An Ecofeminist Reading Of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the most influential writers in American literature in 19th century. His creation mainly takes New England of Colonial America as the background, reflecting the social reality of the day. The Scarlet Letter shows Hawthorne, the literary artist, at his best. Hawthorne sets the novel in the 17th century, depicting the cruelty of the Puritanism and its killing of human nature. With the publication of The Scarlet Letter in 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne became famous as the greatest writer living then in the United States and his reputation as a major American author has been on the increase ever since. So more and more scholars are studying the novel from different angles. Ecofeminism is a school of thought arising in the 1970s, which combines ecology and feminism. It came into the field of literature in the 1990s. Ecofeminism draws on the approaches of ecological criticism and feminist criticism, which concerns the relation between nature and female. It holds that the men's domination over women is closely related to men's domination over nature. The ends of ecofeminism are to deconstruct anthropocentrism and advocate building a kind of harmonious relationship between human beings and nature. The thesis consists of six parts trying to have an ecofeminist reading of The Scarlet Letter from the perspective of ecofeminism.Introduction mainly introduces Hawthorne's literary achievement, his status in the history of literature, the content of The Scarlet Letter, and researches on the novel both at home and abroad. Then put forward the central argument of the thesis.Chapter One mainly summarizes the theory of ecofeminism. By summarizing the background, the development, the connotation, the characteristics, and the significance of ecofeminism, I will provide the theoretical foundation for my thesis.Chapter Two analyzes the reasons of the formation of Hawthorne's ecofeminist consciousness. The life experience of Hawthorne's mother and the influence that his wife has on him make Hawthorne ponder the women's marginal status in the patriarchal society. And Hawthorne's family history, his political sufferings and the social reality stimulate him to accuse the cruelty and harshness of puritan society.Chapter Three mainly analyzes the ecofeminism embodied in The Scarlet Letter from two aspects. Women and nature are closely interconnected: Hester's four periods of life is just like the four seasons of a year. Incompatible with the puritan society, Pearl maintains a harmonious relationship with nature. In the patriarchal society with the prevailing Puritanism, nature is exploited and destroyed by men. In the meanwhile, an analysis of the protagonist Hester's marginal status because of the"adultery"and Mistress Hibbins'involvement in"witch hunt"case show men's domination over women and nature are closely associated.Chapter Four analyzes Hawthorne's ideal expectation of a harmonious world in the future, which is to realize the harmony among male, female and nature. Hawthorne draws a vivid picture for us—human beings are living in harmony with nature. Nature is the refuge and the source of power for women. Man can obtain self-confirmation and salvation in nature, and men and women can get along with each other equally in nature.The conclusion part further summarizes the econfeminism embodied in The Scarlet Letter through the analysis of above chapters.