In The Scarlet Letter‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne establishes several essential facets of human nature. In the beginning‚ Hawthorne introduces death and crime as inevitable in the human condition. Yet throughout the novel‚ Hawthorne also highlights another part of human nature as a common theme: concealment. This theme is reflected by characters such as Hester and Chillingworth‚ but particularly by Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale‚ the admired minister of the Puritan community‚ spends years hiding that he committed
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“The Scarlet Letter” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is based off the early colonial age of New England‚ where religion played a huge role in shaping society and life. Throughout the book‚ sin was a constant factor that plays a role in Reverend Dimmesdale’s life. Committing one of the unforgivable sins‚ adultery‚ with Hester‚ he lets his guilt control his life. However‚ it is better that Dimmesdale doesn’t confess his sin because it leads to Dimmesdale having greater influence over the community
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Literary Criticism of The Scarlet Letter E.P. Whipple- author of “Review of ‘The Scarlet Letter’‚ a Romance”- essentially describes Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter as a genius work of art by letting the reader see the near and far side of the spiritual laws‚ and praises Nathaniel Hawthorne for creating such an intensifying and objective novel. Whipple reminds us of the first part of the book when Nathaniel Hawthorne reminiscences about his times in the Old Custom House of Salem‚ Massachusetts
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Whether it is in symbolism or dialogue; speculation‚ imagination‚ freedom from judgment‚ and non-conformity are all used in the Scarlet Letter. These can be used to prove that Hawthorne’s assessment of The Scarlet Letter being a work of romanticism was correct. In the Scarlet letter‚ it displays uses of values and intuition over reasoning through Pearls questioning of Dimmesdale‚ and in Hester’s concerns about Chillingworth. From the beginning Pearl always asks her mother why Dimmesdale always holds
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The Symbolism of Red in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the color red to represent passion‚ the need for beauty‚ and individuality in The Scarlet Letter. In the story‚ Hester Prynne‚ a young woman living in a Puritan community during the mid-17th century‚ is convicted of adultery and forced to live her life in a state of exile‚ branded by the Puritans through the embroidery of a scarlet A on her chest. Her and her child Pearl live in the outlying forest and are
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Scarlet Letter/Crucible Essay The presence of guilt has been felt by all human beings. As guilt grows in a person’s life it eventually begins to have a deteriorating effect on the individual. In both The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible more than one of the characters are experiencing some form of guilt and the effects of the public’s opinion on their own personal sins. Each character’s guilt originates from a different personal problem and with each character’s guilt comes
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------------------------ The scarlet letter tells the story of sin‚ guilt and repentance. The scarlet letter was given to Hester and Dimmesdale to constantly remind them of their sins. Guilt ate away at characters‚ such as Dimmesdale‚ when trying to conceal his sins. Repentance was also felt by characters throughout The Scarlet Letter. A sin is defined as any reprehensible or regrettable action‚ behavior‚ lapse etc. Sinning plays a huge role in the story of The Scarlet Letter. The most know sin was made
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Maternity in The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne presents motherhood as one of the main themes in the novel. The story is centered in Hester Prynne and the subsequent difficulties she had to overcome after committing adultery in a Puritan community. Early in the novel‚ specifically in the second chapter the author describes Hester Prynne and her baby as something extraordinary and beautiful: "... this beautiful woman‚ so picturesque in her attire and mien‚ and with the
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Public Humiliation The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter share many themes that are still present in today’s society‚ such as the use of public humiliation as a punishment. Because of their sins‚ both John Proctor and Hester Prynn were alienated and punished by their peers and town leaders. The public humiliation that they faced helped shape the characters in the eyes of the reader and effected the way that they behaved and acted. In The Crucible John Proctor and the other towns people were punished
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The Letter A The first symbol that is noticed in The Scarlet Letter is the actual scarlet letter‚ which is probably because it is the most important symbol in the novel. The letter is worn by a woman named Hester‚ who is sentenced to wearing the letter for the rest of her life as a symbol of Adultery. Hester was caught in the act of adultery when she had a child‚ and it wasn’t her husband’s child. What is surprising about the letter is how much it changes throughout the events of the novel. The
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