An Analysis of Feminism in The Scarlet Letter分析《红字》中(17)

分析《红字》中的女权主义

showed a lofty quality to undertake the sin all by herself. Under the great pressure of Puritan authorities, Dimmesdale appealed to Hester for the revelation of her sinful partner, at that time he fell into a dilemma. For one thing, he would rather let Hester speak out his name than hide as a sinful man to suffer the psychological torment. As he says, it would be better to “step down from a high place and stand on the pedestal of shame than to hide a guilty heart through life” (Hawthorne, 1999:89). For another, he tried to unveil the secret to the public many a time but failed each time in that he lacked courage and strength to face the public, and he was fearful to lose the reputation and the high status in the society. When he was sure that Hester would not speak out his name, he felt released with a long respiration. From that description, it is known that Dimmesdale has no courage to choose life for himself. What is more, Dimmesdale cries out at the next moment, “Think for me, Hester! Thou art strong, resolve for me” (Hawthorne, 1999:147). Compared with Dimmesdale's cowardice and weakness, Hester is brave and fearless to anything. She steps forward bravely to save Dimmesdale out of torment because she is aware of her responsibility to Dimmesdale. Hester saw herself as an indispensable relative or family member to Dimmesdale. Once he was in trouble, Hester would appear to help him out of trouble at the first time. With a clear understanding of Hester's potential power and ability, Dimmesdale considered Hester as the only person that can shuffle off this mortal coil for him. In a sense, his selfish and spineless behavior dragged down his male-dominated position. At the second scene, Dimmesdale stood on the scaffold to confess secretly.

He had been driven hither by the impulse of that Remorse which dogged him everywhere, and whose

own sister and closely linked companion was that Cowardice which invariably drew him back, with her

tremulous gripe, just when the other impulse had hurried him to the verge of a disclosure. (Hawthorne,

1999:110)

With the contradiction between the remorse and the hypocrisy, it was clear that Dimmesdale was afraid to confess the sin lest he should lose all the reputation and honor. By that, Dimmesdale hardly dared to make the secret disclosed, as a

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