Abstract：In the middle of the 19th century, the economy of America developed rapidly, along with a series of ethical problems. The stander of morality lost balance, the ideal and reality were separated, and desire was contrary to religious dogma. American people gradually lost their primary intension of building a New World in the New England. Like any other contemporaneous spiritual pioneers, Hawthorne had never stopped the exploration of American image. Different from the general optimism, Hawthorne’s reflection on American image was full of conflict between ideal and reality as a result of conflict between new and traditional moral values.

　　　 Through analyzing the conflict between ideal and the reality, this thesis plans to find the limitation of Hawthorne’s reflection on American image, and hopes to make contribution to the researches on his contradictory ideas.  

Key words: Hawthorne; American image; conflict; ideal; reality; reflection

摘要：19世纪中期美国经济快速发展的同时，也带来了一系列的道德、伦理问题。美国人逐渐失去了在新英格兰上建立一个新世界的初衷，对道德失去约束，出现了精神生活和社会道德的普遍堕落。美国人形象面临着危机。作为美国浪漫主义时代一位颇具影响力的作家，像其他同时代的精神开拓者一样，霍桑对于“美国人形象”的探索从未停止过。不同于当时普遍的的乐观主义，在新旧道德观念冲突的矛盾下，霍桑对于美国人形象的思考充满了理想与现实的冲突。 

　　　本研究试图通过分析理想与现实的冲突找出霍桑对美国形象思考的局限性，希望能能对霍桑矛盾思想的研究作出贡献。

关键词：霍桑；美国人形象；冲突；理想；现实；思考