《红字》的后殖民女性主义解读_英语论文

A Post-colonial Feminist Interpretation of The Scarlet Letter

摘要

《红字》能够在一个多世纪的时间里成为美国文学作品中被分析最频繁的作品之一,得益于它再现了当时的社会现实。同时，它也被认为是一部能够反映女性问题的作品。作为一位深思熟虑的作家，霍桑通过叙述海斯特••白兰的悲惨生活来揭示女性在清教社会的边缘地位。小说还揭示了清教社会对女性的残忍与偏见。海斯特―清教社会的叛逆者这一形象的成功塑造基于霍桑对女性生活以及艺术创作的长期深入观察。霍桑通过将海斯特描绘成小说的女主人公，赋予她主导地位来扭转父权社会中女性是男性附属品这种传统旧俗。

本文将运用后殖民女性主义理论，通过分析两个男主人公, 男权社会及清教社会对女性的残酷压迫，深入探索小说《红字》中的后殖民女性主义意识，揭示小说的社会价值，呼吁人们关注和支持受压迫女性争取自身合法权利。

关键词：《红字》；海斯特•白兰；后殖民女性主义；男权社会；清教思想

Abstract

In more than one century The Scarlet Letter has been one of the most frequently analyzed works of American literature, which to great extent lies in that it depicts the society as it actually was at that time. And it has also been considered as a reflection of women’s problems at that time. As an honest and thoughtful writer, Hawthorne narrates the story of Hester’s miserable life, reveals us the women’s marginal position in a Puritan society, and meanwhile, exposes mercilessly the cruelty and the prejudice against women of Puritan society. Through his carefully observation on women’s life and artistic creation, he successfully creates a new image---Hester, a rebel against the social order of Puritan community. Through the analysis of two heroes and the heroine, oppression on women in patriarchal society and the Puritan society, this thesis tries to complete an interpretation of the novel from the perspective of post colonial feminism and will be in-depth exploration of feminism in the Scarlet Letter, to reveal its social values. What’s more, it also calls on people to pay attention to and support the oppressed women to fight for their own legitimate rights and interests.

Keywords: 《The scarlet Letter》; Hester Prynne; post-colonial feminism; patriarchal society; puritan society

Contents

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………1

1.1 A brief introduction of Hawthorne and his novel……………………………1

1.2 Introduction to post-colonial feminism ……………………………………..2

2. Literature Review…………………………………………………………3

3. Hester’s suffering from Double Colonization ………………………….4

3.1Reflection of the patriarchal influence…………………………….. ………4

3.2Reflection of the puritanical influence………………………………...……..6 

4. Resistance of the Heroine to Oppression…………………………………6

4.1Hester’s instinctive self-awareness……………………………………6

4.2Hester’s brave fighting……………………………………………………7

5. Conclusion………………………………………………………………..10

  Works Cited………………………………………………………………12