Secret Chrysalis And Old Psyche Inside

Nathaniel Hawthorne cannot be neglected whenever readers discuss the well-known men of letters in America. Since his time up to now nearly more than one hundred and fifty years have passed during which changes in perspective and methodology have taken place, yet the favorable verdict on him has remained virtually constant. The Scarlet Letter is perhaps the deepest and most psychological of any other novels of the nineteenth century.The present thesis, taking insights from psychological approach, devotes itself to the analysis of the four main characters' psychological development through Hawthorne's vivid description of the characters and his close examination of the seventeenth century Puritan New England in which the characters lived. Meanwhile, by utilizing the psychological approach, this thesis also attempts to explore Hawthorne himself in The Scarlet Letter, demonstrating that from the point of view of Freud's psychoanalytic research, how Hawthorne's child life and growth influenced his thoughts toward moral and how such things are reflected in this book. The author of this thesis hopes that through such analyses readers can distinguish this book from other love stories,understand why it is called a psychological romance, therefore, have a more pleasurable and instructive reading. Besides, readers can appreciate that just because in Hawthorne's works the richness and multiplicity of meanings rise above the dogma of any single orthodoxy, and they display a psychological insight into moral isolation and human emotion, so that they have made his work contemporary and yet timeless.This thesis consists of four parts with respective focuses of their own.Part One, Introduction, dwells on Nathaniel Hawthorne's admiring achievements. Supported by comments that have been made by critics of different historical times, it gives a brief account of Hawthorne's unchanged status in the literary history. Then the theme of this paper is put forward: The Scarlet Letter is a book about the different effect of sin on different people. Based on Freud's psychoanalysis, it concerns the characters' psychological change and development. The Scarlet Letter is a probe into the psychological insides of the characters as well as a reflection of Hawthorne's childhood in the story.Part Two, A Psychological Analysis of the Characters in The Scarlet Letter, concentrates on the analysis of the psychological development of the four main characters--Hester, Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Chillingworth. It explains Freud's psychoanalysis briefly, and indicates the tripartite model of the mind posits three different mental agencies: the id, the ego, and the superego. By utilizing the psychological description and characterization of the characters, this thesis tries to demonstrate the hard process of psychological development of the human society. It comes to its end of exploration: Hester is the repentant sinner; Dimmesdale is the half-repentant sinner; Pearl is the scarlet letter incarnate; Chillingworth is the unrepentant sinner.Part Three, A Psychological Research on Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter, is a psychological research on Hawthorne himself in The Scarlet Letter. First, those elements that influence Hawthorne's moral conception are explored, especially the Puritan roots and his religious moral conception of good and evil. Second, the interpretation of the scarlet letter A is made according to Freud's psychoanalytic point of view, and the psychological meanings of Pearl are also analyzed in this part.Part Four, Conclusion, brings the whole thesis to a conclusion. With respect to all the above, this thesis has dealt with Hawthorne's psychological reflection and descriptions as reflected by The Scarlet Letter. On the basis of psychological analysis of the hero and the apt use of symbolism, Hawthorne makes this story great reputable, and shows his genius as a remarkable American writer of this time. There is no doubt that Hawthorne's unique psychological narration, penetrating moral vision, intense symbolism, and stylistic subtlety have had a wid...