Abstract: The Scarlet Letter is the masterpiece of Hawthorne, a famous romantic American writer during the American renaissance period. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne created many complicated characters,one of whom is Roger Chillingworth. The present paper attempts to reinterpret Roger Chillingworth, who is commonly regarded as a negative character in the novel. Through analyzing the double character of this tragic figure, the paper tries to reveal some rarely-known fine qualities of Chillingworth as an image of God, a faithful doctor, an industrious scientist, as well as a victim of devastated love. Based upon the above analysis, the article points out the many-faceted thematic concerns of the novel and the ambiguity of Hawthorne’s thoughts.
Key words: The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne, Chillingworth, analysis, many-faceted personality
摘要:《红字》是美国文艺复兴时期伟大的浪漫主义作家纳撒尼尔·霍桑的杰出代表作。这部作品塑造了许多复杂的人物形象,而齐灵渥斯便是其中突出的一位。文章重新解读了一贯被看做反面人物的罗杰·齐灵渥斯。通过对这一悲剧性人物双重性格的分析,揭示他身上鲜为人知的优秀品质:上帝的形象,忠实的医生,追慕真理的科学家同时也是人类意义最宽泛的爱的牺牲品。在此基础上,指出小说主题的多重性以及霍桑思想的含混性。
关键词:《红字》,霍桑,齐灵渥斯,分析,多面性