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1、1The Acceptance and DoubtKey wordsAcceptance Doubt The Scarlet LetterAbstract Nathaniel Hawthorne, a well - known American writer in 19th century, was deeply influenced by puritan thoughts. Because of the complication of Puritanism itself, Hawthornes attitude towards it was also complicated. Accepta
2、nce and doubt was co - existence. On one hand, the author admitted puritan thoughts and its values; on the other hand, he criticized the effect of Puritanical ethic morality on human spirits. His masterpiece, The scarlet Letter, shows his acceptance and doubt toward Puritan ethic morality. Introduct
3、ionNathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter was written in 18th century. The setting of The Scarlet Letter is the 17th century in Boston, America. Before proceeding to the analysis of Hawthornes attitude toward Puritanism in the novel, some fundamental definitions need to be established. Who were the
4、 Puritans? What is their ideology and lifestyle? What is the authors family background?PuritansTo understand the origins of Puritanism and its position with regard to other Christian religions, let us look at a simple diagram:We see from this that the Puritans are classified in the larger sense as C
5、hristian, in a narrower sense as Protestant, and in a still more specialized sense as Calvinist. They regarded Catholics as their chief opponents. Puritans ideology and lifestylePuritan is the name given in the 16th century to the more extreme Protestants within the Church of England. These Protesta
6、nts thought the English Reformation had not gone far enough in reforming the doctrines and structure of the church. They wanted to purify their church. In the 17th century many Puritans immigrated to the New World, where they sought to found a holy Commonwealth in New England. The Puritans did not a
7、llow religious dissent (holding different religious belief).They insisted that high position, and achievements were signs of eternal grace, that is, favor of God, and they wanted to force Gods will on the rest of mankind. Puritan tradition also involved a respect for learning which led to the establ
8、ishment of schools 2and the spread of literacy. Puritanism remains the dominant cultural force in that area into the 19th century. It should be pointed out that Puritans were a group of serious, religious people, advocating highly religious and moral principles. They believe that the church should b
9、e restored to complete purity, they accepted the doctrine of predestination, original sin and total depravity, and limited atonement through a special infusion of grace from God. Puritans lives were extremely disciplined and hard. Hawthornes family backgroundHawthorne was born on July 4, 1804, in Sa
10、lem, Massachusetts. Salem, his hometown, has ever been the place where Puritanism forces are rampant and several generations of his ancestors are fanatic Puritans. His family was of Puritan belief for generations and had been prominent in the area since colonial times. Therefore, the rich Puritanism
11、 thought from his family has deep-rooted effect on Hawthorne. Hawthorne knew Bible very well and went to church frequently. However, things like the witch trials, where innocent people had to die, could happen in his Puritan hometown of Salem, which led him to the opinion that the fusion of religiou
12、s dogma and political authority was the worst evil. He was also shocked by the Puritan injustice, and was convinced that there was both good and evil in Puritanism. On one hand, he assails Puritan criminal behaviors such as religious fanaticism and impermissibility to heresy; on the other hand, he t
13、akes the religious basic creed as the criterion to cognition and judgment. The contradictive mentality is typically and deeply represented in his masterpiece The Scarlet Letter. The summary of the storyThe novel, The Scarlet Letter, is about the struggle three people face while trying to live their
14、lives in a Puritan society. In the early 1640s, Hester has come to the small town of Boston, Massachusetts, from Great Britain, while her husband, Chillingworth has left to deal with something .But after then, there is no news about him and nobody know whether he is alive or not for two years. Then
15、she falls in love with Dimmesdale, a young handsome clergyman and then has a baby, Pearl. When her adultery is discovered, she is punished to wear a scarlet letter A on her chest all her life. Her husband, Roger, tries his best to torment Dismmesdale. And Dimmesdale, suffering from both physical and
16、 spirit torment, announces his sin at last, he dies an honest man. Roger, withers at last. Prynne, restructures her life and wins peoples respect. Pearl, leaves for Europe, marries a noble family, leading a happy life. Character list3A) Hester Prynne A young woman sent to the colonies by her husband, who pla
