Essay on The Scarlet Letter - 553 Words

The Scarlet Letter is a story that illustrates the lifestyle of Puritans in Massachusetts in 17th century. Nathaniel Hawthorne takes the theme of sin committed by Hester Prynne prior to her affair with Arthur Dimmesdale and shows how it affects the lives of the people involved. Convicted of adultery by Bostons Puritan leaders, she is forced to wear a bright red A as a symbol of adultery over her breast to represent her wrongdoing to the townspeople. As a result of this sin a child is born, named Pearl. Dimmesdale feels his guilt in the shared sin, but he is unable to reveal the truth. However, the society punishes him as well. The society in which he lived suggested him the moral values that become the law of his inner self. Having†¦show more content†¦The governor, judges, priests view the issue of Hester Prynne as a cause to threaten all potential sinners in town. So, she is led through the crowd to the scaffold of the pillory that represents a symbol of public shame. The crowds of people approve the severity and strictness of the authorities; moreover, one of the women affirms that Hester deserves the death. Nevertheless, the society is also sinful. The magic scarlet sign helps Hester discover sinners from the crowd. gt; Consequently, Hester Prynne is isolated from society. She considers her exile as the greatest tragedy. However, Hawthorne demonstrates how suffering and loneliness harden her will. Instead of escaping from society, Hester helps and makes good to the people who punished her severely. gt; In The Scarlet Letter; Hawthorne uses symbols to supply the meaning of his work. The example of this is the symbol of the forest. It plays an important role in the book. Hawthorn mentions very often that the forest knows a hidden secret. That induces the reader to suppose that the Hesters sin is committed there. She and Arthur feel themselves comfortable and totally free as they are walking in the forest because the laws of society have no force there. That is the place where they can flee from society and show their love, but the most important is that they can reveal the truth to each other, not embarrassing of who theyShow MoreRelatedThe Scarlet Letter1659 Words   |  7 PagesThe Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is a well known novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The novel is composed and written in Salem and Concord, as well as Boston, Massachusetts in the late 1840s. The narrator of the novel is in an omniscent state, meaning he knows more about the characters than the characters know about themselves. Although the narrartor is omniscent, he also makes sure to include his ideas and opinions on situations, making him also greatly subjective. Being subjectiveRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter1456 Words   |  6 Pagesa Christ figure in The Scarlet Letter. She displays self-sacrifice, saintlike features, and exemplifies some biblical teachings throughout the book. The first, which is self-sacrifice, is shown when Hester is standing on the scaffold in front of the whole town and will not uncover the other participant in the adultery. Reverend Wilson questions her of this man that helped commit this crime, â€Å"Speak out thy name! That, and thy repentance, may ava il to take the scarlet letter off thy breast† (60), withRead More The Scarlet Letter801 Words   |  4 PagesThe aspect of Nature in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter seems to have been characterized to readers with a mixed blessing. In other words, Nature shows its power to both heal as well as harm various characters throughout the text. The Scarlet Letter highlights Natures complexity by showing that the Puritan idea of Nature as an entirely evil force is a naive misconception. The text reveals the beneficial attributes of Nature that the Puritans overlook or fear. Conversely, the text showsRead MoreScarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter Has Five Scenes And1290 Words   |  6 PagesScarlet Letter The scarlet letter has five scenes and without them the story would not make any sense. All of the scenes either shed light on Hester situation in the puritan colony, they tell about the malice in Chillingworth s heart, or the sorrow and forgiveness of Dimmesdale. The first scene with Hester s punishment. The second scene is about Chillingworth s plan that finally turns his heart to stone. The third scene when the reader learns about the connections Hester, Dimmesdale, and ChillingworthRead MoreSymbolism Of The Scarlet Letter753 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter: Symbolism of the Scarlet ‘A’ Symbolism has many different meanings, and the Scarlet ‘A’ in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† has many different meanings as well. Hester Prynne is the main character who is forced to wear the scarlet letter as remembrance for the crime and the sin that she has committed. This letter completely ruined her reputation in her community. How could a small piece of fabric do so much harm? This letter was a representation of something much greater than the letter ‘A’Read MoreSymbols In The Scarlet Letter1023 Words   |  5 PagesKaci Peeler Ms. Ortiz, Period 4 English Language and Composition AP 06 June 2017 The Scarlet Letter Analysis In the book, â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many symbols can be found. Hawthorne uses symbols such as the scarlet letter itself, which could represent things like determination, hard work, and a punishment. Another symbol he uses is the forest and the wilderness, which represents Hester and Pearl’s freedom from society as they explore the forest. The last symbol that seemedRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1436 Words   |  6 PagesThe Scarlet Letter Journal 1 I empathize most with Reverend Dimmesdale. He had to live with the secret of his sin for many years. He also was a reverend and had to preach about sins every Sunday and so was reminded constantly of what he did. In fact he felt so guilty about receiving no punishment while Hester was cursed with the letter that he â€Å"inflicted a hideous torture on himself† by carving the letter A into his own chest (Hawthorne 176). He has also had to endure much from Roger ChillingsworthRead MoreEssay on Scarlet Letter618 Words   |  3 PagesScarlet Letter The Puritan Beliefs As Told Through The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne was not a Puritan. But Hawthrone’s forefathers were Puritans, so he had an understanding of their belief system and their basis behind it. He stated that he hoped the sins of his forefathers had been forgiven. Hoping to expose those ideas which he understood, yet despised, Hawthorne purposely presented many important Puritan beliefs as import aspects to the Scarlet Letter. In the Scarlet Letter, HawthorneRead MoreFeminism in the Scarlet Letter1297 Words   |  6 Pagesto establish the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness† (ch.24).The definition of feminism would be women are inherently equal to men and deserve equal rights and opportunities. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is the key example for feminism in the novel. In Puritan times, women were thought of as lesser than men. Women’s purposes were to raise children and give them good morals and values. Women did not h ave jobs; they wore the plainestRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 935 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter is about a woman, Hester Prynne, who has had an affair with a man who she would not name. During the affair Hester became pregnant, so the affair became known to the town. She had the child but would still not reveal who the father was she was then forced to wear a red A representing adulterer on her chest for the rest of her life. The movie Easy A is about Olive Pendergast is an average high school student who is not one of the super-popular girls, but not a loser either