1、绵阳师范学院本科生毕业论文开题报告学生姓名院 系外国语学院年 级论文方向指导老师日 期I. TitleOn the Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter论红字中的象征手法（自选）II. Aim, significance and current researchesNathaniel Hawthorne is a great romantic novelist in America in the nineteenth century. He is deeply influenced by Puritanism Consciousness, Transcendental
2、 Philosophy and Mysticism, as a result, instead of giving the objective description of the world; he always gives a symbolic meaning to an objective thing to express his true understanding of the world, trying his best to discover the hidden meaning through the symbols. Therefore, if we want to deep
3、ly understand Hawthornes writing style, it is essential for us to make a thorough research on the symbols and symbolism in his works. The Scarlet Letter is Hawthornes masterpiece, which makes him well known around the world, and it is also one of the most remarkable works in American literature. Thi
4、s novel with an everlasting glamour mainly lies in Hawthornes skillful handling of symbolism. From the title to the arrangement of the plot, then to the description of the characters and objects, the author uses only a few words to express rich meanings, which leaves us much room for imagination. I
5、develop a deep interest in The Scarlet Letter after I have finished reading this novel. What strikes me most is the scarlet letter “A”. It runs through the whole novel, and manifests in various forms at different time, places and scenes. Furthermore, the meaning of the scarlet letter “A” becomes ric
6、her and more complicated as the plot further develops. Besides, owing to the different viewpoints of observers. III. Main IdeasNathaniel Hawthorne is a great romantic novelist in America in the nineteenth century. The Scarlet Letter is generally acknowledged as his most remarkable masterpiece, which
7、 makes him well known around the world. In the novel, Hawthorne shows ingenuity in using artistic techniques, especially in handling symbolism. In The Scarlet Letter, symbolism runs through the whole novel where the letter “A”, the four main characters names, Pearl and the natural environment are al
8、l endowed with deep symbolic meanings. Especially the letter “A”, not only does it manifest in various forms at different time, places and scenes, but it also has different symbolic meanings to different people. Besides, the symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter “A” varies with the development of t
9、he plot and the growth of the characters. This thesis attempts to explore the symbolism in the novel from the following aspects: the definition of symbolism, the various symbolic meanings of the letter “A” to different characters, the changing symbolic meanings of the scarlet letter “A” at different
10、 time, places and scenes, the names of the four main characters, the symbolic meanings of Pearl, and some other objects that are described in the novel to make the symbolism clear to readers. It is the flexibility in using symbolism that makes The Scarlet Letter reach a higher idea position and form
11、 the everlasting charismatic in art.IV. Outline1. Introduction2. Brief introduction to new textbook2.1 The background of textbook reform2.2 The aims of new textbook2.3 The new arrangement of new textbook2.3.1 Goals2.3.2Warmingup2.3.3 Listening2.3.4 Speaking3. How do English teachers organize English
12、 class3.1 Determine the aims of teaching3.2 Organize optimum content of teaching4. Conclusion.V. Research MethodsBefore I write this thesis, I have made some research on Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter and written a term paper “The Symbolic Meaning of Pearl in The Scarlet Letter” last term. Now, I hav
13、e read some materials and data about the symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, which can be found in the library and on the Internet. And then I will make a careful research into them by adopting analysis, summarization, generalization, exemplification and quotation based on the materials and data I have
14、 collected. In this way, I intend to explore the symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, and analyze the symbolic meanings of various symbols in the novel.VI. Bibliography1 Brown, H. D. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching(3rd ed.) M. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2002. 2 Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language (2nd ed.)Z. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. Cambridge University Press, 1997. 3 刁培萼. 教育文化学M. 南京: 江苏教育出版社, 2000: 95.4 范蔚. 新课程标准视野下的课堂教学审美化 J. 西南师范大学学报(人文社会科学版), 2003, 29(3), 83-87.
