Abstract: The thesis aims to analyze the reflection of Hawthorne’s view on Puritanism in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne was an American author of romanticism. Owing to the influence of North American Puritanism in the colonial period, Hawthorne showed his dual view on Puritanism by depicting the leading characters and the environment in the novel. For one thing, he was disgusted by the rules of Puritanism which suppressed the nature of man, treated women unfairly and so on, such as the depiction of characters Hester, Chillingworth; for another, he agreed with the concepts of Puritanism that everyone has guilt, one’s soul can be purified only by self-redemption and so on，such as the depiction of character Dimmesdale. However, Hawthorne expressed his agreements with Puritanism in the novel.
Key Words: Hawthorne; Puritanism; The Scarlet Letter; Characters
Introduction: 1
1.Brief Introduction of Puritanism 2
1.1 Basic Factors of Puritanism 2
1.2 Puritanism's Value of Ethics 2
1.3 Influences on Puritans 3
2.Hawthorne's Life and View on Puritanism 3
2.1 Hawthorne's Life 4
2.2 Hawthorne's View on Puritanism 4
3. The Reflection of Hawthorne's Puritan Thought on the Characters of The Scarlet Letter 5
3.1 The Reflection on the Character Chillingworth 5
3.2 The Reflection on the Character Pearl 7
3.3 The Reflection on the Character Dimmesdale 9
3.4 The Reflection on the Character Hester 11
3.4.3 Compromise with Puritanism from Inside 13
4. Conclusion 14
Bibliography 18
