Nathaniel Hawthorne, a great famous writer in the United Stated, was born a serious Puritanism family, his ancestors are prominent in the Puritan theocracy of 17th New England, thus readers can know Puritanism in his work. However, he expressed his different viewpoint in his works like The Scarlet Letter, the book’ plot develop in accordance with a beautiful wife derailed to a much-admired brilliant young clergyman, then the crime of adultery violate the mainstream consciousness of the society at that time, so all people despised it, the heroine of the novel -Hester Prynne had to wear a scarlet letter A, the theme of adultery and extramarital relationship is incompatible with Puritan culture at that time. In this book, the image of heroine is a promiscuous and obscene woman, as is in stark contrast with her passion to meet later life. As far as I am concerned, we can read the affective absurdity from the three protagonists’ spiritual world in The Scarlet Letter. Whether the timidity clergyman- Arthur Dimmesale or rebellious beautiful Hester Prynne, readers can find the absurdity on their words or behaviors. Now, as for specific analysis toward affective absurdity are following.
In the book The Scarlet Letter, young Hester married with a well- stricken scholar because of an offer of marriage, the unjustifiable marriage does not bring her happiness, living with a husband always indulges in books, lack care and consideration to his young wife, making Hester fell lonely and pulling her into a dark abyss of lasting sufferings. After two years of her husband disappeared, he met with her true love- Arthur Dimmesdale, a much admired brilliant clergyman. Love is something that people pursue instinctively, human beings are different with animals because of possessing love. Everyone has the reasonable right to pursue his true love and happiness, however, serous Puritanism deprive it. Absolutely, such marriage is a tragedy which should be discharge. However, puritans put it, whether you are miserable or happy, your marriage is under official protection and acquire recognition from the pubic, none can betray her husband and has to play a caring wife and adhere purely to her husband. It is a so affective absurdity for human being suppress their right to pursue the love freedom. Thus, the holy love between Hester and Arthur, regarding as a violation of Puritan law, is considered sinful and immoral.
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Besides, the moral sin of adultery is worse than other crimes in Puritans’ eyes, such as robbery and murder, she must wear a scarlet letter A - a symbol of shame on her bosom from then on till death, it shows that once one made a mistake, he had no opportunity to atone for his crime, it is so absurd. What’ more, Puritans believe that God will punish the whole community with disease, famine, or other natural diseases if some members violate moral codes or express false beliefs. Apparently, it is an affective absurdity. All of town people humiliate, curse and glare at her, thinking Hester is devil doomed to go the hell. Although later Hester began to assist to poorer and sick people without any return, her kind heart still meets with cold response because all indifference town- people nurtured under the Puritan doctrines, they still recognize her as an evil and humiliate. It is not hard to image in this indifferent world, what is the really belief and values? It is the affective absurdity causing people become more and more indifference, and it already derail to original intention for Puritanism, not to salvation , but distort human nature. As matter of fact, as Nietzsche- a world-know German philosopher puts it, the death of God, human being should assume the obligation of standing on their own feet, taking power to recreate themselves.
The incarnation of Puritanism authority- Arthur Dimmesdale, violate the moral rule what he advocated, as if individual civil servants knowingly breaks the law today. This shows the so-called religious authority realized non authoritatively. After Hester was considered to commit an adultery, Arthur carried out his parochial obligation more selflessly, to seek self- therapy and ease his pain and anxiety in God’s will. Arthur Dimmesdale, as a role of father and lover, is unqualified, not only did he fail to take care of his daughter and lover, but he did not stand out, left Hester endured all kinds of sufferings. In fact, the suffering of Arthur caused by the suppression of human nature in Puritan society, the moral disciplines of Puritanism were fundamentally antithetical to human nature. Puritanism force people indulge into self-blame, making individual life experience pervert to a sin of atonement, it can not to solve the fundamental problems.as the saying, when angles meet, they will cry with shame, and the devil will laugh dumbly. From describing the image of Arthur, Hawthorne show the contradiction between religious belief and real life. Meanwhile, it can vividly show the affective absurdity indwell in Puritanism.
In the end, as the definition of absurdity defined by Camus, is the confrontation or an opposition, a conflict between human beings and the world, between man’ s rational demands and the irrational in the world. Human beings make an attempt to achieve their desires, but it seems to be impossible and unreasonable. In the book The Scarlet Letter, both Hester and Arthur’ desires are suppressed by Puritanism, all efforts did by Hester to find meaning in the universe is doomed to fail. Love between Hester and Arthur is affective absurdity in Puritans’ eyes. In fact, the affective absurdity is the confrontation what Hester bravely pursue her freedom of love, but it was impeded by the moral rules adhering by her so-called sweetheart, apparently, the affective absurdity doomed to pull Hester into the darkness abyss.
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