There was a saying: "The shackles of marriage are too heavy, so it usually takes two people to carry them, sometimes three." "What do you think?"

Women fans edit this month's key selection:

"Mistress History", spanning 4,000 years of Mistress Territory, the story of 70 mistresses, the flip of the history of female third party. The Economist once commented: " This book is not so much history as a mistress anthology, so that the long shadow of these women into the sun. (Recommended reading:"Power is my Mistress," Napoleon's Eternal Love )

Today's reading of the first, is "Scarlet Letter" Scarlett Letters!

The Scarlet Letter is the American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne's work, the background set up in the 1642 Boston Colonial District, the first chapter begins with "The prison Gate", brings out the story the protagonist Hester Prynne for the adultery crime imprisonment topic. Red A word for adultery (adultery), is the 17th century Puritan Society to insult the brand of Hester, but because of the automatic in the chest show a word, let a word is no longer just the symbol of unclean adultery, but more like a different, for the symbol of love .

The same vivid red A-word image, also starring in the film by Emasdon "Break the Queen easy A" inside! To learn about the continuation and flip of the movie version, listen to Hester Prynne's story first. (It is strongly recommended to read and watch "The Broken Queen"!) )

The scarlet Letter of the sea. Brando

Since the age of 1850, the Renegade Puritan religion. The appearance of Hester Prynne in American literature, the sexual infidelity and adultery, has become a mark on her body.

American writer Nathaniel Neal. Hawthorne (Nathaniel Hawthorne) wrote a novel about sin and redemption, the Scarlet Letter, which set the background of the story in the 17th century of the religiously supreme Massachusetts of Boston, where adultery amounted to an unforgivable sin. (same field Gayon: cheating, OK?) )

When the scarlet letter introduced Hester, she was escorted out of prison, and was held in a colonial prison for allegedly adultery. Hester was an English immigrant and her husband had not yet come to the Americas to meet her. Hester was pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl, which proved that she had had an affair. More seriously, she continues to refuse to identify who the lover is.

According to the description of the novel, Hester is a very beautiful woman. She is tall, the lines are lush, with a long black and thick hair, "shiny dazzling, sparkling in the sun." Her deportment elegant, is a dignified woman, and not because of their plight and worry about the loss of ambition. In the eyes of the women who were dissatisfied with her, Hester with the baby's daughter, Pearl (Pearl), on an execution of an open gallows; she was sentenced to stand on stage for three hours to replace the death penalty.

In addition to standing on the stage to suffer from public humiliation, the judge also sentenced to the rest of the life of the rooster, in the chest wearing a "a" card, which she has committed the same symbol. But Hester people puzzled, she actually embroidered in the clothes chest Big red "a" words, as if this is not a symbol of disgrace, but her distinctive imprint.

The women on the crowd were angry and claimed revenge. "This woman has brought shame to all of us, she should die!" "Women are yelling at the ugliest and cruelest words in anger. There was a priest, Arthur. Dinmesdale (Arthur Dimmesdale) came out and begged Hester: "Say the name of the man who has sinned with you, and let him share your misery!" No, no! "Hester cried:" If so, I will feel his pain, just as I suffer! "Dinmes Dell in awe of Praise way:" This woman's heart is how lenient, has the incredible power! 」

After the ordeal, Hester was escorted back to prison. When Little Pearl was ill, the authorities called a physician to treat her. The hunched physician was no other than his husband, Roger, who had no feelings with Matt. Chillingworth Worth (Roger Chillingworth), he finally came to the new continent with her footsteps, and she had been in the crowd, had recognized him.

Chillingworth worth is such a man as his name (translation: Chillingworth, literally, was "very daunting", and he scolded Hester, but it also showed that she would have had such unfortunate encounters, and that he himself would have been partly responsible, because there was no other way of thinking in her case. "From the moment we walked down the steps of the old church," he declared, "it was a couple, and I might have seen that the fire that burned everything was burning at the end of our path!" 」

Hester interposed: "I have always been honest with you." I do not love you, and there is no false correction. Chillingworth Voss agreed, but also explained how he was looking forward to it, as he loved her, to ignite her inner love fire. Undeniably, she is unfaithful to her husband, and another man, however, "I was wrong first, is growing old me, betrayed the youth of you, mistakenly into a wrong and inhuman relationship ...." The ledger between you and me is even now. "(Recommended reading: wearing a ring does not mean having loyalty )

Although Hester got her husband's understanding, he still refused to accede to his request, to say the name of his lover who is still running away. Chillingworth vowed to pull him out, presumably to make the identity of the adulterer publicly publicly, and then to charge him with adultery. At the same time, Chillingworth a vow to Hagrid that he was tight-lipped about her husband.

Seven years later, Hester from prison, for his forbidden love, still do not regret. She even dreamed of being with her lover, "she can link to the universe." "Hagrid became the hottest tailor in the entire colony. She also donated food and clothing to poor beggars and reassured women who suffered and lived in hardship.

Hester, like most of the women who have fallen, the most vulnerable place for her to be injured is her child. The Protestant compatriots were talking about her: is a sinner like her qualified to raise pearl? Hester anxiously request Dinmesdale Minister to assist, the priest came forward, for her to colonial authorities intercede. Pearl was finally able to stay with her mother.


Picture Source: Source

At this time, Chillingworth worth finally found out, poor health, is currently a single Dinmesdale, is Hester lover. "This man, seemingly a servant of God, has inherited a strong beast, not knowing whether it came from his father or his mother," he mused so coldly. "Let's continue digging down this crack," he said. "Hester tried to stop Chillingworth Voss, but in vain he pretended to care about Dinmes's health and moved to live with him and become his nursing physician."

One day, Hester met Dinmes Dale in the forest. He told her that he was in despair for the sins he had committed, and that the scarlet letter hanging on her breast was a testament of consolation, unlike the disgrace of his secret.

Hester responded that his disgrace was not completely unknown, because there was a man who knew they were two lovers, and this man and Dinmesdale lived under the same roof!

Dinmesdale after listening to the horror inexplicable. "This old man's vengeance is more wicked than my sins," he said disparity, "he has offended the sanctity of human dignity in cold blood, Hester, you and I have never done this before!" 」

"Never did! "said Matt, echoing. "What we do is sacrifice to the feelings themselves," he said. We feel this way! We also tell each other this way! "After the two men had a clear confession, they all confirmed that they were still physically and mentally connected, Hester persuaded Dinmesdale to flee to Europe with her to escape Roger." The vicious surveillance of Chillingworth Voss. "The future is still full of trials and successes. There is happiness waiting for us to enjoy! There are a lot of good things, waiting for us to finish! "Ready for a new life together," said Matt, who secretly removed the scarlet letter from his body.

But Chillingworth was aware of his wife's gamble and ruined the elopement, and her ailing accomplice had no way to survive the final blow. In the novel's finale, Dinmesdale climbed the notorious gallows, Hester with two of people's daughter Pearl also followed up. Dinmesdale his last and belated confession to the Puritan court, thereby breaking the influence and control of Chillingworth Voss. "You're looking for the whole world," Chillingworth, a setback. "There is nowhere to escape ... The palm of my hand, save you from the gallows! 」

Under the crowd of Puritan followers, Dinmes Dale kissed his daughter and then made a farewell to Matt. "Won't we see each other again?" She whispered in a mournful voice. "Aren't we already going to spend eternity together?" Of course, of course, we have redeemed each other with all this misery! 」

Dinmesdale died, and Chillingworth soon departed. Hester became a female sage in the colony, she promises those women who struggle because of "sustained injury, abandonment, wrong devotion, and misplaced feelings and passion for sin": In the future, there will be an earthly paradise in which men and women will revel in " To bring happiness to each other "as the basis of the emotional relationship.

Hester died at an early age. Her remains were buried in the single cemetery, next to the tomb of Dinmes Dale, but there were still some tiny distances in the place where two people were sleeping, "as if the two dead had been turned to dust, but they had no right to combine." The grim rule of life, even to death, still bound them.

"As a wonderful moral lesson, the effect of this novel is better than all the sermons in the church to fight against sin .... This is what the Scarlet Letter reveals, "in March 1850, the Boston Chronicle praised it."

But what did the readers of Hawthorne's contemporaries get from his best-selling novel, A cautionary tale? At that time their romantic love was increasingly seen as an age of marriage motives, the Hawthorne endowed Matt with astonishing beauty, but added a contrite and ugly man to her husband, who was her burden, and allowed her to fend for herself on this hostile strange land. Even so, when she and a young clergyman bowed to their blazing passions, they had to be punished for life.

But readers who have read the Scarlet letter can indeed get more from the Hester story. Some people must admire Hester, because she can endure the extreme hardship for the man who loves her till the death. Readers may hide their thoughts: romance and erotic love can last forever, and women can get empathy and understanding from the strength and persistence of emotions. At the same time, true love, even as the social norms on the lovers, become more severe harsh. (Recommended reading: love, in fact, should not have rules )

Among the paragraphs in the Scarlet Letter, readers can experience Hester and Arthur. Dinmes the depth and strength of the passion of Dell, including the two men in the flesh and lust of the link and connection.

It is astonishing that Hawthorne allowed Hester to raise her beloved daughter, though for the sake of the story's necessity and authenticity, the author forced her to plead with the authorities who regarded her as an unfit mother and not take pearl away from her. Dinmes Dell real-time intervention to save the whole situation, since then Hester no longer encounter the danger of losing her daughter.

And therefore, the Scarlet Letter gives the reader an extremely contradictory lesson: the taboo love against social norms, no matter how compassionate and compassionate, is wrong and must be severely punished; but this taboo love is stronger and more magnificent than law and even marriage. , while virtue and evil are rarely as opposed to each other as they are often described, and sometimes even share some elements with each other. It is no wonder that women some nine to the huts in which they live, and seek her advice and guidance on their emotional problems-who knows more about these women than she can guide them?

Hester Brando is the embodiment of lust in human nature, but she is by no means a representative of evil and depravity. She entrusted her body and mind to a man other than her husband, because she was more important to love than the duty of a wife.

Despite social condemnation and severe punishment, she never regretted her decision. As the 19th century novel critic Anthony. Trollep (Anthony Trollope) said: "Although there is a deep sin, in her love, there is no despicable traces." "(note IV) the offence of adultery committed by Hester, is the result of such profound love, and her noble mind and perseverance, and the hearts of those who only have revenge, thought closed conservative puritan compatriots, it is a great difference, which makes her role as a mistress, the moral become ambiguous.

In the end, she lost the loved one, but did not lose his love, and won a wide range of reverence, so that she became the Guardian angel of other unfortunate women.