范文一：红字人物角度分析英文

Characters in The Scarlet Letter

Hester Prynne

The heroine in the novel. The story is all about her life. And she wore the scarlet letter on her breast. She was a heroine, because she lived bravely in the society with deep gender differences and confirmedly chose the true love which is suitable for her. She was a heroine, because she was a real individual and dare to challenge the gender

concept in people’s mind with her own action. Moreover, she was not only the

representative of independence but of kindness and happiness. She had kept her shirt on for several years and did good deeds, which won people’s forgiveness and respect.

And the scarlet letter “A” stood for adultery on her breast finally became the symbol

of angel(A).

Dimmesdale

Dimmesdale was a minister but actually the lover of Hester and Pearl’s father. The

key to understand the character Dimmesdale is not his piety but his excessive reliance on the impact from social ideas, which locked himself in a moral prison. He sank into a self-torture because of his sense of guilty. The scarlet letter stood for adultery brand both on his breast and his heart. In most of chapters he was the helpless victim for he was a sinner in his theology creed which led him to find a way out through religion spirit. He dared not to hold the opposite idea with society. On account of the loss of his statue, he was not brave enough to admit the relationship with Hester. He was

divisive deep in his mind. Seriously speaking, he was the prey of Puritanism.

Chillingworth

He is Hester’s ex-husband and the real villain in the novel. He is the so-called represent of knowledge and the most determined supporter of a male ideology in the Puritan society. In other word, he could be seen as the maker of the scarlet letter. He was like the Satan since he spied and torment Dimmesdale’s heart. He was guilty

because he violated the most beautiful and natural desire of humanity. As a result, his

destiny was miserable that he died soon after Dimmesdale killed himself.

Pearl

范文二：红字 人物 英文

The Four Principal Characters in The Scarlet Letter

Liang Hanping

( Wuzhou Teachers College Guangxi Hezhou 542800 )

[摘 要]小说《红字》使美国作家霍桑闻名于世。小说对四个主要人物的刻conscience. Chilling worth’s life is ruined by his preoccupation with his

画表明霍桑运用象征主义的高超技巧，并由此揭示小说中的四个主要人物─海丝特、

丁梅斯代尔、齐灵沃斯及珠儿的人性的善与恶。本文从人性的角度来分析这四个主要人物。

[关键词]红字；性格；分析

Abstract: The Scarlet Letter makes the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne known all around the world .The thorough description of the four leading characters in the novel shows that Hawthorne makes skillful use of symbolism and discloses the different kinds of humanity of Hester , Dimmesdale ,Chillingworth and Pearl. This paper focuses on the analysis of the four major characters from the point of view of human nature.

Key words : The Scarlet Letter ; stereotype ; analysis

cruel search, and he becomes a morally degraded monomaniac. Hester wishes her lover to flee with her to Europe, but he refuses the plan as a temptation from the Evil One, and makes a public confession on the pillory in which Hester had once been placed. He dies there in her arms , a man broken by his concealed guilt , but Hester lives on, triumphant over her sin because she openly confessed it, to devote herself to ensuring a happy life in Europe for Pearl and helping others in misfortune.

Ⅱ. The Analysis of the Four Principal Characters

The four characters in The Scarlet Letter have outstanding characteristic. This paper concentrates on the four characters’ characteristics. We tend to see Hester as a strong woman of independent mind who bravely, even defiantly accepts the punishment which has been assigned her; Dimmesdale as a man torn by a guilty conscience but without the courage to confess his guilt; Chillingworca as a kind of demon who is gradually destroying himself in his lust for revenge; Pearl as an impish and almost unearthly little girl.

2.1 Hester

Hester is introduced as young, tall and beautiful, with an elegant figure, abundant glossy dark hair, a rich complexion, and deep-set black eyes. She comes of an impoverished but genteel English family, having lived in “a decayed house of gray stone, with a poverty-stricken aspect, but retaining a half-obliterated shield of arms over the portal, in token of antique gentility.” Even without that specific indication of her high birth, we would know that

she she is a lady, from her bearing and pride, especially in Chapter Ⅱ when

bravely refuses to tell the father’s name and faces the humiliation of the scaffold: “And never had Hester Prynne appeared more lady-like, in the antique interpretation of the term, than as she issued from the prison.” It is her pride which sustains her , from that opening scene until she dies, still wearing the scarlet A. Coupled with that pride is a passion which is demonstrated not only through her relations with Dimmesdale but also in her emotional attachment to Pearl, in her defiance of Governor Bellingham(Chapter Ⅷ), and even in her conversations with Chillingworth in Chapter Ⅳ. She repelled the offered medicine from the physician, at the same time, gazing with strongly marked apprehension into his face. She quested the doctor directly whether he would avenge the innocent baby when she was extremely weak. In addition, Hester is a powerful woman character, a character that the readers can not help admiring. She is unconventional and a rebel of puritan. She is active strong-minded and never surrenders to the fate. She encourages her lover to flee with her to Europe but in vain. After she wears the scarlet letter, she receives all the coldness and condemns quietly and never complains her position and blame Dimmesdale. She services to the sick, the poor and help her neighbors: “None so ready as she to give of her little substance to every demand of poverty, even though the bitter hearted pauper threw back a gibe in requital of the food brought regularly to his door, or the garments wrought for him by the fingers that could have embroidered a monarch’s robe. None so self-devoted as Hester, when pestilence stalked through the town. In all seasons of calamity, indeed, whether general or of individuals, the outcast of society at once found her place. She came , not as a guest, but as a rightful inmate, into the household that was darkened by trouble, as if its gloomy twilight were a medium in which she was entitled to hold intercourse with her fellow-creatures.” She won her much respect among those townspeople who once condemned her. If the face of her subsequent behavior, the public memory of her initial sin has been dimmed, and the Letter A which originally stood for ‘Adultery’ is said by many to stand for ‘Able ’. “They had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of that sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since. ‘Do you see that woman with the embroidered badge? they would say to strangers. It is our Hester-the town’s own Hester-who is so kind

Ⅰ. Introduction.

The Scarlet is successful in many ways. Hawthorne uses the symbolism to explore the characters’ heart shock in different environments. The novel shows varieties of meanings and complexity. Hawthorne has created each of them with one outstanding characteristics in mind and has focused almost entirely on developing that characteristic. Although defenders literary realism may object to an author’s making his characters stand for ideas rather than having them behave as ordinary people, Hawthorne is well aware of what he is doing. He is not trying to let the readers know his characters in the same way we might get to know the boy the next door. He is instead, attempting to tell us something true and important about human heart by throwing a strong and constant light on one side of each of his characters. So this paper will discuss them from this angle.

1.1 The brief introduction of Hawthorne

Hawthorne, the great romanticist of American literature, was born on the 4th of July, 1804,in Salem, Massachusetts. He was a descendant of Puritan immigrants. One of his ancestors was a colonial magistrate, notorious for his part in the persecution of the Quaker, and another ancestor was a judge on the Salem witchcraft. His father died on a voyage in Surinam, when the young Nathaniel was four. But maternal relatives recognized his literary talent and financed his education at Bowdoin College in Maine (1821-1824)

Between the years 1825 and 1836 Hawthorne worked as a writer and contributor to periodicals. Insufficient earnings as a writer forced Hawthorne to take a job in the Salem Custom House. In 1850, with the publication of The Scarlet Letter, in Nathaniel Hawthorne became famous as the greatest writer living then, his reputation as a major American author has been on the increase ever since.

1.2 The brief introduction of The Scarlet Letter

The romance by Hawthorne was published in 1850.Based on a theme that appears in “Endicott and the Red Cross” this somber romance of conscience and the tragic consequences of concealed guilt is set in Puritan Boston during the mid-17 century. An aged English scholar sends his young wife, Hester Prynne, to establish their home in Boston. When he arrives two years later, he finds Hester in the pillory with her illegitimate child in her arms. She refuses to name her lover and is sentenced to wear a scarlet A, signifying Adulteress, as a token of her sin. The husband conceals his identity, assumes the name Roger Chilling worth, and in the guise of a doctor seeks to discover her paramour. Hester, a woman of strong independent nature, in her ostracism becomes sympathetic with other unfortunates, and her works of mercy gradually win her the respect of her neighbour. Chilling worth meanwhile discovers that Arthur Dimmesdale, a revered, seemingly saintly young minister, is the father of Hester’s beautiful, mischievous child, Pearl. Dimmesdale has struggled for years with his burden of hidden guilt, but, though he does secret penance, pride prevents him from confessing publicly, and he continues to be tortured by his

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to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comforting to the afflict’” Why did Dimmesdale conceal his sin through seven long years of

Hester’s sin is that which gives the book its title and around which the torment both by Chilling- worth and by his own conscience? In Chapter X, action of the book revolves. Adultery, prohibited by the Seventh Dimmesdale himself offers two possible explanations. Speaking in general Commandment, was so seriously regarded by the Puritans. Although terms of any hypothetical persons guilty of concealed sin, but obviously Hawthorne certainly does not condone her sin, he finds it less serious (and thinking of his own case, he says: “It may be that they are dept silence by the less interesting) than the sins of Dimmesdale and Chilling worth. She is in very constitution of their nature. Or, can we not suppose it? Guilty as they many ways a victim: first , of her own youth, which permitted her to marry may be, retaining, nevertheless, a zeal for God’s glory and man’s welfare, Chilling worth without loving him; second, of Chilling worth’s selfishness, they shrink from displaying themselves black and filthy in the view of men; which permitted him to marry the young and passionate girl knowing that because, thenceforward, no good can be achieved by them; no evil of the she did not return his love and that he was not suited to the role of her past be redeemed by better service … ” husband; third, of Chilling worth’s stupidity in sending hid young wife The second suggestion, that he remains silent so that he can continue to ahead to the colony while he remained in Amsterdam; forth, of the fate do God’s work as a minister, at first glance has some logical appeal. which led to Chilling worth’s capture by the Indians, leaving Hester Certainly he is a devoted and effective servant of God, increasingly inspiring without any word from her husband to indicate even that he was alive; and to his congregation during the seven years that we observe him; certainly fifth, of Dimmesdale’s weakness in allowing the love affair to develop when also, had he revealed his sin at the beginning of the book, the church would he was unprepared to marry Hester or otherwise help shoulder the have lost a good minister. But clearly Dimmesdale is rationalizing, or trying consequences. to excuse his behavior, when he suggests that his effective career may be

But the most important facts to note about Hester’s sin are, first, that justification for concealing a sin. He can not even convince himself that it is hers was a sin of the passions rather than of the intellect (which distinguishes the real reason. He struggles desperately to confess, punishing himself her from Chilling worth), and second that her sin was openly acknowledged physically, and frequently coming right to the brink of confession in his rather than conceal in her heart (which distinguishes her from Dimmesdale). sermons. Under pressure from Chilling worth, he is brought almost to the

Hester did not, with deliberate calculation, plan a sin, nor did she point of lunacy. And his sense of guilt is increased by seeing Hester suffer willfully do injury to others. That she deeply loved Dimmesdale is obvious alone for the sin which he committed with her. throughout the book. Her fault was that her passions, and her love, were No, the real reason for his apparent cowardice lies in the constitution of stronger than her respect for the moral code. As she says: “What we did had his nature. His fight is one against his own weakness, and the only possible a consecration of its own. We feel it so! We said so to each other!” victory lies in public confession of the truth. After seven years of struggle,

Hester learns from her sin, and grows strong as a result of accepting her he accomplishes that victory in what could have been the moment of his punishment. “The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other greatest triumph as a minister, immediately after his Election Day sermon. women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her Chilling worth’s remarks show the importance of Dimmesdale’s confession: teachers,-stern and wild ones,-and they had made her strong… ” She “high place nor lowly place where thou couldst have escaped me , -save on emerges from her experiences a woman capable of helping others and being this very scaffold!”. And, let the reader still be in doubt as to the necessity at peace with oneself, one’s fellow men, and one’s God. for Dimmesdale’s confession if the is to save his soul, Hawthorne in his

2.2 Dimmesdale “Conclusion” specifically points out is intended meaning: “Among many Arthur Dimmesdale, like Hester Prynne, is an individual whose identity morals which press upon us from the poor minister’s miserable experience, owes more to external circumstances than to his innate nature. Dimmesdale we put only this into a sentence: ‘Be true! Be true! Be true! ’Show freely to is young, and physically delicate, with large melancholy eyes and a the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be tremulous mouth suggesting great sensitivity. An ordained minister, he is of inferred!” course educated, and he has a philosophical turn of mind. Yet he is modest, 2.3 Chillingworth and the eloquence of his sermons is of a quiet kind. There is no doubt that he As his name suggests, Roger Chillingworth is a man deficient in human is a devoted servant of God, passionate in his religion and effective in the warmth. His twisted, stooped, deformed shoulders mirror his distorted soul. pulpit. But privately he suffers from experience of physical and spiritual When Chillingworth first appears, having just concluded over a year’s disintegration ─the weakness which prevents him from acknowledging his captivity by the Indians, Chillingworth’s appearance is hideous, partly guilt in public. On the other hand, Dimmesdale banishes himself from because of his strange mixture of “civilized and savage costume.” But even society. Deeply preoccupied with himself, he lives a stranger among his when better dressed, he is far from attractive. He is small, thin, and slightly admires, he is in deep misery. It is because of the cowardice in his character, deformed, with one shoulder higher than the other. Though he “could hardly Hawthorne describes Dimmesdale as a gloomy, weak-minded and selfish be termed aged,” he has a wrinkled face and appears “well stricken in man. When Hester tells him Chilling worth is her husband, he is not brave to years.” He has, however, a look of calm intelligence, and his eyes, though face and overcome it, but to sink down on the ground, and burry his face in they have a “strange, penetrating power,” are dim and bleared, testifying to his hands, he throws his burden upon Hester. “I am powerless to go! long hours of study under lamplight. He has indeed, spent his life as a lonely Wretched and sinful as I am, I have had no other thought than to drag on my scholar, cutting himself off from the world of other men in his quest for earthly existence in the sphere where Providence hath placed me. Lost as my knowledge. Even after his marriage to Hester, he spent most of his time own soul is, I would still do what I may for other human souls! I dare not alone in his study. The areas of his knowledge are not defined, but among quit my post, though an unfaithful sentinel, whose sure reward is death and them are alchemy (which is more closely related to magic than to science ) dishonor, when his dreary watch shall come to an end! ” and medicine (Though not a licensed physician, he is “a better physician…

His original sin is the same as Hester’s, and had he possessed the than many that claim the medical degree”). He is very selfish and devotes courage to acknowledge it, his sin would have been no more serious than himself revenging others. As Hester says old Roger Chillingworth was a hers. But by the time we meet the two, their situations, and their sins, are striking evidence of man’s faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he quite different, for Dimmesdale’s is a concealed sin. Thus concealed, the sin will only, for a reasonable space of time, under-take a devil’s office. When rankles in his heart, causing him increasing torment of conscience, and Hester meets him by the shore, she was shocked by his changes. “It was not making of Dimmesdale one of Hawthorne’s most interesting psychological so much that he had grown older; for though the traces of advancing life studies. The case is made more interesting and painful through irony of were visible, he bore his age well and seemed to retain a wiry vigor and Dimmesdale’s being a minister who weekly calls upon his congregation to alertness. But the former aspect of an intellectual and studious man, calm confess and openly repent of their sins, while knowing that he himself is and quiet, which was what she best remembered in him, had altogether incapable of doing so . In one of the longest pieces of dialogue in the book, vanished and been succeeded by an eager, searching, almost fierce, yet Dimmesdale and Chillingworth discuss concealed sin and its effect upon the carefully guarded look.” Chillingworth’s death is a result of the nature of his sinner. character. After Dimmesdale dies, Chillingworth no longer has a victim.

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Similarly, Dimmesdale’s revelation that he is Pearl’s father removes Hester

from the old man’s clutches. Having lost the objects of his revenge, the leech has no choice but to die.

His first sin was one against Nature, and Hester, and he committed it the day he married his young, passionate wife. He knew then that she did not love him, and that he was not the kind of man to make her a proper husband. He was not deliberately wronging anybody; there is pathos in his recollection (Chapter Ⅳ)

Far more grievous than that first offense is the sin which begins to take possession of Chillingworth from the moment when he first appears at the scaffold scene. Chillingworth’s is a classic case of that sin which Hawthorne had developed in such earlier stories as “Ethan Brand” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” and which he called the “unpardonable sin.” Briefly defined, this “unpardonable sin” is the subordination of the heart to the intellect. It occurs when one is willing to sacrifice his fellow man to gratify his own selfish interest. And, as displayed in Chillingworth, it involver a violation of those two Biblical injunctions “Judge not lest ye be judged” and “Vengeance is mine, saith in Lord.” Chillingworth does judge Dimmesdale, and he is so intent on securing vengeance that he spends his waking hours trying to destroy the minister. But, as is typical of the unpardonable sin, he in the process destroys himself. He tries to play God, and instead he makes of himself a devil. By Chapter Ⅸ, the change is apparent: “A large number…affirmed that Roger Chillingworth’s aspect had undergone a remarkable change while he had dwelt in town, and especially since his abode with Mr. Dimmisdale. At first his expression had been calm, meditative, scholar-like. Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face, which they, had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight the oftener they looked upon him.. ” Chapter Ⅹ develops this idea more fully, as it shows the manner in which Chillingworth works on Dimmesdale while pretending to be his friend and physician. And by Chapter ⅩⅣ the transformation into a devil appears to have been completed.

Chillingworth is aware of what has happened, and he says to Hester: “Dost thou remember me? Was I not, though you might deem me cold, nevertheless a man thoughtful for others, craving little for himself, -kind, true, just, and of constant, if not warm affections?… I have already told thee what I am! A fiend! Who made me so? ”Chillingworth intends that question as rhetorical, implying that Dimmesdale is the one responsible. Hester, however, immediately accepts the blame herself. But for Hawthorne, and for the reader, neither of those answers will so. Chillingworth must assume the responsibility for having destroyed himself. It is he who has sacrificed his human sympathies in his desire for revenge. The point is made specifically in Chapter ⅩⅦ, when Dimmesdale says to Hester: “We are mot, Hester, the worst simmers in the world. There is one worse than even the polluted priest! Tat old man’s revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so!” In the concluding chapter, when Hawthorne speaks of Chillingworth’s withering up and shriveling away, he makes it plain that the physician’s fate was the most horrible of the three, because his sin was the blackest.

2.4 Pearl

Hester’s daughter, Pearl, functions primarily as a symbol. She is quite young during most of the events of this novel—when Dimmesdale dies she is only seven years old. The fullest description of her comes in Chapter Ⅵ which how her at the age of three. There we learn that she possessed a “rich and luxuriant beauty; a beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints; a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black.” We learn further that she had a “perfect shape,” “vigor,” “natural dexterity,” and “a native grace.” and that in public she was usually dressed in “gorgeous robes which might have extinguished a paler loveliness.” This is not a very detailed picture Hawthorne has provided. But if he is rather vague about her physical appearance, he goes to great lengths to convey her personality. She is intelligent, imaginative, inquisitive, determined, at times obstinate. She is a baffling mixture of strong moods , given to uncontrolled laughter at one moment and sullen silence the next, with a fierce temper and a capacity for the “bitterest hatred that can be

supposed to rankle in a childish bosom.” So unusual is her behavior that she is often referred to in such terms as “elf-child,” “imp,” or “airy sprite”; Governor Bellingham likens her to the “children of the Lord of Misrule,” and some of the puritans hold that she is a “demon offspring.”

One may perhaps attribute much of Pearl’s strangeness to a combination of her exceptional quickness of mind and the abnormal environment, in which she is reared, with only her mother as a companion. and her real importance lies in her ability to provoke the adult characters in the book. She asks them pointed questions and draws their attention, and the reader’s, to the denied or overlooked truths of the adult world. But certainly there is something other-worldly about her, until the events of Chapter ⅩⅩⅢ bring her fully into the world of humanity. This is part of Hawthorne’s design. He is not attempting to develop realistically a normal litter girl. Throughout the book be is, rather, using Pearl as a symbol; and as a symbol she is one of his most remarkable creations.

Pearl makes us constantly aware of her mother’s scarlet letter and of the society that produced it. From an early age, she fixates on the emblem. Pearl’s innocent, or perhaps intuitive, comments about the letter raise crucial questions about its meaning. Similarly, she inquires about the relationships between those around her—most important, the relationship between Hester and Dimmesdale—and offers perceptive critiques of them. Pearl provides the text’s harshest, and most penetrating, judgment of Dimmesdale’s failure to admit to his adultery. Once her father’s identity is revealed, Pearl is no longer needed in this symbolic capacity; at Dimmesdale’s death she becomes fully “human,” leaving behind her otherworldliness and her preternatural vision.

Ⅲ. Conclusion

After reading the novel, we quickly formed an impression of them, and the impression is likely to remain on his mind for a long while. So vividly are the characters portrayed that Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworthn and Pearl have all joined the ranks of fictitious persons known well throughout the world, and as I have said above, he always concentrate on the reader’s attention focused on the idea which that character represents. And certainly it is with the idea that Hawthorne is primarily concerned.

The thing which unites the four principal characters of this book is the sin identified by the scarlet A, which has a great effect on the lives of all of them. The thing which separates the four is the difference in the ways in which they are affected. Despite its title, this is obviously not a book about adultery, or even really about sin. It is a book about the effects of sin on those whom it touches. It tells more about men’s souls than about their actions. The best way to appreciate the characters and their functions in the novel is to study their relation to the central sin and the manner in which that sin lays bare their souls.

It also might be argued that Hawthorne’s failure to describe in detail the general mode of life results from the fact that his four characters are more or less isolated from the community, and hence he has little occasion to treat the details of community life. But , although Hester and Pearl spend seven years quite closely confined to their little cottage, the reader sees not one article of furniture, book, curtain, ornament, or dish inside that house.

Bibliography ：

[1]Ross,C. 1991.The Scarlet Letter. Bed Book’s of St . Martin’s Press.

[2]楼光庆，屠蓓. 美国文学名著简介[Μ]. 外语教学与研究出版社，1986. [3]张冲. 新编美国文学史，第一卷[Μ]. 上海外语教育出版社，2000. [4]侍桁译. 红字[Μ]. 上海译文出版社，1981.

[5]Wagenkness. 1989. Nathaniel Hawthorne: The man, his tale and romances[Μ]. Continmum New York.

[6]徐德玉.人性的善恶[J].佳木斯大学学报，2004（9）.

[7]谭小平.霍桑《红字》的主题与人物探析[J].零凌学院学报，2003（4）. [8]桂扬清，吴翔林.英美文学选读[Μ].中国对外翻译出版社，1985.

作者简介：梁汉平（1967-），男，广西梧州师范高等专科学校外语系讲师，

硕士，研究方向：语言学、教学论。

收稿日期：2005-10-9

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范文三：《红字》人物分析

I.介绍

纳撒尼尔?霍桑（Nathaniel Hawthorne）是美国十九世纪杰出的浪漫主义作家，他开创了美国浪漫主义小说和心理分析小说的一个新时代。他的作品包括短篇小说集《重讲一遍的故事》（1837）和《古宅青苔》（1846），小说《红字》（1850）、《带有七个尖角阁的房子》（1851）和《玉石雕像》（1860）。

小说的故事发生在17世纪中期加尔文教派统治下的波士顿，年轻美丽的女主人公海丝特?白兰来自一个没落的贵族家庭，被年长丑陋的罗杰?齐灵沃斯丈夫送到波士顿，在和丈夫失散后与年轻的牧师丁梅斯代尔相爱并诞下一个私生子。这被清教教徒视为大逆不道，认为她犯了“第七戒”的通奸罪。海斯特受到了极其严厉的惩罚，并被责罚终生佩戴标志着通奸（Adu1tery）的红字。纵使被严厉审问，海斯特也不肯说出她的情人就是受众人尊重的牧师丁梅斯代尔。出狱后，她带着女儿小珠儿开始了远离人群、受尽屈辱的生活，凭借着坚强不屈的意志、对爱和自由的不懈追求和精湛的手工技艺，海斯特完成了对“罪”的救赎，红字的内涵也从通奸（Adu1tery）转变成能干（Able）和天使（Angle）。

II.主要人物分析

第一、海斯特

海斯特是位极其美丽的女性“：这位少妇个子颀长，身段窈窕匀称，一头乌黑光洁的秀发散披双肩。肌肤鲜嫩的脸庞妩媚动人，还有那弯弯的娥眉和乌灼灼的眸子使人难以忘怀。”但是让这个人物熠熠发光的绝不仅仅是她美丽的风姿，更是她的性格。

反叛

海斯特的反叛精神体现在她的一言一行之中。面对来自教会和政府的严厉责罚，她不仅不屈服，反而更加勇敢和坚定地反抗种种不公待遇，维护爱人的声誉和抚育爱子。

首先，她的反叛精神体现在对待清教对她的处罚中。17世纪的美国，清教主义大行其道，人们的行为被严格地拘禁在教义之内，对人类天性的追求被视为罪孽。海斯特因触犯了通奸罪而被责罚终身在胸前佩戴代表通奸罪的红字“A”，并饱受欺凌与排挤。

其次，海斯特对爱情的追求也表现了她的反叛精神。海斯特的丈夫齐灵沃格只是想要一个“烧着炉火的家”（Hawthorne，2001：43），而且长期冷落她。从丈夫那里得不到爱情的海斯特炽烈而坚定地追求着真爱，给在清教主义统治下冷酷的社会带来一股暖流。

第三，海斯特的反叛精神表现在她对待小珠儿的方式上。她把这个被旁人认为是恶灵之子的孩子视为掌上明珠，并给她取名“珠儿”来表示她是“唯一的财富和全部的世界”73；当得知权贵们要把孩子从她身边夺走，她奋力阻拦“上帝把她给了我，以补偿你们从我手中夺取的一切。她是我的幸福所在！??我决不让你们夺走她！”（Hawthorne，2001：106）；随着小珠儿日渐成长，海斯特把她打扮得愈发可爱动人，并对她珍爱有加。

独立自主的斗士

在海斯特的救赎之路上，独立自主发挥了巨大的作用，其中包括经济独立和思想独立两方面。不指望上帝、丈夫和情人，海斯特用自己勤劳的双手“足以养活她自己和正在茁壮成长的婴孩”55，证明了自己的能力和价值。而且一介弱女子，独自面对生活的变故和社会的苛责却能够坚持自己的原则，敢爱敢恨敢作敢当，并用一种深刻而冷静的视角来看待一些社会问题，这种“众人皆醉我独醒”的精神独立也是海斯特救赎和升华的重要保证。 第二、丁梅斯代尔

丁梅斯代尔是一位受人尊敬的年轻牧师，把所学的全部知识带到这荒野森林的地带以启蒙殖民地人民，但是受到美丽的海斯特的吸引犯了通奸罪，在内心的斗争中走向了死亡。 宗教与人性冲突的牺牲品

丁梅斯代尔这个受过良好的教育、文雅而尽职尽责的年轻牧师，在教区中担任至高的社

会责任，是教区里德才出众的人物，笃信自己是“受上帝的召唤”、作为上帝的替身来从事牧师工作的，受到教民的仰慕和爱戴。然而面对年轻貌美的海斯特和私生女小珠儿，他又难以把持住自己。在神行和人性的徘徊中他饱受折磨，沦为清教主义的殉葬品。

怯懦的罪人

从绞刑架上的尴尬相劝到总督家的偶然相遇，每一次牧师丁梅斯代尔都忍受着巨大的煎熬，他有无数次机会坦露心中的秘密承认自己的“罪”，但是懦弱的天性和对声誉地位的贪恋让他始终不敢与妻女相认。

虚伪的圣人

他是一个虚伪、不真实的人。他既没能忠诚于他所信仰膜拜的上帝恪守宗教教义，也不敢去面对真实的现实。但他一方面割舍不了崇高的地位一方面还贪恋于海斯特的爱情。 第三、齐灵沃思

齐灵沃思是一个外貌丑陋“那是一个年老体弱者的的面孔，苍白瘦削，一副学究的样子??他有点畸形，左肩略高于右肩”19又只是沉浸于知识的学者。在得知妻子通奸后决意找出那个情人并用自己的方式来惩罚他。

自私的学者

齐灵沃思所犯的第一条罪是违反自然，他清楚地知道海斯特在他身上感觉不到爱情。同时，痴迷学术研究的他不可能承担作为一个丈夫的责任，但是他自私地想要利用海斯特来让他享受普通人的快乐。

邪恶的复仇者

当齐灵沃思发现妻子海斯特犯了通奸罪，他决定通过自己的方法找到并惩罚奸夫。当他开始怀疑丁梅斯代尔，他以医生和好友的身份接近他，刺探他内心的秘密，并以此来折磨他，加速了丁梅斯代尔的毁灭。

得救的恶魔

齐灵沃斯的所作所为无疑侵犯了人性，犯下了不可饶恕的大罪。然而，就是这样一个十恶不赦的恶人，对与他没有血缘关系的海丝特和丁梅斯代尔的女儿小珠儿却是十分疼爱，悉心照料。临终时他立下遗嘱将为数十分可观的遗产留给小珠儿，让小珠儿此后有了过上流生活的保证。

第四、小珠儿

在小说中，作者对小珠儿的外貌、性格与结局，作了精心的刻划和描叙。她是秉承着不可测知的神意，从一种茂盛的罪恶的热情中，开放出一朵可爱的不朽的花。

罪恶的印记

小珠儿对于海丝特来说就像一个活着的红字，让她永远忘不掉过去的耻辱，时时提醒她的耻辱。事实上，珍珠的出现更是让丁梅斯代尔不得不承认自己所犯下的罪行，并鞭策他坦承罪恶。

救赎的天使

小珠儿身上还具有一种道德的象征。她就是要让海丝特和丁梅斯代尔为他们的罪孽承担起应有的责任并付出代价。在她的敦促和监督下海斯特才能够放弃逃避的念头而完成救赎。丁梅斯代尔也是最终在海丝特和小珠儿的帮助下，登上绞刑架台，在众人面前承认了自己的罪行。小珠儿在他生命的最后时刻承认了他是自己的父亲。（作者单位：河北师范大学） 参考文献

[1] Guan，Tao.A New Female Image-Female of the Third Type[J].Journal of Xian International Studies University，2004，（12）：55?58.

[2] Hawthorne，Nathaniel.The Scarlet Letter[M].Beijing：Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press，1992.

范文四：从功能视角分析《红字》中主要人物的性格特征

天津大学

硕士学位论文

从功能视角分析《红字》中主要人物的性格特征

姓名:叶春莉

申请学位级别:硕士

专业:外国语言学及应用语言学

指导教师:杨福玲

20090601摘要

关于霍桑及他的小说《红字》的研究成果国内外很多。本文拟从另外一个角度:功能

文体学 的角度去分析该作品的主要人物海斯特普林、罗杰齐林

渥斯和阿瑟丁姆斯代尔的性格特征。其理论依据主要是韩礼德功能语言学.

。.

中的及物性理论和人际功能意义

?

通过及物性和人际功能意义的分析,可以发现海斯特普林的坚强、善良,罗杰齐林渥斯

冷酷和邪恶和丁姆斯代尔牧师的软弱。本文分六个部分,第一部分是概述,简要介绍功能

语言学特别是功能文体学中关于文体、及物性及人际意义的理论背景。第二部分介绍《红

字》的相关书评。第三至五部分运用及物性理论、人际功能意义的情态、意

态隐喻以及语

篇元功能分别对三个主要人物进行分析,继而挖掘其性格特征。第六部分是

对全文的总结。 关键词: 性格分析,及物性,功能,人际意义,语篇元功能 :

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范文五：人性的善与恶_对_红字_中主要人物的分析与评价_徐德玉

2004年9月　　　　　　　　　　　　佳木斯大学社会科学学报　　　　　　　　　　Sep. , 2004

第22卷第5期　　　　　　　J O U RN A L O F SO CIA L SCI EN CE O F JIA M U SI U N IV ERSIT Y 　　　　　V ol . 22N o . 5

人性的善与恶

——对《红字》中主要人物的分析与评价

徐德玉

(佳木斯大学外国语学院, 黑龙江佳木斯154007)

[摘　要]本文通过对《红字》中四个主要人物的分析和评价来探讨人性的善与恶和道德准则问题。从齐灵窝斯、丁梅斯代尔、海丝特·白兰直至珠儿, 人的灵魂一步步由“堕落”、忏悔、彻悟发展到精神的自觉。《红字》超越了人物性格中“善”与“恶”绝对对立的传统观念。善与恶这对标准不能概括人的丰富的行为和心理。同时, 善与恶的评价标准本身又有着历史的局限。其实, 大多数人的行为都是在介于善与恶之间的道德标准上得到评价的。

[关键词]《红字》; 善与恶; 罪与赎

[中图分类号]I106. 4　　　[文献标识码]A 　　　[文章编号]1007-9882(2004) 05-0067-03　　19世纪中叶, 美国伟大作家霍桑的代表作《红字》诞生了。这部作品情节极其简单, 却以其丰富的内涵, 深邃的思想, 立刻成为并且一直是批评家和广大读者长盛不衰的话题。显然, 《红字》令人深思的方面很多, 但霍桑借几个主要人物所作出的对人性的剖析和道德准则问题的思考很值得我们探讨。人性究竟是善还是恶? 我们究竟该以何种角度和标准来评价人性的善与恶?

为了探讨这一系列问题, 我们必须大致了解一下霍桑创作的历史根源和思想根源。霍桑出生于新英格兰塞勒姆镇一个具有清教传统的世家。祖先中有两人曾任殖民长官和清教法官, 参与迫害宗教异端的活动。塞勒姆镇的地方传说、早期殖民时代的历史、以及祖先臭名昭著的宗教狂行为成为他后来文学创作的背景和素材。作为一个具有强烈的人文主义思想、反对清教苛刻戒律和严厉惩罚而自身又出生于笃信宗教家庭的小说家, 霍桑深刻的思考, 敏锐的审视宗教、社会道德、人类文明乃至人性的问题。

《红字》的主要人物只有四个——海丝特·白兰、丁梅斯代尔、齐灵窝斯和珠儿, 霍桑却使其中的每个人都成为一种象征, 一种载体。他既突破了同时期小说人物性格单一的创作定式, 又赋予了人物相当多的历史的、社会的、宗教的、道德的和人性的内容。

一、海丝特·白兰的善与恶

1. 罪与赎

海丝特·白兰历来被看作是作品的主人公。作为一个背叛了自己丈夫的妻子, 与神职人员私通的女人, 私生子的母亲, 海丝特·白兰在正统的清教徒眼里是十恶不赦的。而对于人文主义者来说, 海丝特·白兰则是一个追求自由、个性解放和真正爱情的先驱。尽管她一出场就承受着屈辱的重负, 但海丝特·白兰却以自己的服饰和神态表现出平静的高傲, 似乎她不象是一个应该受罚的罪人, 倒俨然是一朵监狱门前的野玫瑰。海丝特·白兰为了自己所爱的人独自接受了惩罚——刑台受辱和佩带红字。不仅如此, 她还不得不离群索居, 静思

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和忏悔, 品尝孤独和异化的苦果。但海丝特·白兰没有被压跨, 勇敢地担负起养育女儿的责任。她的能干很快就为众人所称道。她乐于助人且忍辱坚持善行, 不求回报, 加之岁月也冲刷掉了清教徒维护“宗教尊严”的热情。最终, 她摆脱了耻辱, 赢得了大众的同情和敬爱, 甚至被看成是传播福音的天使。

2. 重新的自我肯定海丝特·白兰的“罪”实际上是源于她的热情和爱心。她的感情蕴涵着浓厚的人道主义色彩, 这种感情即过分热情和爱心是一种本能的逾越, 是精力充沛的表现。因而她比两个男主人公都更坚强, 在她身上具有一种人性的力量和反叛的精神。

所以说, 一方面海丝特·白兰是借助苦难后的静思以及与人为善使自己一度沦入罪恶深渊的灵魂得到了拯救和升华。另一方面, 自从刑台上树立了“自我偶像”之后, 生存环境与社会的距离感又给了海丝特·白兰一个重新评价自己付出过全部虔诚和热情的宗教的意义的机会。她在精神上获得了新生, 一种全新的力量回到了她那孱弱的身上。然而, 这种力量并非源于灵魂的忏悔, 也不是道德的力量, 而是人性的力量——对自我欲求的肯定, 也就对自己过去的“堕落”行为的肯定。海丝特·白兰后来的一连串行为都是在对自己最初大胆叛逆行为作出重新评价之后的自然结果。这一连串行为包括看似巧合的“广场夜遇”、“林中相会”, 告诉丁梅斯代尔齐灵窝斯的真实身份和相约逃离, 直至丁梅斯代尔临终前发表那番慷慨激昂的演说时, 她勇敢地走出来, 站在牧师的身边等。女性的美, 对爱情的忠贞, 追求幸福的勇气, 处于逆境中所表现出的镇定和尊严, 这一切都使海丝特·白兰体现出完美的人性。

二、丁梅斯代尔的善与恶1. 罪源及内心的痛苦挣扎

奸情败露后, 身为教长和男子汉的丁梅斯代尔不敢站出来, 到是历来被认为是弱者的女人敢作敢当, 承担了全部罪责以及抚养孩子和保护丁梅斯代尔的重担。如果说, 海丝特·白

[收稿日期]2003-10-11

　　[作者简介]徐德玉(1977-) , 女, 黑龙江佳木斯人, 佳木斯大学外国语学院助教。

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兰从承认罪责开始, 通过苦炼, 超脱了“罪”; 那么丁梅斯代尔则是从隐匿奸情开始, 通过忏悔, 在死亡中得到解脱。丁梅斯代尔是一个隐匿奸情的罪人。其根源是他否定了自己同海丝特·白兰母女的自然的、符合人性的联系。他抛弃了爱, 选择了世俗的冷漠来回报海丝特·白兰母女的爱。但他偷偷地、半吞半吐地忏悔, 反而加重了对自己的惩罚, 这在心理上是值得探讨的。按清教社会和17世纪浪漫的个人主义信条, 一个人必须是忠实的信徒, 或诚实的忏悔者。丁梅斯代尔越否认他与海丝特·白兰及其孩子的关系, 他同世俗力量的联系就越紧密, 他离爱海丝特·白兰母女的距离便越远, 其痛苦便越深, 其罪恶感就越重。

丁梅斯代尔和海丝特·白兰共犯一罪, 同样备受红字的煎熬。由于他自己的行为违反了他愿意为之献身的教义, 造成了其人格的分裂, 因而他所体验的异化更甚于海丝特·白兰。他有两个自我:公开的和隐蔽的; 他有两个愿望:公开真实的自我和继续神圣的牧师的职业; 他有着足以毁灭自己的性格上的缺陷:虚伪、软弱, 害怕承认自己的愿望和要求, 宁愿痛苦地在假面具后面挣扎, 甚至自我折磨, 也不敢袒露有罪的自我。丁梅斯代尔明知自己的忏悔是虚伪的可又不能自拔。他的弱点被对手充分利用, 从肉体到灵魂都经历了巨大的痛苦。

2. 大胆的彻悟和叛逆

如果说海丝特·白兰的“自我偶像”是被冷酷的、庸俗的现实打碎的话, 丁梅斯代尔的“自我偶像”则是在经受了灵魂的痛苦煎熬和社会的诱惑以后毅然决然地自己打碎的。海丝特·白兰广场受刑时矢口不说出同谋而甘愿一人承受一切屈辱和斥责无疑在丁梅斯代尔的内心世界产生了强烈的震撼。他的内省和自责都因性格的软弱而失去人性的光辉。然而, 后来与海丝特·白兰在夜游广场时的邂逅, 特别是林中温情脉脉的相会和相约出逃, 都反射出生命激情的强劲之光。“这个决心一下, 便有一道奇异的、欣喜的火光将其闪闪发亮的光彩投射到他充满烦恼的胸襟上。……他的精神一跃而起, 为之一振……”[1](P 183) “丁梅斯代尔和海丝特会面后回来, 他激动的心情赋予他少见的体力, 促使他加快脚步回城里去。……总之, 他克服了路上的一切困难, 表现出来的那种不知疲倦的活力连他自己都感到惊讶。”[1](P197) 很显然, 丁梅斯代尔在思想感情上已出现了大胆的彻悟和叛逆。在罪与恶、美与丑的临界点上, 他最终肯定了自己的那段恋情。

三、齐灵窝斯的善与恶

1. 人性的丧失

齐灵窝斯是《红字》的主要人物, 他是恶的化身, 犯了刺探和折磨人心的不可饶恕的大罪。在西方人的意识里, 人的躯体由于生活的煎熬和命运的变迁可能要经受各种磨难, 然而人的内心却是神圣不可侵犯的, 齐灵窝斯的所作所为无疑是在亵渎神灵。原本是受害者的齐灵窝斯因为一心惩罚别人的罪孽而不惜丢弃了自己的理性与善良, 粗暴地干涉他人的灵魂, 从而走向了事物的反面成了罪孽更深重的人物。霍桑以多角度的方式描写了这位刻毒的老人独特的报复过程, 他不断地用暗示、旁敲侧击等方法来折磨年轻的牧师并以此为乐, 用尖刻而又似乎是关切的言辞来刺激丁梅斯代尔不安的灵魂, 从中得到心理上的补偿。这种用慢性精神折磨但又不露马脚的清冤行为最后使他成了恶魔。[2]

其实, 对于任何一个有着和齐灵窝斯相似经历的人来说, 报复都是较正常的反应, 但他手段过于恶毒, 而且在他终于完成了复仇的使命——丁梅斯代尔身心交瘁死去之后, 他并没有因此而快乐, 而是马上也失去了继续生存的支撑点, “以致

他全然枯萎了、凋谢了, ……就象一棵连根拔起的野草在太阳底下晒蔫了。”[1](P237) 2. 人性的复归

绝大多数读者认为齐灵窝斯是个十恶不赦的恶魔, 仔细阅读原著, 这并不是霍桑的本意。在小说的叙述过程中, 我们知道他原是个潜心读书的学者, 广施博爱的医生, 只因后来遭遇那场不幸, 才变成了恶人。耐人寻味的是小说结尾处, 作者交代了齐灵窝斯的结局:“齐灵窝斯去世了, 根据他的遗嘱, 他把在北美和英国的一笔数目相当可观的财产留给了海丝特·白兰的女儿——珠儿。”[1](P237) 这是齐灵窝斯对所犯下罪孽的忏悔, 还是他人性复归的一种表现? 或是二者兼而有之? 不过无论是哪种, 这行动的本身是一种善行, 因为客观上它是珠儿此后生活安定、幸福的前提和保证。从艺术创作角度来看, 这最后一笔, 对齐灵窝斯的性格发展至关重要, 它在一定程度上避免了使这个人物内心世界简单化、片面化的倾向, 写出了他的复杂性和变化性。

与此同时, 这一意味深长的交代给读者留下了一个思索的空间。人们不禁要问, 在立这份遗嘱之时, 齐灵窝斯是怎么想的? 是什么念头驱使他立了这个与己不利的遗嘱? 或者说, 他大可不必这么做, 如果想行善, 他完全可以把这份财产留给教堂或者去接济其他穷人, 可是他没有。由此可以说, 齐灵窝斯临终的这一举动包含了一定程度的忏悔, 是他人性复归的一种表现。

四、珠儿的善与恶

1. 珠儿的象征

在所有这些爱与恨的纠葛中, 在善与恶的交织中, 珠儿占有重要的一席之地。她是海丝特·白兰与丁梅斯代尔过去生活的产物, 暗示着一个人的行为对现实社会应尽的责任。作为一对有罪的情人所生的女儿, 珠儿在清教徒眼里, 又是其母亲罪恶的象征, 随着故事的发展, 珠儿还代表社会良心, 同时也是社会良心有力的证据。

在刑台上受到判决的那段痛苦经历中, 珠儿使劲地抓住母亲, 用不时抽搐来反映“海丝特·白兰精神上的斗争”。珠儿是大家公认的罪恶标志, 是一个“化外之民”, 一个“野孩子”, 被这个社会所抛弃, 到处受歧视、受迫害, 在自然的怀抱中长大。然而, 桀骜不驯的珠儿充满了活力, 任性而无所避忌, 却又不甘受任何伤害。她仿佛不是一个尘世间的孩子, 却好象是个精灵。她的无拘无束来自她的生存本能, 来自她旺盛的生命力。霍桑实际上借这些向人们展示, 一个孩子生下来就与母亲一起受到不公正的待遇, 被社会抛弃所产生的必然结果。2. 先天的反叛力量

事实上, 珠儿的出现绝非一次不经意的心血来潮, 相反地, 霍桑把海丝特·白兰和丁梅斯代尔身上那诱惑他们灵魂“堕落”的一时又难以阐释清楚的力量贯注在珠儿身上, 让她那一颦一笑, 一举手一投足都闪烁着一种生命的灵光。这种生命的灵光令新英格兰的清教徒和贝灵汉州长都感到震慑不安。然而, 珠儿对自然界中一切鲜花野草的钟爱与和谐, 她对母亲海丝特·白兰胸前闪着灼人光芒的“A ”字的好奇和亲近, 以及她对齐灵窝斯的无名恐惧、敌视和对丁梅斯代尔由避而远之发展到扑向他的怀抱都掩盖着一句至关重要的潜台词:珠儿身上洋溢着的那股野性的反叛力量是自觉的、先天的。“珠儿的外貌蕴含着一种变化无穷的魅力……贯穿其中的是一股热情, 一种永不消失的、富有特色的和色调浓郁的热情。她的天性看来不仅丰富多彩, 而且也很深沉凝重……这孩子生来就不爱循规蹈矩。”[1](P78)这股力量足以超越任何社会、时

代的束缚, 这是一股保护生命的鲜活激情的力量。

五、总体、深入地挖掘

1. 四个主要人物的灵魂层面

形式上, 《红字》写的是海丝特·白兰的赎罪, 丁梅斯代尔的藏罪, 齐灵窝斯的犯罪。事实上, 霍桑在《红字》中循着人的年龄组合了一个“原罪”循环系统。在这个系统中, 处于最低层, 最为世俗化, 最为邪恶, 离地狱之门最近的是齐灵窝斯。如果说霍桑对作为受害者的丁梅斯代尔尚存一丝同情和谅解的话, 对沦为复仇者的齐灵窝斯则是极力鞭挞的。处于第二层次的是一直为“过去”所折磨的丁梅斯代尔。第一层、第二层是为欲望、现有秩序所束缚的、困惑的现世人的心路历程的形象化、具体化。而处于第三层次的海丝特·白兰则已开始享受灵魂自由的快慰和喜悦。她那平静安详的外表下蕴积着的一种博大宽厚的“爱”支撑起了她的心理平衡体系。珠儿则是海丝特·白兰理性彻悟的进一步深化。在珠儿那看似稚拙的言语行为中潜藏着一种“自由”和“爱”的绝对自觉。这种自觉已经融合在她与外界现存的一切联系之中。珠儿爱和憎的界线的分明令人感到惊讶, 让人怀疑她的行为、心理存在的历史可能性。从齐灵窝斯、丁梅斯代尔、海丝特·白兰直至珠儿。人的灵魂一步步由“堕落”、忏悔、彻悟发展到精神的自觉。

2. 霍桑对罪和其解决方法的探究

人人都有罪, 这是有着浓厚宗教意识的霍桑心中的一个结。这一点在他别的作品中也有反映。在《教长的黑面纱》中, 那位胡帕牧师终生坚持戴着黑色的面纱, 以掩盖他有罪的内心。他在临终的时候指出:每一个人的脸上都蒙着黑色的面纱! 负罪的人为了在社会上立足, 便戴上了假面, 这假面把人和社会分割开来, 于是就有了心灵的扭曲, 人世间善恶不分, 是非颠倒, 文明反转过来以野蛮的手段压抑人性, 摧残一切真的、善的、美的东西。[3]

霍桑不是马克思主义者, 他没有从社会本身去寻求医治社会弊病的方法, 却转而求助于自然。在他看来, 人类社会还从来没有发现过高于自然的真理。在大自然中, 人可以坦然面对自己摆脱不了的罪; 在大自然中, 人性可以复苏, 真善美可以回归。霍桑之所以求助于自然, 也是想要摆脱社会传统的重负, 从大自然汲取力量。在小说的最后一章, 他企图为人类的

未来设计一个理想的王国, 而他所能迈出的第一步便是以他的良知大声呼吁人类应该诚实, 勇敢地坦露自己的最坏之点。尽管这是无法实现的, 但我们无法否认这部小说所起到的净化人的心灵的作用。

人世间有真善美, 也有假恶丑。要对这水火不相容的两类事物作出正确的鉴别, 却不是那么容易的事。霍桑通过《红字》还表达了另外一个重要的思想:人不应急于作出最后的判断。当小说开始时, 犯了通奸罪的海丝特·白兰被惩罚的时候, 谁能说她是受了冤枉呢? 她怀抱着婴儿, 铁证如山, 想否认也否认不了。而故事的发展竟然最终证明她是真善美的化身, 这是怎么一回事呢? 当读者也和作者一起来思考这个问题的时候, 便会自然而然地朝向以往的宗教、社会和整个文明体系投去不敬的目光。霍桑曾多次抨击过趋于僵化的清教主义的固执、保守和残酷, 他在《红字》的引言《海关》中不无揶揄地写道:“人性如果植根在这样贫瘠的土壤里, 即便经过世世代代的繁衍, 也不会比土豆更加繁盛。”

在法律、宗教和道德的天平前面只存在着合法与违法, 善与恶, 道德与非道德的区别和对立。但是, 具有丰富的精神世界的人的行为和心理用善与恶这对绝对对立的标准就能概括吗? 人的性格中难道只具备一维两极性吗? 随着社会的发展和人类对于自身了解的逐步深化, 人们终于认识到人性中确实存在着介乎善与恶之间的部分, 或者说从善到恶, 从恶到善都有一个发展过程。大多数人的行为都是在介于善与恶之间的道德标准上得到评价的。善是一个理想, 一个目标; 恶则是人性中极力回避的另一个极点。避恶从善是一个人的人格不断提高、崇高化的过程。同时, 善与恶的评价标准本身又有着历史的局限。

《红字》超越了人物性格中善与恶绝对对立的传统观念, 把罪恶感引入人的行为心理深处, 极大地丰富了人物的性格特征和精神世界。这一超越是具有重大价值和深远影响的。

[参　考　文　献]

[1]霍桑. 红字[M].姚乃强, 译. 南京:译林出版社, 1996. [2]崔为. 霍桑的困惑[J ].北方论丛, 1992, (3). 识?

[3]段怀清. 《红字》弘扬的是一种道德意识还是生命意[J ].湖北大学学报(哲学社会科学版) , 1990, (3).

Good and Evil of Humanity

——Analy sis and Appraisal o f the Leading Characters of The Scarlet Letter

X U De-yu

(Foreign Languages College , Jiamusi University , Jiamusi 154007, C hina )

Abstract :In The Scarlet Letter , g ood a nd ev il of humanity and mo ral criterio n w ill be discussed in this thesis through a naly zing a nd appraising the fo ur leading characters. Chillingw o rth, Dimmesdale, Hester Pry nne a nd Pea rl, their so uls ex perienced a process o f deg eneratio n and penitence and a t last they com e to see their erro rs and reach the spiritual conscio usness. The concept The Scarlet Letter ex presses ex ceeds the tradi-tional concept that g ood and evil are com pletely o ppo site in peo ple ' s cha racteristics. Th e v arious huma n be-haviour and psycho logy can ' t be g eneralized by using the appraisal sta nda rds-go od and ev il. At the same time, they hav e historical limitation in them selv es. In fact, the behavio ur of majority of peo ple are a ppraised by the moral standards betw een good a nd evil.

Key words :The scarlet letter ; goo d and evil; sin and ra nsom

[责任编辑:张　峰]

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