Red text: Chinese-English comparison (Chinese-English comparison)

Author: Hawthorne
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: The Scarlet Letter tells a love tragedy that takes place during the early North American colonial period. The protagonist, Hester Prynne, marries the physician Roger Chillingworth, but there is no love between them. In solitude, Hester falls in love with the minister Arthur Dimmesdale and gives birth to their daughter, Pearl. Hester is publicly punished and forced to wear the scarlet letter "A" as a mark of adultery. However, Hester remains steadfast and refuses to reveal the father of her child. Hester's husband arrives in North America from England, witnesses Hester's punishment, and decides to find the father of her child to seek revenge. Feeling guilty toward her husband, Hester agrees to Chillingworth to keep their marriage relationship secret. At the time, Dimmesdale, due to his outstanding work, is beloved by the local residents, but his body gradually declines under the heavy burden of his conscience. The townspeople arrange for Chillingworth and the minister to live together to treat his illness. Thus, a cruel act of revenge unfolds. In the end, Dimmesdale cannot bear the condemnation of his conscience and publicly admits his guilt, dying in Hester's arms. Chillingworth, however, becomes a slave to the devil and becomes a true sinner.