红字中A的象征意义.pptVIP

《红字》中“A”的象征意义 The most important symbol which is carried throughout the novel is undoubtedly the scarlet letter A.  The A appears in many other places than on the chest of Hester Prynne. It is seen on the armor breastplate at Governor Bellinghams mansion   At night while Dimmesdale is standing on the scaffold he sees a bright red letter A in the sky.  While Pearl is playing near the bay shore she arranges some grass in the form of an A on her own breast.  But one of the most important As is one the spectators see burnt on Dimmesdales chest.  In the novel, the scarlet letter A changes its meaning many different times. This change is significant. It shows growth in the characters, and the community in which they live.  A symbol of sin A symbol of alone and alienation A symbol of able, angel and admirable. Adultery The letter A, worn on Hesters bosom, is a symbol of her adultery against Roger Chillingworth. This is the puritan way of treating her as a criminal, for the crime of adultery. The puritan treatment continues, because as Hester walks through the streets, she will be looked down upon as if she is some sort of demon from hell that commits a terrible crime. Alone and Alienation The scarlet letter A also stands for Hesters lonely life in New England. After she is released, Hester lives in a cottage near the outskirts of the city. It had been built by an earlier settler, and abandoned, because the soil about it was too sterile for cultivation, while its comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that social activity which already marked the habits of the emigrants. (Para4)  Hesters social life is virtually eliminated as a result of her shameful history. Hester comes to have a part to perform in the world with her native energy of character and rare capacity. However, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came to contact, implied, and