摘　要

《红字》使美国作家霍桑誉满全球，作者在作品中采用的象征手法无处不在，贯穿始终，大大加强了作品的艺术效果。本文从红字的多种象征意义、主要人物的人名寓意以及景物寓意等方面入手，研究《红字》中的多重象征手法。许多学者已经研究过红字中字母A的象征意义，但是笔者认为文章处处都体现着多重象征。本文通过四个部分来研究红字的多重象征性，背景介绍，文献综述，意象的象征分析以及结论。内容取百家之长，希望通过研究《红字》中意象的多重象征性来得出其中所蕴含的多重象征意义。《红字》中多处使用多重象征手法，使得文章文字隽永，寓意深刻，留给后人丰富的空间去联想。

关键词：红字；多重象征性；象征意义

Abstract

The Scarlet Letter makes the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne known all around the world. Hawthorne uses the symbolism so skillful that it enhances the artistic effects of his work greatly. This paper researches the multi-symbolism in this novel from the following aspects: the changing symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter, the names of the major characters and many objects that are described in the novel to make the symbolism clear to the readers. Researches before this paper paid more attention on the symbolism of the scarlet letter “A”, but this paper is different. The paper pays more attention on more places that conveys the symbolic quality of the novel. This paper tries to analyze the multi-symbolic quality from the following part, the introduction of this novel, the literature review, the analysis on the symbols and conclusion. The paper integrates the great thoughts of the predecessors in order to draw a conclusion about its symbolic meaning though the research on the multi- symbolic features of this novel. This novel uses multiple symbolisms and makes the article profound and leaves a wealth of space for the posterity to thinking about.

Key words: the Scarlet Letter; multi-symbolic quality; symbolism

1 Introduction
Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered to be the first greatest American fiction writer in the modern literatures. His work The Scarlet Letter that is notable for its allegory and symbolism is regarded as the first symbolic novel in American literature. The novel revolves around one major symbol: The Scarlet Letter. Besides, some other objects that are described in the novel have their symbolic meanings. Moreover, the names of the four major characters: Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth and Pearl also have their symbolic meanings. The Scarlet Letter is a novel of much symbolic meanings.
1.1 The brief introduction of the story
The Scarlet Letter is an romantic work of fiction in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850. It is considered to be his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Boston during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an adulterous affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.