To Atone or to Ruin,Both to Pursue Love

To Atone or to Ruin, Both to Pursue Love A Comparison Between the Characters of Hester and Fanyi

ＴｏＡｔｏｎｅｏｒｔｏＲｕｉｎ，ＢｏｔｈｔｏＰｕｒｓｕｅＬｏｖｅＡＣｏｍｐａｒｉｓｏｎＢｅｔｗｅｅｎｔｈｅＣｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｓｏｆＨｅｓｔｅｒａｎｄＦａｎｙｉ郑卓蕻ＴｈｅＡｂｓｔｒａｃｔＨｅｓｔｅｒａｎｄＦａｎｙｉｗｅｒｅｔｗｏｃｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｓｗ...

Abstract Hester and Fanyi were two characters with remarkable individuality in literary creation.They both were victims of domineering social ideologies in their times,one of religion, the other,feudalism.They both were involved in unhappy marriage,which brought them nothing but sufferings and resulted in their infidelity.They,alike,yearned for happiness and freedom.But,since they were brought up in different cultural backgrounds,and under different influence,the ways of living they chose and the endings that led to were also different.Hester chose the way of atonement and was eventually forgiven by the religion,while Fanyi ruined everything,including what she hated and what she loved and she herself was ruined as a victim of feudalism.The portrayal of these two characters is of profound social significance and of great literary value.