浅谈《红字》中罪与果

The Sins and Results in “The Scarlet Letter”

纳撒尼尔·霍桑是美国十九世纪最伟大的浪漫主义小说家。《红字》被认为是霍桑的最杰出的代表作。在故事里,有三个主要的中心人物:海斯特、奇林沃斯、丁梅斯代尔。海斯特和奇林沃斯的婚姻在清教徒新英格兰期间是一幕爱情悲剧。他们之间没有爱。海斯特爱上丁梅斯代尔并且生了个女儿——小珍珠。在清教徒新英格兰期间,人们将处罚他们并认为他们是罪人。海斯特被迫在胸前戴上代表着奸妇的红字"A"。海斯特勇敢而坚强地承认了罪,并接受了不合理的处罚。同时,海斯特做了很多好事,帮助别人并照顾珠儿,抚养小珠儿,教她怎样生活,学习和帮助他人。最后,她成为能干,令人钦佩的"天使"。丁梅斯代尔没有立刻承认自己就是奸夫,因为那样的话他可能被判绞刑。因此他的灵魂被折磨着。最后,他也站出来承认了罪,成了一个勇敢的殉道士。而奇林沃斯尽力折磨着丁梅斯代尔以至于他从一个知识渊博的医生成了一个真正的罪人,一个恶魔。在故事里,三个主要的中心人物采用了不同的方法去面对罪。因此他们得到罪恶的不同的处罚。

Nathaniel Hawthorne is a great romantic novelist in America in 19th century.“The Scarlet Letter”is generally ac- knowledged as his best masterpiece. In the story,there were three major central figures: Hester,Chillingworth,Dimmesdale. The marriage of Hester and Chillingworth was a love tragedy during Puritan New England. There was no love between them. Hester fell in love with Dimmesdale and bore an illegitimate girl,Little Pearl. During Puritan New England,people will punish them and thought they were sinners. So Hester was forced to wear on the breast the scarlet letter“A”,which stood for adulteress. Hester admitted the sin and accepted the unreasonable punishment bravely and strongly. Meantime,Hester did many good needs,helped others and took care of Pearl,brought up Little Pearl and taught her how to live,study and help others. At last, she became able,admirable angel. Dimmesdale didn’t admit immediately he was just that sinner,adulterer,because he could be hung himself at once,if he did so. So his soul was tortured. At last,he also stood out and admitted the sin,and became a brave martyr. While Chillingworth did his best to torture Dimmesdale so that he became a real sinner,a devil from a learned doctor. In the story,the three major central figures adopted different ways facing the sin. So they got different punishments of the sin.