On The Theme Of Loneliness In The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne is an extremely renowned American writer of fiction. He not only has created quite a few classic novels, but also has written quantities of thought-provoking short stories. Until now, Hawthorne and his works have been the focus of discussion from the Chinese and foreign scholars.The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne's representative work. The novel has received extensive literary attention from the circle of literature since its publication inl850. There are many different comments and criticism and on the writer's family background, the novel's multiple themes and writing styles, the novel's social and historical backdrops together with the novel's significance in society and literature.The theme of The Scarlet Letter is characterized by multiplicity and various conclusions are drawn in the field of thematic studies. It seems that scholars have shown major concern with such themes as the original sin, Hawthorne's moral vision, religious beliefs, feminist ideas, the relationship between individual and society, and the conflict between the head and the heart. However, very few scholars have ever done a thorough research into the loneliness theme of the novel.This thesis—On the Theme of Loneliness in The Scarlet Letter first makes detailed analyses of different types of loneliness represented by the four characters. Then it discusses the symbolic representations of loneliness in the novel. Finally the thesis explores the possible reasons why Hawthorne tends to create lonely figures in The Scarlet Letter.The thesis falls into six parts.The Introduction makes a brief introduction to the literary assessment on Nathanial Hawthorne in the history of American literature, followed by a summarized account of the story in the novel.Chapter One "Literature Review" introduces different literary comments on this novel both in the United States and in China. Then it gives an overall picture of the present status of research into the thematic studies.Chapter Two is entitled "Analyses of Four Different Types of Loneliness inThe Scarlet Letter". It elaborates four types of loneliness represented by the four characters: Hester, Chillingworth, Dimmesdale and little Pearl. This chapter consists of four sections. The first section identifies Hester with a lonely love-pursuer. The second section proves that Chillingworth is a lonely revenge-seeker and he dies in solitude. The third section concentrates on the priest Dimmesdale who is a lonely beggar for God's grace. The fourth section reveals that little Pearl is a lonely "child of nature" asking for recognition from her father and the society.Chapter Three under the title of "Symbolic Representations of Loneliness in The Scarlet Letter " mainly points out some settings, names, appearances of the characters, some special events and actions that can symbolize loneliness.Chapter Four "Causes of the Theme of Loneliness in The Scarlet Letter" goes to the discussion on the causes of the loneliness theme in the novel in terms of Hawthorne's lonely life in his youth, and the social backdrops of the novel.The Conclusion summarizes the thesis by pointing out that Nathanial Hawthorne can be considered a writer ahead of his time by touching upon the loneliness theme in the 19th century and using skillful symbols for loneliness. Besides, the profound connotations and the creative writing skills in Hawthorne's works have been deeply influencing the writers in his time and other writers after him as well.