摘要

清教是基督教新教派别之一，16世纪出现于英国。该教派反对国王和主教的专制，承认《圣经》是唯一的权威。清教主张清除国教所保留的天主教旧制度，简化仪式，提倡过勤俭清洁的生活。后因在国内遭受迫害，大部分清教徒都逃亡到美国，在美国开始了新的传教征程，并对美国的经济文化产生了重大影响。
霍桑的大部分作品都体现了浓浓的清教主义色彩，其中《红字》是最典型的代表。海斯特白兰是《红字》的女主人公，在书中她被刻画成一个具有独立自主意识的女人同时又是一个清教主义教条的反叛者，正是她这种对清教主义的反叛造成了她悲剧的一生。而她的悲剧命运也正是对清教禁欲主义对人性压制和禁锢的强烈控诉。本文主要通过对霍桑代表作《红字》女主人公的命运分析揭示清教主义对当时女性影响。

关键词：清教主义，红字，原罪，海斯特白兰

Abstract

Puritanism, a new sect of Christian’s, emerged in Briton 16th century. It was a rebellion of the absolutism of King and the bishops, believing that the Holy Bible was the only authority and advocated abolishing all unenlightened doctrines preserved by the Church of England, simplifying religious rituals and living a humble and plain life. While suffering from religious persecution in Briton, most puritans chose to find shelter in America and brought with them this new religious belief which had laid a great impact on American economy and literature.
Almost all of Hawthorne’s works were the outcome of the influence of puritanism, among them the Scarlet Letter was the very representative one. Hester Prynne, the heroine of the Scarlet Letter was a portrait of a mind-independent woman and a doctrine breaker. It was her rebellion to the doctrine of puritanism that led to the tragedy of her life, in return, her sufferance just witnessed how cruel and pitiless the doctrines of puritanism were. This thesis is going to discuss the great influence of puritanism on women’s fate at that time from the perspective of Scarlet Letter, the representative work of Hawthorn.

Key words: Puritanism; Scarlet Letter; Original sin; Hester Prynne