颂扬真善美鞭笞假恶丑--《红字》主题道德意义探析

《红字》问世一个半世纪以来 ,中外评论界就其主题研究见解颇多。在探讨其主题的道德意义上 ,西方评论界较普遍地认为《红字》中宣扬的是人生来皆有罪的清教教义 ,小说的主题是论罪恶。本文探析了《红字》主题的道德意义 ,即《红字》主题思想的主旋律不是论罪恶 ,而是论人性 (包括善与恶 ) ,论道德行为 (包括德行与恶行 )。它不仅无情地揭露和鞭笞了人性和人类道德行为中的假恶丑 ,而且大力颂扬了人性和人类道德行为中的真善美

Praising Truth, Virtue and Beauty Lashing Falsehood, Vice and Ugliness--An Exploratory Analysis of the Moral Theme of The Scarlet Letter

Over the past one and a half centuries since The Scarlet Letter was published, critics and reviewers both at home and abroad have expressed various views and opinions about its theme. When inquiring into the level of the moral significance of the theme, the Western literary critics generally hold that what the author advocates in The Scarlet Letter is the Puritan doctrine that all men are born sinful, and that the theme of the novel is discussing sins. But the author of this paper thinks that, as far as its moral signifincance is concerned, the principal melody of the novel's theme is not discussing sins but discussing human nature(including good and evil), and moral conduct(including virtue and vice). It not only relentlessly exposes and lashes the falsehood, vice and ugliness but also vigorously praises the turth, virtue and beauty in human nature and human moral conduct.