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A Consummate Master of Symbolism

Author: WangGuiJu
Tutor: GongYuBo
School: Beijing Jiaotong University
Course: English Language and Literature
Keywords: Nathaniel Hawthorne symbolism The Scarlet Letter fiction
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Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2010
Downloads: 1109
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Abstract


Resent studies have showed that more and more critics concern the symbolic meaning of the works. Studying the images with symbolic meanings is a way to catch the motif directly that the author intends to portray. Readers can share the same idea with the author without any imagination. This study is not the first emergence of symbolism, indeed there are various comments on lots of writer’s works. But most of the studies before centered on specific works as to evaluating the author’s skill of writing.Nathaniel Hawthorne, who is one of the best writers of American Romanticism in the 19th century. As an extremely distinguished American writer of fiction, he has made one of his most distinctive and significant contributions to the growth of American fiction through his use of symbols. Up to now, Hawthorne and his works have been the focus of scholars all over the world. Most of the discussion about symbolic meanings on him cut around his most famous fiction The Scarlet Letter. Before The Scarlet Letter has permanently established Hawthorne’s reputation, his short stories have won him adequate critical attention and have paved the way for his later creative thoughts and craftsmanship.Systematic use of the technique of symbolism is not confined to Hawthorne’s full-length novels; in his short pieces, such an important method finds its way too. This is to be illustrated through Hawthorne’s other well-known short masterpieces—Young Goodman Brown; Rappaccini’s Daughter; The Minister’s Black Veil; The Birthmark; Roger Malvin’s Burial.By selecting and analyzing one romance and five short stories, the thesis provides effective evidence and gives a systematic analysis and appreciation of the symbols used in the works with an aim to contributing to a better and systematic understanding of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works. Thus comes to a conclusion that Nathaniel Hawthorne is a consummate master of symbolism.The thesis falls into five parts:Chapter one serves as an introduction to Nathaniel Hawthorne and his works, followed by a summarized account of why Hawthorne exerts this kind of writing skill. Chapter two is made up of three parts. In the first part it gives us a general explanation about the theory of symbolism, then it illustrates the social background and why Hawthorne uses symbolism. Next part introduces the typical symbolic fiction written by Hawthorne and illustrates the main symbolic meaning of each work. Chapter three is entitled "Essential Symbols Embodied in Hawthorne’s Fiction", which is the body part of this thesis. It elaborates on five types of images represented by The Scarlet Letter and the short stories. The author divided this chapter into five sections concerning the symbolic figures, symbolic objects, the symbols of visual art, symbolic meanings of nature and symbolic meanings of locations. Chapter four under the title of "Symbolic Names in Hawthorne’s Fiction" mainly points out the symbolic meanings of names both in The Scarlet Letter and Young Goodman Brown. Then Chapter five comes to the conclusion that Hawthorne is a consummate master of symbolism.

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