2 Literature Review
In the past several decades, many scholars and experts both at home and abroad have devoted themselves to the study of The Scarlet Letter. They have mentioned the tragic color in this novel, all of which are facilitating to broadening the horizons of scholars and to bringing fresh air into the novel.

Tan Lihua in “An Analysis of the Causative Factors for Ethnical Tragedy in Hawthorns Novels” (2009:9) upholds that the tragedy is caused by the change of their ethical identity and relationship which is not in but out of the puritan religious moral principle in the ethical puritan society at that time. Lei Xuhui in “A Probe into The Tragedy of Human Nature in The Scarlet Letter” (2008: 9-10) between his religious belief and his human nature and the one between his public self and private self, while Killingworth’s tragedy lies in the conflict between his violation of the human nature and self-destruction.
Although many scholars have studied the tragedy color in The Scarlet Letter, I have my own view on this issue. I will lay stress on the realistic significance of the tragedy color.
3 Description of the Tragic Color in The Scarlet Letter
A tragedy is usually more touching than a comedy and the influence of it is more lasting. That’s partly the reason why The Scarlet Letter has a profound significance in the history of literature.

The tragic color is mainly pronounced on the protagonists’ intricate and dramatic fate and the tragic ending of the love story. Hester seeks for free and equal love but is scorned by the common people. Dimondale is pious but he falls in love with a married woman. He spends his whole life on self-accusation. Killingworth is a famous scholar but he is cheated by his wife. His whole life is about revenge.   浅析《红字》悲剧色彩的现实意义(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_30189.html