their souls to the devil, and where Dimondale can acknowledge his sin to Hester, but not to the rest of the world. The trees surrounding it allow for only little sunlight to penetrate. The forest looks like a place of gloom and darkness, which is trapped in the symbol of evil and sin .It is a place where one can find their way by following narrow paths. It is also here that Hester can openly express her love to Dimmesdale. The forest itself is the embodiment of freedom. Nobody watches in the woods to report misbehavior. It is here that individuals may do as they wish and the rosebush has positive values that represent righteousness.
The rose bush is a symbol of passion. As will later become obvious, Hester Prune’s sin is one of passion, thus linking her crime to the image of the rosebush. Hawthorne also indirectly compares Hester with Ann Hutchinson via the rosebush, and again makes the same parallel in Chapter 13, Another View of Hester. Cleverly linked to the wilderness surrounding Boston, the rose bush may be a remnant of the former forest covering the area.
2.2 Objects with negative symbolic meaning
The cemetery and the prison have negative values representing evil. The prison represents several different symbols. Foremost it is a symbol for the Puritanical severity of law. The description of the prison indicates that it is old, rusted, yet strong with an “iron-clamped. Oaken door.” This represents the rigorous enforcement of laws and the inability to break free of them. The prison also serves as the symbol of the authority of the regime, which will not tolerate deviance. Hawthorne directly challenges this notion by throwing the name Ann Hutchinson into the opening pages. Hutchinson was a religious woman who disagreed with the Puritanical teachings, and as a result was imprisoned in Boston.
2.3 Symbolic meaning of different colors
Hawthorne also gives symbolic meanings to the colors that he employs in the novel. The dark, sober, sable garments that Hester wears represent her dull and gloomy life filled with grief, guilt and sorrow. Those colors also represent those imprisoned by the rules of Puritan society .In contrast; Hester dresses Pearl in bright colors, especially crimson, in defiance of the scarlet letter and as a symbol of the child’s free spirit. The color of the letter carries special significance. It is red because that is the color associated with the devil, and the puritans believe that Hester’s sin is a mark of Satan. Ironically, the innocent Pearl fashions a letter “A” for herself, but she makes it out of seaweed that is bright green, the color of life itself. Black is also used in the novel. Mistress Hibbing practices black magic throughout the book, and many suspect Chilling worth of doing the same.
ⅢConclusion
Hawthorne’s unique style is what stands out about his novel. He manages to weave an important message into a very well written novel. His many symbols stand for anything from the corruptness and pointlessness of Puritan punishment, to the good and pure that can sprout from dark roots. In the novel the author uses the symbolic technique to illustrate this theme. The symbolic reading of The Scarlet Letter helps the readers understand more about the characters and the social history they live in. Through the analysis of the symbolic significance of the natural environment that the characters situated, we can have a deep understanding of the symbolism in the novel.
Symbolism is a traditional artistic form; it also is a major feature of Romanticism. As a famous writer of romanticism, Hawthorne is skillful at the using of symbolism in his works. The various usage of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter comes to be a work of the world. Therefore, Hawthorne fully deserves the title “the prophet of symbolism.”
Bibliography
(1) 李宏偉. 1997. 第9期. 红字中的象征[J]. 山西大学师范学院学报
(2) Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1981.The Scarlet letter. USA: Bantam Books.
(3) Feidelson, Charles, Jr. Symbolism and American Literature, Chicago. The University of Chicago Press.
(4) 高淑兰. 1994.第4期. 红字人物形象分析[J]. 黑龙江教育学院学报