霍桑的《红字》将女主人公海丝特·白兰描写成大胆反抗不合理婚姻和大胆追求人性真爱的爱情守护者,与之相对的是懦弱、虚伪的牧师阿瑟?丁梅斯代尔。这两种形象的对比,无情地控诉了清教对人心灵的摧残和对人权、人性的压抑,揭露了清教殖民统治的黑暗,同时歌颂了人们对幸福不懈的追求。 Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter” portrays the heroine, Hester Prynne, as a love guardian boldly fighting irrational marriage and boldly pursuing true human love, as opposed to cowardly, hypocritical pastor Arthur Dimmesdale. The contrast between these two images ruthlessly sues Puritanism for its spiritual dehumanization and suppression of human rights and human nature, exposes the darkness of the Puritan colonial rule and at the same time praises people for their unrelenting pursuit of happiness.