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06 （ 5 ）班 金秋. The Scarlet Letter. ——Nathaniel Hawthorne. 1 、 the introduction of the author.
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06（5）班 金秋 The Scarlet Letter ——Nathaniel Hawthorne
1、the introduction of the author • It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem. After his father was lost at sea when he was only four, his mother became overly protective and pushed him toward more isolated pursuits. Hawthorne's childhood left him overly shy and bookish, and molded his life as a writer. On February 3, 1850, Hawthorne finished The Scarlet Letter. It became an immediate success and allowed Hawthorne to devote himself to his writing. Afterwards, he wrote many novels. Finally, he passed away on May 19, 1864 in Plymouth. His works remain notable for their treatment of guilt and the complexities of moral choices. • 霍桑，美国小说家。其代表作是以殖民时期新英格兰生活为背景的长篇小说《红字》（1850）。其他著名作品，有描写祖先谋财害命其罪孽殃及子孙的长篇小说《带有七个尖角楼的房子》（1851），讨论善恶问题的长篇小说《玉石雕像》（1860），揭示人人都有隐秘罪恶的短篇小说《教长的黑面纱》和表达作者正面理想的短篇小说《石面人像》等。
2、thebackground of the story. • It’s based on the colony times of America. It shows up the cruelty of the law ,the deceit of religion and the hypocrisy of the morality. • 小说以两百多年前的殖民地时代的美洲为题材，但揭露的却是19世纪资本主义发展时代美利坚合众国社会典法的残酷、宗教的欺骗和道德的虚伪。
Question: 1、 How does the meaning of the scarlet letter shifts as time passes? 2、Who is the worst sinner in this story, do you think?
3、the main characters of the story. • Hester :the heroine (brave ,chaste忠贞的,assiduous有毅力的) • Dimmesdale ： Hester’s lover (flaccid软弱的 ,but finally brave) • Roger Chilling Worth ： Hester’s husband (snaky阴险的,jealous善妒的,misshapen畸形的) • Pearl: Hester’s daughter (lovely ,pure, impish)
4、the main idea of the storyThe story happened in Boston about 200 years ago. It narrates love affairs between three persons. The punished woman.，Hester and his husband. Who called himself Roger Chilling worth . He is an old misshapen man and a doctor. Hester does not love him at all. Another man is a young minister, Dimmesdale, who has a high position among ministers and is highly respected among his people in town. Hester and Dimmesdale love each other. But their love is forbidden in that time . It is sinful. Due to this, Hester is punished by society with a letter A on her chest, which considered an evil, a shame.
【内容介绍】 • 海丝特·白兰跟丈夫从英国移居当时尚属英殖民地的美国波士顿。中途丈夫被印第安人俘虏。海丝特只身到美后，迫于生活，被青年牧师丁梅斯代尔诱骗怀孕。此事，被当地虚伪的清教徒社会视为大逆不道。当局把海丝特抓起来投入监狱，游街示众，还要终生佩带象征耻辱的红色的A字（Adultery：通奸女犯）和站在示众台上受审。丁梅斯代尔——一个被公众视为最高道德典范的诱骗海丝特的奸夫，也假惺惺地劝说她招出奸夫的姓名。但海丝特宁愿一人受辱，誓死也不招供。在远离社会，远离人群，受尽屈辱的处境中，海丝特孤苦顽强地生活着，全仗刺绣为生。她生活中的惟一支柱是抚养掌上明珠般的女儿珠儿。海丝特这种忍辱负重、代人受过和不屈不挠的精神，使丁梅斯代尔大为感动，也大受刺激，不久他便心力交瘁地病倒了。而获释归来，一直在暗中侦察底细的海丝特的丈夫罗杰·奇林渥斯医生，在给丁梅斯代尔治病中，已基本了解到了真情，并欲置丁梅斯代尔于死地。为了逃脱，海丝特跟丁梅斯代尔议定在新市长就职那天，带上孩于一同乘船到“看不到白人足迹”的地方去。但此事也被奇林渥斯识破，逃脱不成。于是，丁梅斯代尔在新市长就职那天，携海丝特和珠儿走上示众台，当众宣布了自己诱骗海丝特的事实，并死在海丝特怀抱中。海丝特也从此得到了解放，带着珠儿远走他方。若干年后，珠儿长大成人，安了家立了业，而海丝特却一人再回到波士顿，仍带着那个红色的A字，用自己的“崇高的道德和助人精神”，把耻辱的红字变成了道德与光荣的象征，直到老死 。
In this novel, the mainline seems to be around the letter A.Hester is brave enough to face the cruel reality. She is always with a mind of courage. She has been alone with her child for so long , with little communica -tion. Hester has to wear the letter A day after day, seven years as for punishment and ill fame. Hester’s charitable deeds and quiet humility have earned her a reprieve from the scorn of the community. The letter on her chest represents her work, always helping others, without expecting any thanks. The towns people no longer view the letter as a punishment, but rather as representing her great strength and bravery and thy say it means “able”.
Answers to the questions • Question: 1、 How does the meaning of the scarlet letter shifts as time passes?
Answer: • A . At the very beginning, it is intended to make Hester as an adulterer通奸者.B. In the course, it stands for “Able” or even “Angel”.C. Eventually, the only inscription题字，碑铭 on the tombstone is an emblem徽章，符号 of her tender mercy and kindness and an object of veneration尊敬 to her.
Question: 2、Who is the worst sinner in this story, do you think?
Answer: • Roger Chilling Worth. After he knew that Dimmesdale was just Hester’s lover, all his strength and energy has been used to harm his patient Dimmesdale . He was very snaky ,jealous and misshapen.
The feelings after reading the book: • The Scarlet Letter is based on the colony times of America. It shows up the cruelty of the law ,the deceit of religion and the hypocrisy of the morality. It concerns about the moral, emotional and psychological effect of the sin on people in general. It’s not simply a love story or a story of sin. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the scarlet letters to symbolize the harshness of Puritan society, showing how they brand sinners for life. • 海丝特*白兰,他坚强,有毅力,对爱情忠贞不渝.虽然被统治者认为有罪,但她是清白的,纯洁的.她的精神不断上升,成为真,善,美的化身.她的举动是对封建政权与教权压迫下的爱情,人权和自由的充分肯定. • 丁梅斯代尔最初与白兰产生了炽热的爱情,虽然他一度退却了,为自己能够隐蔽的安慰,但内心的痛苦并没有因他的安全而平息,相反,越来越强烈.他与白兰的约会,他在枷刑台上的自我忏悔,他们的逃跑计划,以及最后的公开演说,都成为了丁梅斯代尔向着爱情的祭坛一步步走近的脚印.最后他扯开上衣,人们见到了烙在他胸口的红色A字.这个A字实际上是烙在他的心上的,这是爱情的升华. • 至于老齐林窝斯，表面上看他在维护婚姻的社会地位，主张妇女坚守妇道，向情敌复仇以讨回自己做丈夫的权力及尊严俨然一个道德裁判者的形象。这也是其社会属性的外在表现。但内心是在满足其报复的私欲和在心理上，精神上折磨别人的快感。这是他自然属性中最阴险的一面。
