Marta Azarpour August‚ 30th 2011 English Hester’s Public Suffering vs. Dimmesdale’s Lie The Scarlet Letter‚ written by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ is a novel set in the mid-seventeenth century‚ which tells the story of Hester Prynne‚ a woman who commits a sin in her home in Boston. With a child in her arms from another man who is not her husband‚ Hester is obligated to wear a scarlet ‘A’ (which stands for adultery) on her chest. As part of her sentence‚ she is locked up in prison with her daughter
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Sin in The Scarlet Letter Since the dawn of time people have read‚ studied and enjoyed books in which the hero or heroes fall from grace. No matter who those heroes are- the human race in The Bible‚the demon prince Lestat in Anne Rice’s "Vampire Chronicles"or a certain Thane of Cawdor in "Macbeth"- sin plays a greatpart in all of their downfalls and subsequent ressurections.And the three main characters in Hawthorne’s "The Scarlet Letter"-Dimmesdale‚ Chillingsworth
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strife for many early American settlers. They felt the world was at war between the forces of good and the forces of evil. This contention was made evident in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter as the author combines the physical‚ moral and mental state of Roger Chillingworth to highlight the theme of revenge and the evil obsession that takes over Chillingworth’s soul. Hawthorne’s use of figurative language connects Chillingworth’s misshapen form with his damaged soul. “A writhing horror
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Tajbik Sheikh The Scarlet Letter Intro In the 16th century‚ Puritans immigrated to America from Great Britain in order to escape religious persecution‚ and by the mid 17th century they had erected a well established society based on their theological beliefs. The Puritan religion was one of austerity and geared towards spiritual devotion rather than worldly possessions. Puritans followed rigid laws which rarely changed with time. They also had little tolerance for anyone who broke these laws
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Read the following passage from Nathaniel Hawthorn’s The Scarlet Letter. In a well-organized response‚ analyze how the author’s use of language influences both mood and tone. The scene was not without a mixture of awe‚ such as must always invest the spectacle of guilt and shame in a fellow-creature‚ before society shall have grown corrupt enough to smile‚ instead of shuddering‚ at it. The witnesses of Hester Prynne’s disgrace had not yet passed beyond their simplicity. They were stern enough to
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publicly humiliated‚ while Dimmesdale watches from the side‚ standing with the other leaders of the community. Emotionally and physically‚ he is separate from her‚ but she bravely bears her solitary suffering. Presented in all of its beauty‚ the scarlet letter symbolizes her artistry and imagination‚ showing her in contrast to her more conventional lover. From the sidelines‚ Chillingworth‚ Hester’s husband‚ learns of his wife’s transgression. An evil impulse almost immediately grows within his heart
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The outcome of the punishment and how well it worked or didn’t work depends on the person dealing with the consequences. Towards the beginning of the book‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ I think Nathaniel Hawthorne is making the scarlet letter seem so terrible and cruel for Hester. But as the book comes to a close‚ you realize that it has done some good things for Hester. Though this punishment of wearing a red “A” on your chest to show adultery seems cold‚ there were some positive outcomes and it was effective
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In this book all the good stuff goes down in the woods. Nature is almost like a character in the world of The Scarlet Letter. It is often personified as listening‚ commenting on‚ and interacting with other characters. The society itself (Puritan Boston society) is like an island surrounded by nature. The town is bordered on one side by a huge expanse of woods‚ home to Native Americans (the Wampanoag tribes). On the other side lies the big blue Atlantic Ocean. From the beginning of this story‚ our
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Scarlett Letter Criticism Nathanial Hawthorne envisioned The Scarlet Letter as a short story published in a collection‚ but it outgrew that purpose. Most critics accept Hawthorne’s definition of it as a “romance” rather than a novel. The novel begins with an introductory autobiographical essay‚ “The Custom House” where Hawthorne describes working as a custom officer in Salem‚ Massachusetts. He describes coming across documents that provide him with the basis for The Scarlett Letter. The introductory
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Scarlet Letter: Guilt Will Destroy “Be true to yourself‚ and everyone else” This is the main point that the author of the “Scarlet Letter‚” Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to convey when he says “Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world‚ if not your worst‚ yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred! (200).” One can come back and learn from their mistakes‚ and their sin. In the novel‚ Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale both commit the same crime. The difference is that‚ everyday
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