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The Scarlet Letter Essays

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The Scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn at its core, is a story of two supernatural forces battling each other to gain control. Every culture has a name for these forces: Ying and Yang, Good and Evil, but in the novel, they are known as sin and grace. The two forces are at work throughout the plot of the story, though it may go unnoticed. How each of the main characters: Hester, Pearl, Dimsdale, and Chillingsworth, let these forces influence their...
3 Pages 1197 Words
“You can't tell any quite a story while not having some kind of a subject matter, one thing to mention between the lines”(Robert Wise). a subject matter is that the message or messages Associate in Nursing author is making an attempt to convey by incorporating them into their writing. Theme plays a very necessary role in each book, serving it to progress and have a temperament. while not theme, a story would be flat and have obscurity to travel. several...
3 Pages 1455 Words
The novel entitled 'The Scarlet Letter' was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and was published in 1850. The story revolved around the American Puritan culture, which the author is very familiar with because according to him, he mentioned “in my native town of Salem” (8) and “this old town of Salem—my native place” (14) so he was born in a Puritan family from Salem, Massachusetts. The protagonist, Hester Prynne, was found guilty of adultery and was outcasted by the community in...
5 Pages 2289 Words
This paper focuses on a construction of a women in ‘Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne and the way the woman is shown as a fallen one. Specific methodologies have been chosen to explain, identify and analyse information about this topic - gender, feminist as well as historical methodology. Human beings are differentiated into a man and a woman, women are judged by their looks and actions, and the public never likes them to be even slightly different, sinful or impure....
7 Pages 3227 Words
During a time of Puritan manifestation in the New England area, the idea of sin and going against any of God’s commandments was indefinitely a crime in which could affect one’s life forever. For Hester Prynne, having committed adultery has brought her shame from the community, and being alienated from her society. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter utilizes symbolism to emphasize that individuals mirror the identity society has given them until one binds enough courage to create a new one...
2 Pages 752 Words
In The Scarlet Letter, not only is Pearl Hester’s daughter, but it is clear that she is also a wicked reminder of the past. In the novel, Pearl symbolizes the scarlet letter itself. The scarlet letter is meant to be a symbol of shame. That means, Pearl happens to be the punishment for Hester’s sin of adultery. Hester received this “A” on her bosom because of the crime she committed. Hester wouldn’t be able to walk the streets without being...
1 Page 534 Words
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel 'The Scarlet Letter', Hester is the perfect example of one who experiences alienation alongside her daughter from the Puritans she lives around. She separates herself from them to work and take care of Pearl. Dealing with the guilt from her grave sin, Hester grows to learn how to cope with a judgmental society, where everyone around her is looking down upon her and her child. There is a noticeable conflict between herself and the community she...
2 Pages 1052 Words
Puritanism arose in the late 16th century within the Church of England. Puritans wanted to stay with the Church of England but change the ceremonies to make them more traditional. Their church services were extremely simple, were centered around the bible, and no musical instruments could be played in the church. They believed that faith, not works or deeds, was the key to salvation. Puritanism is still being preached today and its history told in many books. The Scarlet Letter...
3 Pages 1317 Words
In the world of literature, Roger Chillingworth stands, somewhat unceremoniously, as a symbol of true evil. In ‘The Scarlet Letter’ he is the living embodiment of the Black Man, who is, in the Puritan faith, a representation of the devil. He shares similar physical features to the Black Man and even shares similar desires. In ‘The Scarlet Letter’, the Black Man is said to wander the forest, looking to capture souls. This might be the most apparent similarity that Chillingworth...
3 Pages 1289 Words
In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Pearl is a complex character and has arguably the most depth and most similar to life. Pearl had issues with her own society and community, defined by ridicule and embarrassment. She changed from an imp to a noble lady. A bit of a drastic change by most standards. Pearl is an unusual character and hard to grasp in a full sense but some parts can be understood such as her childhood...
1 Page 645 Words
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he reveals the life and hypocrisy of the Puritan communities in the past. He implies that back then in that stubborn society, many people were wrongfully sentenced for sins of all types. Dimmesdale and Hester show how easily it is for others to label you based on the mistakes you have made. He objects Puritanism as it punishes, forcing them to endure extreme and irrelevant suffering. Hawthorne uses stereotyped characters to shed the identity...
1 Page 631 Words
Symbolism is a concept people are exposed to everyday, whether they notice it or not. It is a device that is used in many different forms, from state flags to works of art to the lyrics of one’s favorite song. Many find symbolism to give such things a higher significance or importance, allowing them to become much more than their surface meanings. The symbolism in literature is no different. In literature, symbolism has been used to thoroughly amplify the meaning...
3 Pages 1601 Words
In combining realistic and imaginative elements to tell a moving and dreamlike story, The Scarlet Letter is an example of the romance genre. In fact, the novel`s original title was The Scarlet Letter: A Romance. While today we think of romances as love stories, and The Scarlet Letter does contain love scenes between its two protagonists, the term romance as Hawthorne uses it refers to a work of fiction that does not adhere strictly to reality. In the preface of...
2 Pages 753 Words
In the first scaffold scene, Hester is led out of prison and has to stand with her baby on the scaffold to be publicly humiliated for committing adultery, in the second scaffold scene, Dimmesdale goes to the scaffold where he comes clean to his sin in private and later Hester and Pearl join him on the scaffold, and in the third scaffold scene, Dimmesdale confesses to his sin to the town with Hester and Pearl on the scaffold. The first...
7 Pages 3154 Words
Two Truths and a Lie: An analysis of the Scaffold as a symbol in The Scarlet Letter Two truths and a lie have been a common team-building exercise used for various types of collaborative groups. The purpose of the activity is for people to get to know each other in a fun way, by deciphering what is truthful and what is fictional about some fun facts they have shared about themselves. It always proves to be both comical and telling....
4 Pages 1862 Words
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne created a story about a woman who was to endure the disgrace of the scarlet letter “A” that sewed on her garments as a symbol of her adultery. This character's name is Hester Prynne. Nathaniel Hawthorne created this story after he was fired from his job working in the Custom House in Salem. Hawthorne is from a strong Puritan background, but some say he is canonized as a feminists writer. Even though Hawthorne originated...
4 Pages 1905 Words
Sin and the meaning of sin is one of the main themes that appear from the first chapter since the discovery of history and the scarlet letter. However, sin not only means an act against accepted religious norms, but also a rebellion against social traditions. The passionate act of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale that is deemed adultery, and upon being captured, Hester is convicted. However, Dimmesdale remains free due to his position, status, and influence. Hester has to go...
1 Page 586 Words
In the story The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne has a plethora of thematic subjects, but the one that sticks out the most is the nature of sin, guilt, and blame. From start to finish the idea of sinning, and an inner guilt is prevalent in the entire story. Every character has something that they are holding in or have something against another. To go along with the obvious, Hawthorne presents the theme in many symbols and situations to make...
3 Pages 1318 Words
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