霍桑开始是以短篇小说家著称的,诚如第一个自觉地把短篇小说作为一种独立的文学体裁并提出短篇小说创作理论的爱伦·坡(1809—1849)在《评霍桑的(复述的故事)》一文中所说:短篇小说的创作过程是由作家“精心设计了某种希冀的单一效果;于是他编制情节并将其连缀起来,以期在最大程度上达到预定的效果。”美国堪称短篇小说的王国,在开创这一体裁上,霍桑和爱伦·坡同样功不可没。
霍桑曾在作品中多次声明,他写的不是小说,而是“罗曼史”。用我们今天惯用的文学术语来说,就是他写的不是现实主义小说而是浪漫主义小说。我们姑且不去争论这样分类的概括性与各自的定义,但无论如何,现实主义强调的是客观描绘,浪漫主义则侧重于主观抒发。在霍桑看来,创作“罗曼史” 时,也就更可以随心所欲地自由发挥作者的想象力,而不必拘泥于现实。他这样做了,而且取得了成功,不愧是美国文学史上浪漫主义小说的开创者。
霍桑还进一步把他的“罗曼史”称为“心理罗曼史”,这足见其对心理描写的重视。他之所以重心理描写,一方面固然受时代和宗教的影响,将精神和灵魂混为一谈,认为灵魂既然有善恶,有爱恨,有罪孽,就应该揭示出来,以达惩恶扬善、颁爱抑恨的目的;但另一方面,人的行为举止终有其心理依据,如不进行心理挖掘,人物只能停留在表象上,必然显得肤浅。对于惯于阅读我国传统的以白描手法刻画人物的读者,或许会觉得其故事节奏过于缓慢,但他却是美国心理分析小说的鼻祖。
爱默生在论述自然的本质时提出:“每一种自然现象都是某种精神现象的象征物”;霍桑也认为,客观物质世界仅仅是假象,其“灵性”才是本质。因此,在霍桑的作品中,一景一物都有其比喻象征的含义。当年,英国作家威廉·朗格伦在《农夫彼尔斯》(1362)和约翰·班扬在《天路历程》(1678—1684)这类宗教小说中,就曾把七大罪恶或人的品德变成具体人物登场。这种把抽象概念人格化并用来直接给人物命名的写法显然比脸谱化更为原始和粗糙。霍桑的象征比拟笔法却另辟溪径,况物写景不仅配合抒情和渲染气氛,简直本身当真有“灵性”,成为故事的参与者,缺了便会显出不足。这一手法当即为麦尔维尔所效法,经过爱伦·坡的推崇,转而被法国的波德莱尔进一步发扬,遂开创了现代派文学的象征主义流派。就此而论,称霍桑是象征主义的奠基人并不为过。
发表于2024-11-21
The Scarlet Letter 2024 pdf epub mobi 电子书
在《十日谈》里,一个不谙世事的少女想信仰上帝,不远千里找到了一个她崇拜着的教士,想让他作为引路人,那个教士对她进行的宗教教育不是从《圣经》开始,而是从人体构造开始,他象《生命中不能承受之轻》里的托马斯一样,果断地对那个少女说了一句“脱!” 少女发现自...
评分看书的时候在黔东南,参加一个培训,一周时间,每天读四到五章,临走的时候刚好看完。因此喜欢这样的培训,比寻常在家更有完整的时间。 心中的罪仍然是这本书的主题。这已经是一个永恒的主题。三个人的设置是一组完美的象征,两个有“罪”的人,一个受外界惩罚,一个隐没地受...
评分人能够形成原罪的观念后,马上就求助于对心理的隐秘——或者,用分析的语言说,压抑就开始了,任何被隐藏的秘密东西都是一个秘密,保持秘密就像心理上的一幅毒剂,它使保密的保有者与集体疏远,这种毒剂在小剂量的时候可以是一副无价的良药,甚至是人格分化的必要准备. 情况确...
评分《红字》是十九世纪后期美国浪漫主义作家霍桑的代表作,这部小说与菲次杰拉德的《了不起的盖茨比》一起,被誉为美国的两部道德文化寓言。它描写了二百多年以前发生在新英格兰殖民时期一个浪漫的爱情悲剧。是美国文学发展史上的第一部象征主义小说,集中体现了霍桑“原罪”...
评分第一次知道这本书是大三,那阵子我选了一门美国文学,我的教授是一个Middle age的女人,留过洋,带过许多博士,喜欢穿绸缎真丝。从她神采飞扬的作品评析中我大致听出了她对这部作品的喜爱。但当时我对它并不留意,看完那几页英文选段也作罢了。不过我记得它的的名字《红字》和...
图书标签: NathanielHawthorne 美国文学 英文原版小说 外国文学 American-literature 美国 小说 文学
《红字》中讲述的是发生在北美殖民时期的恋爱悲剧。女主人公海丝特·白兰嫁给了医生奇灵渥斯,他们之间却没有爱隋。在孤独中白兰与牧师丁梅斯代尔相恋并生下女儿珠儿。白兰被当众惩罚,戴上标志“通奸”的红色A字示众。然而白兰坚贞不屈,拒不说出孩子的父亲。
The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, is an American romance novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne; it is generally considered to be his masterpiece. Set in Puritan New England in the 17th century, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who gives birth after committing adultery, refuses to name the father, and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout, Hawthorne explores the issues of grace, legalism, and guilt.
Publisher Comments:
Hailed by Henry James as "the finest piece of imaginative writing yet put forth in the country," Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter reaches to our nation's historical and moral roots for the material of great tragedy. Set in an early New England colony, the novel shows the terrible impact a single, passionate act has on the lives of three members of the community: the defiant Hester Prynne; the fiery, tortured Reverend Dimmesdale; and the obsessed, vengeful Chillingworth.
With The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne became the first American novelist to forge from our Puritan heritage a universal classic, a masterful exploration of humanity's unending struggle with sin, guilt and pride.
From AudioFile
In the early days of Puritan Boston Hester Prynne braves the stigma of adultery by wearing the embroidered scarlet "A" on her clothing. Hill's reading captures the story's pathos and gives the reader empathy for the characters while clarifying Hawthorne's views. Hill distinctly portrays each character and reads the narration clearly and swiftly. The pace conveys a sense of urgency and breathlessness. After hearing this novel, readers will understand why it continues to be a classic. P.A.J.
sinful? have i not said that i am an atheist? whoops, i am a pantheist. Seriously, this book is a little bit too tedious. Finished yesterday---May 2nd,2013 [after 10 days' spare time reading]
评分almost kind of like the A when finished, still don't quite understand the puritan american, public execution or something? the child is a little bit too weild sometime, add to the horror sense, but maybe it's strongly symbolic just i've not chewed it carefully...let alone digest... but honestly i don't like to chew a novel, finished it in 10 hours
评分最喜欢pearl那一章 这是一个老男人知道自己戴绿帽子以后非要害死小三的故事
评分almost kind of like the A when finished, still don't quite understand the puritan american, public execution or something? the child is a little bit too weild sometime, add to the horror sense, but maybe it's strongly symbolic just i've not chewed it carefully...let alone digest... but honestly i don't like to chew a novel, finished it in 10 hours
评分sinful? have i not said that i am an atheist? whoops, i am a pantheist. Seriously, this book is a little bit too tedious. Finished yesterday---May 2nd,2013 [after 10 days' spare time reading]
The Scarlet Letter 2024 pdf epub mobi 电子书