关键字： 通奸 羞辱 罪过 能干 天使 惩罚 PEARL 报复 罪
Abstraction: In the Scarlet Letter, there are many symbols, such as the rose, the prison, the wood, pearl and many other things. But the most important symbol is the Scarlet Letter itself .Not only does A manifest in various form, but it also has different meanings. In this article, I will show you the various meanings of the symbol "A" to different people in the novel.
Key Words: adultery humiliation sin able angel punish pearl revenge guilt love
In the Scarlet Letter, the letter A manifest in various form and place. It represent more than just the sin of adultery. Even as the origin mark of adultery, the Scarlet Letter has a different individual meaning to the various characters.
1. to Hester The A is a symbol of unjust humiliation.
2. to the town's people the letter begins to represent the hidden shame.
3. to pearl the A is a bright and mysterious curiosity which symbolize her existence and the meaning behind it.
4. To Dimmesdale the sin is a piercing reminder of his the guilt engulfing his concealed sin.
5.To chillingworth the A represent the betray of his wife, the humiliation of not being the father of pearl, the humiliation of himself and the need for revenge.
6.To the puritan government the A is a mark of sin.
7. To mistress Hibbin The A stand for her peer.
In all, the red letter A is a symbol of lots of things. Though its origin meaning is adultery, it has different meaning to different people. And in the people's eyes, the symbol has changed from adultery to able, then to angel, which also show the downway of Puritanism.
Bibliography
The scarlet letter
美国文学思想背景 罗德。霍顿 赫伯特。爱德华兹 著 人民文学出版社
美国文学教程 胡荫桐 刘树森 著
