Abstract

Nathaniel Hawthorne has been widely acclaimed as one of the most outstanding romantic novelists in America. Scholars usually focus on the study of “A”s symbolic meaning in the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne’s most famous work that brings him fame all over the world. However, main protagonists’ names, natural settings and colors also carry symbolic meaning. Therefore, this thesis conducts an analysis of Hawthorne’s symbolism in the Scarlet Letter from a comprehensive perspective. Symbolism is a writing skill of creative literature by using concrete objects to express a much deeper meaning so as to arouse readers’ imagination and association. This paper focus on the symbolism in detail based on previous research results. It mainly analyze the symbolic meanings of the four main protagonists, natural settings and colors. This symbolic interpretation can give readers a more specific and integrated comprehension about the novel, as well as help readers comprehend literary attainments of Hawthorne as “the prophet of symbolism”.

Key words: Nathaniel Hawthorne   the scarlet letter    symbolic interpretation

摘要

霍桑是世界公认的美国浪漫主义时期最伟大的小说家之一。《红字》是霍桑最受欢迎的作品，让他享誉全球。前人关于《红字》的研究不计其数，学者通常会研究红字A的象征意义，而本文则利用象征主义原理，对《红字》进行了全面的阐释。象征主义原理是文学创作的常用手法，它采用有形的物体来表达深层次的含义，以引起读者的想象和联想。本文在前人研究的基础上对文中的象征主义进行了深层次的研究，主要分析了四个主要人物，自然场景和颜色的象征意义。对文章象征主义的解读可以让读者更全面的理解《红字》，更好的了领略象征主义大师霍桑的文学风采。

关键词：《红字》   霍桑   象征主义