On the Influence of Puritanism on Hawthorne

On the Influence of Puritanism on Hawthorne

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Paper Keywords: Hawthorne Puritans "The Scarlet Letter" original sin

Abstract: nathaniel hawthorne was not a Puritan, but Puritanism had a profound influence on him. On the one hand, he admitted that Puritanism suppressed and persecuted human nature; On the other hand, he firmly believed in Puritanism such as "original sin" and advocated that people were born guilty and should redeem themselves. This contradictory thought is well reflected in his masterpiece The Scarlet Letter.

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Puritanism is a brand that cannot be ignored and forgotten in American history since the colonial period. As a cultural heritage, Puritanism has a lasting influence on American thought and literature. It can be said that without a certain understanding of Puritanism, it is impossible to truly understand America and its literature. Puritanism is an unavoidable perspective for Hawthorne and his masterpiece The Scarlet Letter. This paper will discuss the influence of Puritanism on Hawthorne from the aspects of the rise of Puritanism, the historical origin of Puritanism and Hawthorne, and Hawthorne's attitude towards Puritanism in The Scarlet Letter.

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The word "Puritanism" comes from "Puritans" and is a summary of Puritans' thoughts and behaviors. The word "Puritan" comes from the Latin word Purus, which means clean and pure.

Puritanism came into being in the second half of16th century. After Henry VIII left the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church became a tool to maintain the rule of the king headed by the king, and the church remained decadent. /kloc-In the late 6th century, some devout believers in the church proposed to remove the residual factors of Catholicism in the state religion. Their thoughts are called "Puritanism" and they are called "Puritans". They demanded that only the New Testament should be the criterion in their faith, not the church or the so-called traditional system as the authority that believers should follow. In particular, they stressed that the church must be a true religion, with the conditions shown in the Bible, and a true church that is holy and flawless.

Puritanism played an important role in the establishment of British North American colonies. 1620, 102 Puritans arrived in Plymouth, America by the famous may flower and established a colony. They are the first immigrants from the New World in Britain and the ancestors of most Americans after 150. Perry Miller, an American religious historian, described the Puritans in New England as follows: "... he was a realistic idealist ... he came to the new world to build a perfect society and a kingdom with voting rights ..." Since the colonial period, Puritanism has had a far-reaching impact on American politics, economy, ideology, culture, religion and other aspects.

Puritanism is not only a belief, but also an ethical value. The ethical value of Puritanism is an extension of Puritanism belief in real life, which is mainly manifested in piety, honesty, thrift, diligence, abstinence and self-improvement. These beliefs play a very important role in the real life of Americans. Puritans initially played a positive role. They resist the tyranny of the Pope, oppose the decadent social atmosphere, pay attention to reason, respect ideals and prohibit desires; They always keep strict and restrained, and refuse any behavior that may lead to moral degradation.

However, the Puritans adhered to strict moral dogma, preached asceticism and condemned the pursuit of worldly pleasures, and the narrow side and intolerance of religious views began to appear. Oppressed Puritanism began to persecute those who they thought held heresy.

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Nathaniel hawthorne (1804-1864) is the most influential romantic novelist and psychological novelist in the United States in the 9th century. Hawthorne wrote more than 100 short stories in his life, including Moss in the Old House (1843). He is the author of four novels, namely The Scarlet Letter (1850), The House with Seven Gables (185 1) and The Legend of Lucky Valley (1852).

He was born into a noble family in New England and has been a devout Calvinist for generations. His two generations of ancestors were important figures in the authority of the integration of politics and religion in the Massachusetts colony, and participated in the witch-expelling case in Salem in 1692 and the persecution of Quakers thereafter. On the one hand, he was deeply influenced by Puritanism and couldn't get rid of religious superstitions such as "original sin", "atonement" and "final appeal", but he felt deeply guilty about his ancestors' exorcism, and in turn felt sad about the autocratic rule of Puritanism. This ambivalence is deeply reflected in his novel The Scarlet Letter.

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From 65438 to 0825, Hawthorne graduated from University and returned to his hometown of Salem, where he began to live in seclusion. For twelve years, Hawthorne shut himself in his room and studied hard. He is keen on exploring family history. Through this process of observation and thinking, he realized that Puritan ethics bound human nature. Therefore, in 1850, he wrote his masterpiece The Scarlet Letter.

The Scarlet Letter is set in Boston around 1650, when the residents were the first generation of immigrants who settled here between 1620 and 1630. They are all Puritans (Calvinists). After being persecuted by James I in England, they came to the New World with the ideal of creating a paradise on earth. So at that time, most people in America were Puritans, and Puritanism deeply influenced all aspects of the whole society. Taking this as the background of the times, all the characters in The Scarlet Letter are influenced by Puritanism in different ways, and they have completely different understandings and practices in the face of Puritanism.

Puritanism instilled a strong sense of guilt in Hawthorne, and his ancestors left Hawthorne with bloody criminal facts. However, Hawthorne still believes in Puritanism's view of original sin and the complete degeneration of human beings. Although he was not a Puritan, he never doubted Puritanism's view on the depravity of human nature. Therefore, several protagonists in The Scarlet Letter have their own "sins". For Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale, their original sin was the scarlet letter "A" on Hester's chest. "A" stands for adultery. Although Hester protected her sweetheart out of kindness, she committed the crime of cheating; Reverend Dimmesdale didn't dare to admit his sins publicly, but still stayed in the priest's post, which not only offended God, but also deceived his parishioners. Chillingworth's sin is manifested in his crazy revenge after discovering Hester's infidelity, and finally becomes a "devil". Even the most naive little girl, Pearl, is a flower that "blooms in the torrent of sinful lust".

People have original sin, so they need redemption. In Hawthorne's view, when dealing with sin, people should consciously adopt the way of atonement, so that the soul defiled by sin can be saved in "purification". He advocated "atonement" by doing good deeds and self-confession. For Hester, she confessed her crime frankly, took the blame alone, endured humiliation and lived tenaciously, while helping the poor and doing good everywhere. Her kindness made the letter "A" on her chest no longer mean adultery, but became capable, angel, appreciative and so on. As for Reverend Dimmesdale, his soul was saved at the last moment of his life when he went to Xingtai, confessed his crimes thoroughly and died in Hester's arms with a smile. After the priest died, Hester left home with her daughter and returned to her hometown many years later. Then a new grave appeared next to the priest's grave. There is only one letter "A" on the tombstone. The author is telling us that death is not the end of life, but the only way to achieve eternal life and self-salvation.

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As a writer from a Puritan family, Hawthorne's thoughts are full of contradictions, and the Puritanism tradition in New England, especially Calvinism, has a deep influence on him. On the one hand, he felt deeply guilty about the oppression and persecution of human nature by Puritans and their ancestors, so he tried to resist this tradition and attack religious fanaticism and narrow and hypocritical religious beliefs; On the other hand, he was bound by this tradition and used Calvinism's view of good and evil to understand society and the whole world. His works are permeated with "Calvinist thoughts on' humanity' and' original sin'". From him, we can see the profound influence of Puritanism on American culture and literature.

References:

[1][ America] By Hawthorne, translated by Wen Lieguang. The scarlet letter [M] Guangzhou: Huacheng Publishing House, 1993.

[2] Yang Zhihong. The Conflict between Natural Person and Social Person —— On Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter [J]. Journal of Liaoning Institute of Education and Management, 1999, (l).

[3] Liu Lixia. The interweaving of identity and doubt —— On Puritanism in The Scarlet Letter. Foreign Literature Studies, 2003, (2).

[4] Chai Huiting. British Puritanism [M]. Shanghai Social Sciences Press, 1994.

Expansion: Hawthorne's works inherit and rebel against Puritanism

Puritanism emphasizes the theory of original sin and limited redemption, and advocates the importance of simple lifestyle and spiritual introspection, which has a far-reaching impact on American literature, culture and social life. Based on the basic values of Puritanism, this paper discusses the influence of Puritanism on the works of American writer Hawthorne. Born in a Puritan family, Hawthorne's works inevitably bear a deep Puritan imprint; But at the same time, his works reflect the betrayal and reflection on Puritanism.

Puritanism; Evil theme; Self-examination/introspection

Nathaniel hawthorne (1804- 1864) is the most influential American romantic writer in the 9th century. He is regarded as the pioneer of romantic novels in the history of American literature, the originator of American psychoanalytic novels and the founder of symbolism. Most of Hawthorne's works are based on the life picture of New England, which reflects the life and values of the early Puritans in the United States with mysterious symbolism and embodies the deep imprint of Puritanism. It can be said that Hawthorne inherited the Puritan tradition in American literature, but at the same time he deeply reflected on Puritan thought and the evil embodied in the development of Puritan.

First, the historical origin and basic values of American Puritanism.

Judging from the influence of Puritanism on American social life, Puritanism is no longer a religion in a simple sense, but a constantly developing and changing ideological system integrating theology, philosophy and ideology.

As a school of Christianity, Puritanism first appeared in the 65438+60s. /kloc-the religious reform movement that rose in Europe in the 0/6th century ended the authoritative rule of the Roman Catholic Church in European countries, among which the Protestant movement led by Martin Luther in 15 17 and John Calvin in 1534 was the most famous. /kloc-In the 7th century, as a radical of Protestantism, English Puritans, together with Protestants from other countries on the European continent, started an immigration movement in North America to avoid religious persecution. In this way, Puritanism based on Calvinist theology and tradition gradually formed a dominant position in the early American colonies, which laid the foundation for the political and religious thought of New England and the national rise of the United States after17th century. It can be said that to some extent, without Puritanism, there would be no American culture and no truly independent American literature.

Puritanism emphasizes the theory of original sin and the concept of limited redemption. Puritanism believes that human beings are born guilty because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, so people in this world must atone, and God's redemption is limited. How can mankind be redeemed by God? How do people know that they have been redeemed? The answer given by American Puritanism is: to be redeemed, we must be cautious in words and deeds, sincerely believe in God, work hard, and constantly conduct moral introspection; God will give a hint to those who have been redeemed. In the eyes of many Puritans, this hint is the success of life and career. The American Puritans regarded the American continent as a "promised land" given to them by God, and they were "chosen people". Their mission is to rebuild the Garden of Eden on the American continent. The basic ideas of Puritanism can be summarized as follows:

(1) The fall of human nature and original sin.

(2) God's choice.

(3) Limited atonement.

(4) Destiny's choice.

Secondly, Hawthorne's works inherited Puritanism.

Nathaniel hawthorne (1804- 1864) was born in a declining aristocratic family in Salem, Massachusetts, New England, and his ancestors were devout Puritans. Hawthorne's ancestors used to be the chief executive of the Massachusetts colonial administration of theocracy, with governors, legislators who persecuted pagans and chief judges who tried Salem's exorcism case. Hawthorne lost his father when he was young and lived with his mother. The strong Puritan atmosphere in his family and social environment had a great influence on him. After graduating from college, Hawthorne returned to his hometown to concentrate on his studies and embarked on the road of creation.

Influenced by Puritanism, Hawthorne's works show a strong interest in religious themes. He often discusses the dispute between good and evil and karma based on religious beliefs in his works. Most of Hawthorne's works are based on the history of New England for more than 200 years, and they vigorously describe the dark side of society and human nature, and on this basis, they constantly explore people's inner world. In fact, deeply influenced by Puritanism's original sin theory, the influence of sin and guilt on people has become the most ardent concern in Hawthorne's works.

Take Hawthorne's representative novel The Scarlet Letter as an example. In this novel, Hawthorne focuses on different characters' understanding of evil, the crimes they committed and the influence of guilt on these characters. Hester Prynne, the heroine, is the most written figure in this novel. On the surface, she committed crimes that the Puritans could not tolerate: indulgence and adultery, but Hawthorne showed deep sympathy and tolerance for Hester, and sin and innocence were concentrated on Hester in a strange way. Reverend Dimmesdale is pious and enthusiastic and deeply loved by parishioners, but he not only committed adultery, but also dared not take responsibility and timidly concealed his crime. Hester's husband is a victim on the surface, but he is cold and selfish, torturing his wife mentally, and has been planning revenge on the priest and committing the crime of jealousy. Pearl, Hester's daughter, is an innocent girl. She brought infinite comfort and joy to her mother and was the spiritual pillar supported by Hester. But it is such a beautiful life that perfectly explains the concept of human original sin in Puritanism. Pearl is the product of adultery, and her birth is the best annotation of A (adultery) worn on Hester's chest. Different characters interpret all kinds of evils in their own ways and deal with lingering guilt in different ways. In this novel, Hawthorne vividly shows his concern for the evil theme. In addition to emphasizing the original sin theory in Puritanism, Hawthorne also affirmed the important spiritual role of religion in his works. Fundamentally speaking, Hawthorne is a devout Christian.

The influence of Puritanism on Hawthorne's works is not only reflected in the author's concern about the proposition of religious original sin and lingering guilt, but also reflected in Hawthorne's literary creation techniques. Puritanism thought emphasizes that the Bible is a code of religious interpretation, and all doctrines and educational problems should be answered from the Bible, so the narrative and literary means of the Bible have become the objects of study and imitation by Puritan writers, and Hawthorne is no exception. In order to publicize Christian teachings and values, Hawthorne absorbed and developed metaphors, contrasts, stories and legends in the Bible, and repeatedly used symbolic literary means in his works to strengthen his views and increase literary appeal. The scarlet letter in The Scarlet Letter is an important symbol of the whole theme, and at the same time it sublimates the theme at the end-completing the transformation from the adulterer (adulterer) to the angel (angel). In addition, the scene description, characters' names and characters' looks in The Scarlet Letter all reflect the use of symbolism literature. For example, the name of Hester's husband Chillingworth sounds like that of an Englishman, implying that this character is selfish and indifferent. Another example is Hester's daughter Pearl. As the name implies, she is beautiful and lovely, and she is the most intimate and cherished treasure of her mother.

In fact, Hawthorne is deeply influenced by family and society, and it is difficult to get rid of the influence of Puritanism. He wrote his thoughts on religious opinions into his novels. Puritanism holds that people are born guilty, leaving a deep religious imprint on Hawthorne's works. Almost all his works discuss the lingering guilt of human beings and the influence of sin on human individuals and society. But at the same time, we should also see that Hawthorne's works often show deviation and reflection on Puritanism, which will be discussed below.

Thirdly, Hawthorne's works reflect and deviate from Puritanism.

In the early days of immigrating to America, Puritans established a political power based on Puritanism in New England. Later, in order to promote Puritanism, the Puritan rulers attacked dissidents and rejected other religious factions and beliefs, which eventually led to the decline of Puritanism. Hawthorne deeply described and reflected on the history and behavior of Puritans in his works. In many of his works, we can read Hawthorne's powerful condemnation of Puritans' hypocrisy and indifference. For example, the novel Endick and the Red Cross focuses on the cruelty of Puritan persecution at that time. Persecuted people appeared in the square with all kinds of instruments of torture. Among them are women who slip, stupid old women, crazy people and inexperienced young people. Many people were framed as heretics or witches and sentenced to death without knowing what was going on. For example, in the novel The Seven Corners House, Hawthorne tells the story of a Pinqin ancestor who persecuted religious dissidents crazily and finally his family was cursed miserably. In many of his novels, Hawthorne described and reflected on the sins of Puritans in various ways, and deeply condemned and exposed their moral hypocrisy.

At the same time, Hawthorne also reflected on the limited redemption theory in Puritanism and put forward his own views in his own works. Taking Hawthorne's masterpiece The Scarlet Letter as an example, we can see that in this novel, everyone has been redeemed in his own way, overcoming guilt and evil in his heart. Hester has a beautiful vision and longing for life. In real life, her selfish and indifferent husband regards it as a personal item. Hester, who was neglected, found love in the priest, but committed adultery. However, Prynne did not give in to fate. She admitted her crime, but she took the responsibility alone. She is very friendly to life and people around her, and has a persistent optimistic attitude towards life. In the end, Hester got freedom of mind and real salvation. The huge scarlet letter worn on her chest completed the transformation from an adulterer to an angel. Reverend Dimmesdale was afraid to admit his crime at first. Every day, he witnessed Hester suffering from great shame, people's ridicule and contempt, and her heart was tortured. Before he died, he finally confessed his crime to all the congregation and bravely stood on Hester's side. At this moment, the priest's sin was redeemed. Even in the book, Chillingworth, who is cruel and treacherous and constantly tortures others mentally, gave all his property to Pearl on his deathbed, liberated his mind and completed redemption through understanding.

To sum up, it is not difficult to see that on the one hand, Hawthorne can't get rid of the shackles of religious beliefs such as "original sin", "atonement", "introspection" and "fate", on the other hand, he feels sad about the authoritarian rule of Puritanism because of his family's guilt. On the one hand, Hawthorne criticized the religious fanaticism and intolerance of Puritans, on the other hand, he regarded the basic creed of Puritanism as the standard of cognitive judgment, and advocated that people wash their sins and purify their hearts through repentance and good deeds. The inheritance and betrayal of Puritanism are reflected in Hawthorne's works in a strange way.

refer to

[1] Translated by Chen Guanshang. Hawthorne's short stories [M]. Jinan: Shandong People's Publishing House, 1980.

[2] Chang. A brief history of American literature [M]. Tianjin: Nankai University Press, 1990.

[3] Sun Xiaozhen. Perspective of Puritanism Tradition in The Scarlet Letter [J]. Journal of basic english education, 2002, (4).

[4] Hawthorne and Nathaniel. The scarlet letter [M] New york: bantam Dell Company, 2003.

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