Literature is a mirror of social ideas and images. It possesses the power either to nourish or to discourage certain values and ideals. As the most noteworthy， exemplary and authoritative work of all literature， literary canon exerts greater influence in this respect. After all， literary canon is of setting models in the society. The word "canon" is originally derived from ancient Greek word "kanon"， a measuring rod， meaning standard. Later， when Christianity took root in Europe， literary canon was widely accepted as the Bible， which has been a major force in shaping the religious belief and even cultural tradition in Europe. In the eighteenth century， as literature accomplished its modem transition and became an independent discipline， literary canon also assumed more secular functions of teaching and guiding， among which maintaining a hierarchy family relation as well as social order was of priority. Hence， stereotypical views on gender relation were justified and reinforced by the depictions of men and women in literature canon. In this sense， literar）r canon is just a living fossil of anthropology， recording and preserving the social patterns in different ages. By exploring the change of the female image in the literary canon， we are more likely to form a panoramic view of women status as well as the social development in the history.
　　American literature did not exist until the founding of the United States of America. Since then， a collection of literary canons has been selected and deemed important enough to be taught at schools， where the images of women have varied from time to time， from author to author. The portrayals of women in American literature are often affected by author's personal experience and more frequently by the social stereotype of women and female position. In the early nineteenth century， Washington Irving depicted the only female character in Rip Van Winkle as a flat， aggressive and bothersome figure， which indicated a generally negative view on women at that time. Around a century later， as women won more rights in society， women were no longer portrayed as disgusting but still vulnerable as F.Scott Fitzgerald did with Daisy Buchanan， a victim in the 1920's America.

　　《女性形象与经典重构：从霍桑到厄普代克（英文）》：
　　To sum up， the changes of the meaning of the letter "A" and the corresponding changes of Hester's identity in The Scarlet Letter are significant. Since the era of Adam and Eva， women have lost the power of free will and have been deprived of the right to make their own decisions. They have been chained by the "original sin"， believing that it is their disobedience to God's will that bring them the torture. Yet Hester has a strong conviction that she has the right to determine her own destiny. The English feminist Juliet Mitchell once addresses the oppression of women and attributes women's oppressed life to four aspects-production， reproduction， sexual life and socialization. In her eyes， only when these four aspects are reshaped， can women get truly liberation. Hester actually follows Mitchell's advice in her rebellion against Puritanism. As a result， she controls her own fate， achieves her goal and makes herself a feminist precursor struggling for woman's equal right and independence.
　　In S.， John Updike revives Hester and for the first time writes exclusively in a woman's voice. Sarah Price Worth， the 20th century Hester Prynne， thus is born. Sarah is a rare upper-class character for John Updike， who has a possession of almost everything material in her life while living in the constant void.
　　At the age of 42， Sarah decisively divorces her husband Charles Worth， leaves her wealthy family and heads for an Ashram in the western wildness to seek her spiritual fulfillment. Like Hester， Sarah finds herself physically， morally and literally lost in a desert. Hence， desert becomes a token of enlightenment and a path to liberation where she is expected to shed the clutter of the real world and find her spiritual illumination.
　　In fact， desert has always been where new life starts. It is where Sarah's biblical namesake， the ancestress of Israel once roams and where she dreams of bearing a baby when she is overly ripe. Likewise， Sarah steps into the desert in pursuit of a spiritual rebirth at her middle age. And the two Sarahs both make their way through despite severe social antagonisms.
　　Sarah Price Worth is a heroine in mythical and psychological terms. Her growth has undergone three stages as indicated by her name changes.
　　First， she is Sarah Worth， a baffled woman defined by her husband and the Judea-Christian patriarchal society. With a commitment to change her previously bored suburban life， she abandons her garden in the Biblical sense and sets out for a new home established on the basis of the Eastern tradition.
　　Then she becomes Kundalini， an enamored follower of a Hindu mystic called the Arhat， for whom she contributes substantial monetary gifts as well as her talents. However， her infatuation with the ashram's spiritual leader has turned out to be nothing but a satire because she herself has become what she denounces. Gradually she becomes aware of the hypocrisy of the Arhat and others， unmasks the fake and absconds with embezzled funds.
　　As the story ends， Sarah has grown into Rare Sarah who lives in a small cottage by the sea eventually finding the peace with herself. She is alone but by no means lonely， Sarah Price Worth thus has paid the price to become Rare Sarah，
　　Sarah's heroic quest zigs and zags in a pattern befitting the shape of S， the title of the book. She attempts to explore the meanings oflife through material possession or religious practice but doesn't make it until she finds her own value. Her action suggests a parallel between chakra ascension and psychological growth in Jungian terms. Her names reflect stages in her growth， psychologically and mythically： As Sarah Price Worth and Kundalini， she has allowed men to be her gods no matter in the Occidental or Oriental systems， while Rare Sarah through her earnest seeking has eventually made herself a hero and found truth by herself.
　　Sarah Worthis one of Updike's most sharp-eyed observers. Her confident， spirited and reflective responses to her adventure provide both a description of the modern woman's self-sufficiency and a satire of modern American love and faith.
　　The two female protagonists of different ages bear great resemblance to each other. First of all， they look much alike-both with dark and abundant hair and a richness of complexion （SL 53）. As a descendant of the Prynne family， Sarah takes after Hester not only in appearance but also in characters and their experiences.
　　"Sarah Worth is...a contemporary Hester： rebellious， strong willed， tough， energetic and defiant.，.Like her ancestress， Sarah is also stifled， imprisoned and betrayed by a patriarchal system and she too is in pursuit of an alternative life style" （UV 96）.
　　……

Abbreviations

Chapter One Introduction
1．1 Nathaniel Hawthome and 7he Scarlet Letter
1．2 John Updike and The Scarlet Letter Trilogy
1．3 Updike's Trilogy and The Scarlet letter
1．4 Methodology and Structure

Chapter Two Intertextuality and Intertextual Narration
2．1 The Theory of Intertextuality
2．2 Intertextual Elements
2．3 IntertextuaI Narration

Chapter Three Female Image： From Deviant to Human Being
3．1 Hester vs．Sarah
3．2 Pearls
3．3 Other Women

Chapter Four Female Image： From Silence to Monologue
4．1 Women's Silence in The Scarlet Letter
4．2 Women's Monologue in Updike's Trilogy

Chapter Five Female Image： Pursuit of Self
5．1 Various Attempts
5．2 Failure of Pursuit
5．3 Persisting Patriarchal Control

Chapter Six Canon Reconstruction： Imitative Intertextuality
6．1 Archetype
6．2 The Magna Mater as Archetype
6．3 The Myth of Eden as Archetype
6．4 The Scarlet Letter as Archetype

Chapter Seven Canon Reconstruction： Transformative Intertextuality
7．1 Hawthome's Revision
7．2 Hawthorne's Voice
7．3 Updike's Subversion

Chapter Eight Canon Reconstruction： Cultural Intertextuality
8．1 Women in American History
8．2 Canon and Social Metaphor
8．3 Duality and Women's Awakening in the 19th Century America
8．4 Fragmentation and Postmodernity in the 20th Century America
……

Chapter Nine Conclusion

Bibliography