Recently, I read a book by introduction of my teacher, which named The Scarlet Letter, a love but not simple story of sin between one woman and two men. After a great work of this book, all sorts of feeling well up in my mind. Include rage, delight, sadness and unworthiness. But, anyway, I am glad to see the happy endings in my eyes though there were enough dark and pain.

The story is tells about a woman who without friends and who has sinned. It happened in New England in the 1600s, the puritans have crossed the sea to the shores of American, building their new towns, bringing their religion and their customs with them from the old country. And in the early years of Boston, in the state of Massachusetts, the church is strong and unforgiving. Anyone who breaks the laws of the church, and of god, must be punished.

Due to the background, the female character called Hester Prynne, whose husband is not her baby’s father, has broken the laws for adultery. However, she is young and good-looking, and her husband is probably at the bottom of the sea. In magistrates’ mercy, she was sentenced for adultery not execute but stand on the scaffold for three hours, and to wear the scarlet “A” on her bosom for the rest of her life. What a shame scarlet “A” on her dress! It means she has sinned, and shame would follow in her footsteps, night and day. Not only fingers point at her and respectable people turn their faces away from her but also her daughter called Pearl had no right to play with the children of godly families and, like her mother ,she was outsider. When stand on the scaffold, to her surprise, her husband Roger Chillingworth, an old misshapen man and a doctor, and Hester does not love him at all, was come back and angrily to see her betray. So he is determine to find out the father of the child and let them live in fear and guilty.

As the same time, the father of child called Arthur Dimmesdale, a young and kind priest, who has a high position among ministers and is highly respected among his people in town. Like Hester Prynne, he feels sore on his heart, thus he looked week and pale. But he is no courage to stand out to protect Hester with their daughter until he pulled open his shirt for people to see the same letter “A” on his chest on the scaffold, in order to escape the Dr.Chillingworth before he die.

Finally, Mr.Dimmesdale died and Dr.Chillingworth became unhappy and grew weaker every day, he lost his meaning life and left all his possession to litter Pearl when he is dying. With the money, Pearl has gone to the New England and lives a happy life. And her mother Hester Prynne chose to stay the town with the scarlet letter on her bosom and her daughter’s care.

In this novel, the mainline seems to be around the letter A. Hester is brave enough to face the cruel reality. The rage I thought is the shame of Hester suffers, even loneliness, hopelessness. It exposed the cruel reality and puritan society; the delight I thought is litter Pearl with a nice ending and happy life; the sadness I thought is the three people all live in unhappy; and the unworthiness I thought is the priest is not bravely like Hester. What’s more, this novel shows us a picture how important the social position in England in the seventeenth century.

In modern people’s opinion, love, is holy on our heart. We send best wish to the people who fall in love with. However, in that generation, their love was forbidden. I like the young priest and Hester’s love and enjoy it, but I don’t like Mr. Dimmesdale’s character. Maybe he is guilty and punishes himself with the same way, but why doesn’t he can’t stand out to protect his lover. He is not brave enough than Hester. It’s pity that Hester did not meet with Arthur in right time, if they have met with each other before she had married, it would be better than now.

As far as I am concerned, everyone may made sins, that’s absolutely right. But we should be admit our sins and ask others forgiven and do something that we can offset what we have done. After that we will be alright. But if you don’t ask for forgiven, and keep it to be secreted, you will

be suffered psychological distress and never be out of your sins.

Both Arthur and Roger were unhappy, Arthur can’t forgive himself, but Roger hate people that hurt him, he looks like a mirror that reflect human’s ugly heart and repulsive emotion. I can understand his angry with Arthur. If I were him, I would be grief either. His revenge was too abnormal. Why would he always kept the hatred in his heart and it had been destroyed himself. This poor man has made his aim in life to add to the suffering of the young minister.

From the story, I know that learn to ask for others forgiven and learn to forgive others both important and necessary. Don’t trap in the marsh of hatred and you will happier than now. Remember the saying goes: when one door shuts, another opens.

 

第二篇：《红字》读后感

《红字》读后感

《红字》是美国小说家霍桑最杰出的代表作,也是整个美国浪漫主义小说中最有声望的权威作品之一.小说的故事发生在十七世纪中期加尔文者派统治下的波士顿,作者从当时的社会现状入手,通过一个感人的爱情故事悲剧来揭露当局对人们精神,心灵和道德的摧残.

海丝特*白兰是一个在婚姻上遭到不幸的女人,年轻美貌,却嫁给了身体畸形多病的术士罗杰*齐灵沃斯,夫妻间根本谈不上爱情,后来,罗杰又在海上失踪,杳无音讯,白兰孤独的过着日子.这时一个英俊有气魄的青年牧师,亚瑟*丁梅斯代尔闯入了她的生活,他们真诚的相爱了,度过了一段隐私但热烈的爱情生活.不久,白兰由于怀孕的隐情暴露,以通奸罪被抓,在狱中生下了女儿小珠儿.

按照当时的教规,白兰只有交代奸夫的姓名才能获得赦免,否则将受惩罚.然而执行审讯任务的却正是他的情人.白兰宁愿独自忍受任何惩罚,为了把她和丁梅斯代尔之间的爱情深深地埋在心中,她坚强的挺住了.

海丝特*白兰受到了惩罚,她必须终身穿着一件绣着红色A字的外衣.字母A代表"通奸(Adultery)"一词.白兰带着小珠儿离群独居,在郊外偏僻的茅舍中过者孤寂的生活.而用心险恶的前夫罗杰发现了丁梅斯代尔的反常表现,利用牧师痛苦和矛盾的心情,不断地折磨他,终于丁梅斯代尔在他即将升为主教的前夕,当众宣布了自己的秘密,丁梅斯代尔向周围的人们展露了这首爱情的颂歌.当他把自己的胸衣扯开时,一个猩红的A字烙在他的胸前.他在自己的爱人身边离开了人世.

海丝特*白兰,他坚强,有毅力,对爱情忠贞不渝.虽然被统治者认为有罪,但她是清白的,纯洁的.她的精神不断上升,成为真,善,美的化身.她的举动是对封建政权与教权压迫下的爱情,人权和自由的充分肯定.

丁梅斯代尔最初与白兰产生了炽热的的爱情,虽然他一度退却了,为自己能够隐蔽的安慰,但内心的痛苦并没有因他的安全而平息,相反,越来越强烈.他与白兰的约会,他在枷刑台上的自我忏悔,他们的逃跑计划,以及最后的公开演说,都成为了丁梅斯代尔向着爱情的祭坛一步步走近的脚印.最后他扯开上衣,人们见到了烙在他胸口的红色A字.这个A字实际上是烙在他的心上的,这是爱情的升华.

作者用蔷薇花象征美与善,用监狱象征死亡,用一道光,一只鸟……象征丁梅斯代尔与白兰之间的爱情的结晶——小珠儿,使作品充满着一股迷人的魄力.

在作品的最后,在白兰和丁梅斯代尔合用的墓碑上刻着这样一句话:"一片墓地上,刻着血红的A字."这句话不可谓不意味深长.