海丝特获得新生了吗?——《红字》女主人公新探

Does Hester Get Rebirth?—Reexamination of the Heroine in The Scarlet Letter

长期以来,对于美国浪漫主义作家纳桑尼尔·霍桑的《红字》的女主人公海丝特·白兰,国内学者大多把她解读为经过苦难的磨炼后获得了新生。但细读小说文本可发现,文本表面的海丝特意象虽支持以上批评,表象下深藏着的却是以上批评的悖论:海丝特没有获得新生,而是经过命运一次次残酷的打击后屈服了,接受了清教社会对她的审判,认同了清教社会对人生、人的本性及人类生存环境的认识。

Many critics in our country observe that the heroine Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter by the American romantic writer Nathaniel Hawthorne wins rebirth after long, arduous penance. Yet a close study of the text reveals that such observation is open to question. Though the surface image of Hester supports the above observation, the real meaning hidden in the text is that she does not get rebirth, but gives in after heavy blows by fate. She eventually accepts the condemnation by the Puritan society, its views of man, mans nature and mans living conditions. 