https://www.echeat.com/ In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the effects that society have on Mistress Hester Prynne are shown in different ways. For example, the change from what the reader first learned of her being an adulteress to becoming a humble servant of doing good. The effects of society are shown in her very being. Hester keeping quiet about her lover, taking care of Pearl, wearing the scarlet letter, hiding her beauty, and fighting to keep her daughter. Going from being an adulteress to feeding the poor is a drastic changed that is usually influenced by others. The Puritan society wanted life to be a certain way, a utopia, and if you did something wrong you were punished. The society also believed that everyone is born evil and is a natural born sinner due to the fall of Adam and Eve, and the only way to get into Heaven is if you are lucky enough to be chosen by God. The puritan society was also against individualism, and wanted everyone to be the same. With these beliefs throughout the society, there were very strict rules that were to be followed, and if not, the magistrates gave you a sentence. The sentence that the ‘gossips’ wish Hester had received was that of the actual sentence supposed to be given, which is death, and not the lean sentence that she was actually given. The society and magistrates sentence making Hester wear the scarlet letter “A” shows that they are trying to punish her by embarrassing and belittling her in front of everyone. Hester, with her pride and dignity stood on the scaffold with her infant daughter in her arms, bearing the mark of her sin on her bosom. Shame was a big issue in the puritan society. While waiting for Hester to come out from the prison door, a remark was made, “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die” (Hawthorne, 49). Many puritans in the Boston community did not associate with Hester because of the shame. They used Hester as an example, to their young ones, of what they do not want to become. The punishment that Hester received also made the townspeople believe that they had done some good, humiliating her and making her an outcast had made the society “pure”. While 2009-02-28T17:36:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Character-Analysis-on-Society-vs-Hester-Prynee-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-33992.aspx Verdict: Guilty The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of moral and ethical controversy that reigns throughout the entire novel. The novel starts out with a woman named Hester Prynne standing on a scaffold in the city of Boston so all the town could see her. Her crime was adultery with an un-named man, and her punishment was to wear a letter “A” on her bosom for the rest of her life. Because of the mark of her sin, Hester lived a life of exile, not so much physically, but emotionally. Hester still lived in the town of Boston and was allowed to walk the streets and market place; however, she was not spoken to except to be ridiculed, and the only time people wanted anything to do with her was when they desired her fine skills as a seamstress. Also during this time, a man named Roger Chillingworth appeared in the town and became Arthur Dimmesdale’s physician. The reader knows Dimmesdale to be Hester’s partner in her sin, and Chillingworth is revealed to the reader to be Hester’s husband. Because of Chillingworth’s close proximity with Dimmesdale at all times, Chillingworth discovers Dimmesdale’s secret and torments the man’s soul. Knowing all of this, the reader must ask themselves, “Who is the guiltiest?” The answer is, the Puritan Society as a whole, which includes the entire community, and also Hester Pryne, Arthur Dimmsdale, and Roger Chillingworth as individuals. In order to really determine that the Puritan Society is the guiltiest in this novel, one must first determine what morals and ethics are. In Arthur Holmes book, Ethics: Approaching Moral Decisions he explains that, "ethics is about the good (that is, what values and virtues we should cultivate) and about the right (that is, what our moral duties may be)” (Fider 2). With this definition, one can conclude that all of these people “sinned,” but the way in which others responded was not morally right, especially in the Puritan times. In the Gospel of John, Jesus encounters a crowd of people who are about to stone an adulterer and wanting his recognition. However, Jesus looks to them and says, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (New King James Version, John 8. 7). Therefore, because the Puritan society of 2008-02-04T18:41:32-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Morality-and-Ethics-of-The-Scarlet-Letter-33511.aspx How can we as a society differentiate what is to be deemed morally wrong, biblically sinful, or passionately blissful? No matter what we decide for our own predicaments, it is of no place for our peers or community to make the choice for us. Everyday through radio, magazines, and television, we hear of scandals and celebrity breakups- gossip about other people’s lives, none of which pertains to our own. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne created many characters, all of which went through this very suffering, but carried out their situations in a variety of ways. The characters in the novel, Hester Prynne; the father of her illegitimate child, Reverend Mr. Arthur Dimmesdale; and Mistress Prynne’s estranged husband, Roger Chillingworth, live their Puritan lifestyle while being persecuted tremendously. One of these characters was publicly humiliated to be set an example of and as given punishment. Another spent years with a pain, self-inflicted, from having to bear the guilt and shame of committing a “sinful” act with said mistress. And the third, unknowingly, self-destructed his body inside and out with the lust of getting revenge from the first two. Why must we do these things to not only ourselves, but to our neighbors as well? Does life really get to the point where we feel the need to drag others down with us? As they say, misery does love company. In the beginning of Hawthorne’s novel, he tells us of Hester Prynne, the protagonist of the story, and the life she has been living. Hester had been put in jail for committing adultery and was imprisoned along with her unborn child. She had been previously married to Roger Chillingworth, a man whom had yet to be seen by not only his wife, but also the entire town of Boston, in years. Because of his absence, no one could be sure if Chillingworth was dead or simply yet to return from Europe. To come from being married, to being left with out a companion as such, would be hard on the majority of people- breaking them down, leaving them yearning for even a decent adult conversation to hope for the least. Some would say that she was right in making a relationship to fill her loneliness; while others would argue in that not only her physical acts with 2007-11-01T00:31:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-and-Social-Consequences-of-Sin-of-Characters-33375.aspx Synopsis and Summary of the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the mid 19th century is considered “the first great American novel and Hawthorne’s best work”(Thompson 312) The setting of the novel was in Boston in the 17th century, when Puritanism was in full effect. The author of the novel, Nathaniel Hawthorne, changed his name from Hathorne to Hawthorne because he was ashamed that he was in direct line of decent of Judge Hathorne who had been one of the persecutors in the Salem witch trials. It was said by Keith Nelson, a writing critic, that Hawthorne’s style of writing is contemporary, yet still old fashioned. It is contemporary because Hawthorne was fascinated by the truth, but the truth was not always recognizable. The way in which it is still old fashioned is that he wrote in moral allegory. In this style of writing, the author assigns a value to a particular character. It has a hidden meaning and is used to present a universal lesson. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester, Reverend Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Pearl all take on specific values which we can learn from. Hester Prynne takes on a role of dignity. She implies restraint in conduct prompted less by obedience to the theocracy she was under, but by a sense of personal integrity. We first find her walking through the townspeople with her baby in her arm up towards the scaffold because her punishment for committing adultery was to wear the “scarlet letter” for life and stand on the scaffold for three hours to make her feel ashamed. Instead of looking down and trying to cover the scarlet letter embroided on her bosom “she took the baby on her arm, and with a burning blush, and a haughty smile, and a glance around ….repaid them all with a bitter and disdainful smile.” She also displays another sense of irony because she decorated her scarlet letter with “fantastic flourishes of gold-thread.” Under normal circumstances, one would have no held their head high and meticulously beautified their mark which reveals that they have sinned. Hester has an inner strength to defy both the townspeople and the local government when she confronts Governor Bellingham on the issue of Pearl’s guardianship. She defiantly pleads, “God gave her into my keeping. I will not give her up … I will die first.” As the novel progresses even the 2007-04-23T03:24:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Synopsis-and-Summary-of-the-Scarlet-Letter-33078.aspx Significance of Pearl's Behavior in the "Scarlet Letter" Pearl’s behavior toward her mother and Reverend Dimmesdale is very unique to the storyline. Her behavior could be characterized as a chameleon where she is part of everything around her and the changes that occur externally affect her internally. Ever since Pearl was born she has been regarded as the reincarnation of her mothers sin. The community thinks of her just like they think of the scarlet letter on her mother. Pearls archetype would definitely be one of an outcast and even in her own way a loser of innocence. Growing up Hester thinks that Pearl is a constant reminder of her sin and feels very guilty which reflects on her innocent child. She constantly questions god about Pearls existence. She even goes so far as to asking Pearl, “Child, what art thou?”[Pg 49] By doing this she is separating Pearl from society. Hester’s feelings become even worst when she questions weather Pearls existence is only due to the Demon sending Pearl to make Hester suffer. Hester at one point even denies that Pearl is her daughter by saying, “Thou art not my child! Thou art no Pearl of mine!”[Pg 49] Pearls different behavior towards her mother is very odd. She gives her mother very little respect but only due to Hester fearing Pearl because of her inability to overcome her own guilty conscience. Then again Pearl also sticks up for her mother by throwing mud at the village kids for ridiculing her mother. Pearl keeps her mother in line, because without Pearl her mother would most likely live a life of evil in the forest. Pearls behavior towards Dimmesdale is very straightforward. She knows deep down that he is her father and even shows compassion towards him when he makes it possible for her and her mother to stay together as a family. The night that Dimmesdale was at the scaffold and Hester and Pearl went to go sit by him, Pearl urges him to meet them there at noon the next day. Pearl said this so she could help Dimmesdale with his guilt and to finally let his sin go. Pearls main goal for Dimmesdale is to show him that he has to finally fess up to his sin 2007-04-18T02:55:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Significance-of-Pearl-s-Behavior-in-the-Scarlet-Letter-32975.aspx Secrets In The Scarlet Liars, hypocrites, frauds, cheaters, adulterers, imposters, sinners, and gossipers, no one would ever suspect these types of people live in the perfect Puritan town of Boston. At first glance Boston seems as if it’s a city set on a hill because everyone is so righteous and religious. It seems like everyone in the town is perfect besides Hester. She is criticized and looked down on because she has a scarlet letter “A” on her chest. Even though Hester is the only one with a visible scarlet letter, many other hypocritical citizens deserve scarlet letters on their chests for something or another. For example, Roger Chillingworth should have worn a letter “K” on his chest for kleptomaniac because he is constantly trying to steal Reverend Dimmesdale’s life away. He is so obsessed with ruining his life it seems like he has a mental disorder. The first signs of Roger’s kleptomaniac behavior were first recognized when some citizens noticed something ugly and evil taking over his face. Roger is constantly with Reverend Dimmesdale wherever he goes; its like they are attached at the hip. First he tries to become friends with the Reverend and then he begins to pry into him like a bloodthirsty leech. Rogers pesters him all the time with questions about guilt and confession that eat away at Dimmesdale. Hawthorne says, for example, he digs into the poor clergyman’s heart, “like a miner searching for gold; or, rather, like a sexton delving into a grave”(Hawthorne 117). He is constantly trying to convince to Dimmesdale to confess and would dig to a dead man’s grave to find any information about him. Roger’s digging evolves into a “fierce and terrible fascination” as he becomes more and more obsessed with exposing his secret; it eventually takes over his life as well as the Reverend’s(117). The fact that Roger would go to such extremes to destroy Reverend Dimmesdale proves he is a true Kleptomaniac. Roger’s Kleptomaniac tendencies are seen again when he was snooping around Dimmesdale’s reading area. The Reverend had fallen asleep reading when Roger came in and immediately laid his had on his bosom and thrust aside his robe. Roger turned around with a “wild look of wonder, joy, and horror”(Hawthorne 126). He was so overjoyed with what he found he jumped up and down with satanic joy, “throwing his arms toward the ceiling, and stamped his foot upon 2007-02-06T04:07:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Character-Analysis-of-Roger-Chillingworth-In-The-Scarlet-Letter-32596.aspx Shame and Society in the Scarlet Letter In "The Scarlet Letter" , Nathaniel Hawthorne presents this novel in a dramatic point of view, starting with the scene of the prison. Hester is displayed as an adulterous woman in a Puritan society, where sin is harshly accounted for. She is forced to wear her badge of shame throughout life along side her daughter Pearl, yet the irony of it all is that she becomes one of the most helpful, phenomenal, virtuous people in her society. Hawthorne uses symbols to convey his theme of the effects of sin. The forest symbolizes a harmonious place, where Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale can share freedom, to talk and reflect on their dramatic life changes. The forest is their gateway or getaway to solitude. It is a carefree place, where they are bohemians, remaining aloof from society and can carouse through the forest and be candid with one another. The forest as a symbol helps to develop the story more accurately. Hawthorne conveys this symbol, in order to pertain to his sense of drama throughout the character’s lives. Symbols are an important literary element, that Hawthorne takes advantage of by showing, depth, depression, freedom to confess sin and other inhibitions. In the forest, a quiet, private and most recluse place, Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale relax near a babbling brook, with the green moss comforting them. Mr. Dimmesdale now finds this is the place to be straightforward with Hester and make their plans for their get away. The forest holds the secrets that Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale share. This place is the only freedom they have to really talk, without having to worry of townspeople associating themselves together. The forest is a place of mystery and mystique. The sister of governor Bellingham, (Mistress Hibbins), is seen as a witch, who often remains aloof from society as Hester has remained. The black man with the writings in his book, holds the names, written in blood, of the people he meets amongst the trees is a mystery himself. Pearl is quite the contrary evil herself. When Hester feels free and takes down her hair and finally discards the letter into the brook, Pearl is frantic at the sight of the missing letter. Hester feels free at times, but Pearl binds her to the letter and she can never escape from it. Only certain times, when Hester 2006-12-18T19:55:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Shame-and-Society-in-the-Scarlet-Letter-32021.aspx Character Analysis of Dimmesdale in the Scarlet Letter The character this paper is analyzing is reverend Dimmesdale, because through out the story reverend Dimmesdale made some dramatic changes in his life. In the beginning of the story, Reverend Dimmesdale was a quiet but great man, adored by others and worshiped by many. Toward the middle and the end of the story Reverend Dimmesdale changed as each chapter went on. Reverend Dimmesdale was killing slowly by keeping something within him that make him feel guilt and anguish each and everyday. By Reverend Dimmesdale keeping something within, he felt extremely guilty and not functioning to his full potential, isolating himself did not do any better, as a matter of fact, isolating himself from the rest of the world began to eat away his feelings. Everybody in Salem looked up to and idolized lost his dignity and the trust of the people in the town in due time. Before Reverend Dimmesdale even had problems or stress and anguish, Reverend Dimmesdale preached to the people of Salem with all of his heart and might. Reverend Dimmesdale was a person you could talk to for the first time and you know you just made a new companion. Reverend Dimmesdale was a very honorable man filled with a preacher’s faith. The perspective that I had was he was one of the main characters or an important secondary character. Even though he kept his secret within himself, somebody close to him found out what was wrong with Reverend Dimmesdale and is going to use that to his advantage to torture and torment Reverend Dimmesdale. Mr. Chillingworth, Reverend Dimmesdale’s personal companion within his quarters found out by opening his shirt and finding an “A” carved into Reverend Dimmesdale’s chest, an “A” across the chest in these days usually meant that somebody committed a sin or something that is not acceptable in the town. Without knowledge that Mr. Chillingworth knew his secret. Reverend Dimmesdale gave in to every word and everything that Mr. Chillingworth said. Trusting Mr. Chillingworth was his mistake because trusting him is putting Reverend Dimmesdale into an early grave. Chillingworth is trying to make Reverend Dimmesdale stand in deep depression. Mr. Chillingworth was the upper hand with Reverend Dimmesdale. When Reverend Dimmesdale could not hold the pain within himself, he confessed saying that he had sinned worst than anybody in town. reverend Dimmesdale was saying he 2006-12-07T15:34:31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Character-Analysis-of-Dimmesdale-in-the-Scarlet-Letter-31927.aspx In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Mr. Dimmesdale’s greatest fear is that the townspeople will find out about his sin of adultery with Hester Prynne. Mr. Dimmesdale fears that his soul could not take the shame of such a disclosure, as he is an important moral figure in society. However, in not confessing his sin to the public, he suffers through the guilt of his sin, a pain which is exacerbated by the tortures of Roger Chillingworth. Though he consistently chooses guilt over shame, Mr. Dimmesdale goes through a much more painful experience than Hester, who endured the public shame of the scarlet letter. Mr. Dimmesdale’s guilt is much more damaging to his soul than any shame that he might have endured. When the reader first meets Roger Chillingworth standing watching Hester on the scaffold, he says that he wishes the father could be on the scaffold with her. “‘It irks me, nevertheless, that the partner of her iniquity should not, at least, stand on the scaffold by her side” (46). At this point, Chillingworth wishes that Mr. Dimmesdale was also receiving the sort of shame Hester is being put through. Throughout the first few chapters of the novel, however, Chillingworth’s motives become more and more malicious. By the time Chillingworth meets Hester in her prison cell, he has decided to go after Mr. Dimmesdale’s soul. Chillingworth turns to this goal because Mr. Dimmesdale did not endure Hester’s shame on the scaffold. Had Mr. Dimmesdale chosen to reveal himself at the time of Hester’s shame, he would not have had to endure the pain of Roger Chillingworth’s tortures of his soul. When Mr. Dimmesdale finally confesses to the townspeople in the last hour of his life, he reveals what many saw to be a red A on his chest. Whether the letter was carved by him in an act of self-mutilation, if it was merely a figment of his guilt-ridden imagination, of if it was indeed created by Chillingworth’s torture, it is a symbol of the guilt that Mr. Dimmesdale endured. While it may seem like a poor mockery of Hester’s letter, which was visible to everyone, Mr. Dimmesdale’s caused him much more pain than Hester’s caused her. Over time, Hester’s letter came to be accepted by the townspeople, and once Hester had been accepted there was discussion of allowing her to remove it. In contrast, Mr. Dimmesdale’s letter was not 2006-11-15T06:53:29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mr_-Dimmesdale’s-Guilt-His-Internal-Struggle-31742.aspx The Importance of Pearl's Role in the Scarlet Letter One of the most complex and elaborate characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely important symbol- one who is constantly changing. Pearl is involved in a complex history, and as a result is viewed as different and is shunned because of her mother’s sin. Pearl is a living Scarlet A to Hester, as well as the reader, acting as a constant reminder of Hester’s sin. Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the infant; “…whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion.” (81). From the beginning of her life she is viewed as the product of a sin, as a punishment. Physically, Pearl has a “beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child.” (81-82). Pearl is ravishing, with “beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints’ a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown, and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black.” Combining with her extreme beauty, are the lavish dresses that she wears. The exquisite dresses and her beauty cause her to be viewed as even stranger from the other typical Puritan children, whom are dressed in traditional clothing. As a result, she is accepted by nature and animals, and ostracized by the other Puritan children. “Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world… the whole peculiarity, in short, of her position in respect to other children.” (86). Pearl was not accepted by the children; her unavoidable seclusion was due to the sin of her mother. On the rare occasion that the children would show interest in Pearl she would “grow positively terrible in her puny wrath, snatching up stones to fling at them…” (87) As a result of Pearl’s seclusion from society nature sympathizes with Pearl, which can be seen with the role of the sunshine in the forest. “The light 2006-10-28T18:56:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Importance-of-Pearl-s-Role-in-the-Scarlet-Letter-31577.aspx Adultery and Punishment in The Scarlet Letter Adultery is a sin never taken lightly. It’s a serious crime that hurts not only the person committing it, but also the people around that person. A crime so serious requires a severe punishment, but that would just lead to more sorrow. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nanthaniel Hawthorne, Hester is the main character who is forced to wear the letter ‘A’ on her chest for committing adultery with an unknown person. At times, the punishment should fit the crime, but under certain circumstances, the crime itself holds all the punishment that is needed. During the Puritan time period, crimes for adultery ended in execution. In Hester’s case, she was only required to wear the scarlet letter because of the unknown information of who her husband and her lover were. Execution is too severe for a crime such as this, the taking of a life never compensates for a crime that doesn’t physically take a life of another. Wearing the letter ‘A’ on the other hand seems reasonable at first; It subjects the adulterer to public humiliation and criticism. On the surface, this punishment is perceived tame and doesn’t fully grasp the significance of the crime, but if you consider all the non-implied consequences of this type of punishment, you’ll notice that it is too harsh of a punishment for one to take. Physical pain is nothing compared to how the mind can hurt you. Hester’s mental anguish from being an outcast of her settlement is caused by her punishment. She felt alone and isolated from the world. Is this all this torment worth the price of adultery? It is far too severe for a crime such as adultery. A punishment should only hurt the people that are guilty of the crime, but the punishment also affects Pearl, Hester’s daughter. Pearl was treated like her mother, an outcast from society. Why should an innocent young child have to suffer from her mother’s immoral mistakes? Temptations occur everyday in our lives. They force us to do certain things that we don’t want to do. A temptation always delivers a positive effect towards one, but in exchange it always has a consequence. Adultery is a crime that has temptation as a foundation. In our society, people believe that there is 2006-08-27T21:54:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Adultery-and-Punishment-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-31323.aspx Sinful Fate in the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel about adultery committed by young Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale in the Puritan world of seventeenth century Boston. Even though, they share the relationship of extremely opposing each other throughout the book, Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth, an alchemist, antagonist, and Hester’s husband, are different and similar in appearance, respect, and how they change throughout the novel. Chillngworth and Dimmesdale come from very different backgrounds, but both are still respected and educated men. Chillingworth has “learning and intelligence and possess more than a common nature,” because he is “extensively acquainted with the medieval science of the day” (pg.109). The colony believes that “Roger Chillingworth is a brilliant acquisition;” he is “an absolute miracle, Doctor of Physics, from a German University” (pg.111). Not many Puritan citizens in the colony possess a college education. The skills, that Chillingworth possesses makes “this learned stranger exemplary” and he is now “known to be a man of skill” (pg.111). On the other hand, “Reverend Dimmesdale; a young clergyman,” who had come from a “great English University,” and also possessed great skill” (pg.62). Dimmesdale “has eloquence and fervor,” which gives him the “earnest of high eminence in his profession” of ministry (pg.62). Being a priest brings a degree of respect; Dimmesdale is believed to be a “true priest, a true religionist, ’a little less than an ordained apostle” (pg.113). The colony praises Dimmesdale and hopes he would “do as great deed...for the New England Church as early Fathers had achieved for the infancy of the Christian faith” (pg.110). Many changes occur in a person over time. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale both sin and are mentally distraught by their sins. Dimmesdale commits adultery with Chillingworth’s wife; Chillingworth seeks vengeance and indirectly kill Dimmesdale. In the beginning of the novel, Chillingworth's “expression had been calm, meditative, scholar like,” after frequently sinning, “there was something evil in his face” which grows “still the more obvious to sight” (pg.118). Sin controls Chillingworth so much he starts “transforming himself into a devil, in a reasonable space of time, he will undertake the devil’s office” (pg.154). One thing that is a very obvious contrast in the novel is the initial appearance of Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. Chillngworth is deformed because “one of the men’s shoulders rose higher than the other” (pg.109). However, Dimmesdale is “a person of aspect, white, lofty, 2006-08-27T15:19:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sinful-Fate-in-the-Scarlet-Letter-31299.aspx The Nature of Revenge in the Scarlet Letter Hawthorne’s masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter, has been interpreted and studied since it was first published in 1850. There is much conjecture on Hawthorne’s intended meaning; both literally and allegorically. However, most critics support the theme of adultery in this work. Many critics also agree with the themes of revenge and guilt. Johnston believes the gist of this novel concerns the “consequences of breaking the moral code...and failing to be true to human nature” (Johnston 2). She suggests that revenge and hypocrisy are also significant elements in The Scarlet Letter and that it encompasses “a person’s attempt to see his or her artistic side survive in a community that disapproves of the use of the imagination” (Johnston 2). The word adultery is never spelled out in the novel. Thus, the letter A could represent avenger as well as adulterer (Johnston 17). Gartner believes that Hawthorne has rewritten the Book of Esther and convincingly draws parallels between the two works (Gartner 131). Similar to Johnston’s view, another critic compares Hawthorne to Hester and attributes to Hawthorne the belief “that artists can prevail over the oppression shown them by other people in his book ‘The Scarlet Letter’” (Egan 26). Another critic asks, “Is the main theme the effects of hidden as contrasted with open guilt?” (Waggoner 127). He also ponders: ...Why is this novel which leans so heavily on statement so ambiguous?...He is in fact letting his images do most of the work for him, even while he reserves the right to comment abstractly on them, and in later chapters, on the rare but significant actions (Waggoner 127). Male, another scholar, deduces: The critic faces two major difficulties in discussing the book. Its plot is so lucid that almost every reader thinks he already knows what The Scarlet Letter is about. Thus what see to be the most obvious symbols- Pearl, Roger Chillingworth, the letter itself- are actually the most often misunderstood (Male 93). Male believes the novel is about man’s “search for truth” and “the consequences of sin” (Male 93). Close scrutiny of the action in The Scarlet Letter divulges a theme of revenge with the three main characters acting as avengers. Though Chillingworth is 2006-08-07T17:39:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Nature-of-Revenge-in-the-Scarlet-Letter-31142.aspx Hester Prynne, the Scarlet Letter’s protagonist is a huge sinner and adulteress. Throughout the novel, she must carry the weight of her sin by wearing the letter “A” on her chest. As a result of this letter, the town’s people looked down on her, and think of her as a wretched, and arrogant woman. The people believed that the magistrates were too merciful on her, and thought that, a woman so wicked and scandalous as her should suffer a more severe punishment than the one enforced on her. The women gossiping outside the jailhouse concurred that, Hester, “had brought shame upon [them] all, and ought to die”(Hawthorne 60). When Hester walked out onto the scaffold, she was cast wicked glances from her fellow town members. They glared at the letter on her breast, and stared at the illegitimate child in her arms. This public shame was not severe enough a punishment for this wretched woman, in the eyes of the town folk. Any other form of torture, or penalty would not have been too harsh in the eyes of the community, for this woman was a huge sinner, and deserved the worst sentence possible. After Hester had served her jail time, she was released. After being released, she took her child with her and lived in a cottage on the outskirts of town, becoming isolated from her community. In order to support both herself and her child, she took up the craft of needlework. Her work being beautiful and fit for the governor was required for making christening gowns, and the robes of high officials. Hester Prynne’s needlework was chance for repentance; she made garments for the poor, and reached out to society and contributed however she could. Never the less, the people still shunned her, refused to acknowledge her existence and the wage of her sin. To the people of the town, Hester was “like a ghost that revisits the familiar fireside and can no longer make itself seen or felt”(Hawthorne 98). They ignored her when she passed, because they were disgusted to be around her. In the eyes of the town Hester was invisible. Although the town was cold and alienated her, Hester, as a remorse for her sin remained submissive and selfless to the public. She helped out those who needed her, and became known as a “Sister Of Mercy”(Hawthorne 192). As years progressed, 2006-07-21T14:59:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hester-Prynne-vs_-Scociety--30413.aspx Memorable Characters of the Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne is a very well recognized character in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. She is a character about whom much gas been written such as, Toward Hester Prynn, by David Reynolds, and The Scarlet A, Aboriginal and Awesome, by Kristin Herzog. Reynold's essay dealt with Hester as a heroine, who is an artistic combination of disparate female types. Herzog's essay dealt with the idea that Hester is both wild and passionate, as well as, caring, conservative, and alien. Towards Hester Prynne, by David Reynolds, expressed Hester as a heroine composed of many different stereotypes of females from the time period Hawthorne was writing. Hawthorne created some of the most skeptical and politically uncommitted characters in pre-civil war history. Reynolds went on to say, His [Hawthorne's] career illustrates the success of an especially responsive author in gathering together disparate female types and recombining them artistically so that they become crucial elements of the rhetorical and artistic construct of his fiction (Reynolds 179). Hawthorne used ironies of fallen women and female criminals to achieve the perfect combination of different types of heroines. His heroines are equipped to expel wrongs against their sex bringing about an awareness of both the rights and wrongs of women. Hester is a compound of many popular stereotypes rich in the thoughts of the time ...portrayed as a fallen woman whose honest sinfulness is found preferable to the future corruption of the reverend (Reynolds 183). Hester was described by Reynolds as a feminist criminal bound in an iron link of mutual crime (Reynolds 183). According to Reynolds, Hawthorne was trying to have his culture's darkest stereotypes absorbed into the character of Hester and rescue them from noisy politics by reinterpreting them in Puritan terms and fusing them with the moral exemplar. Kristin Herzog had a somewhat different view of Hester in The Scarlet A, Aboriginal and Awesome. She described Hester as both wild and passionate, and caring, conservative, and alien. Herzog stated that The Scarlet Letter is a story set at the rough edge of civilization. Hester is as much an outcast as any Quaker in the Puritan colony and she takes the colony's abuse laid upon her with a Quaker's dignity. Herzog described Hester's Aboriginal characteristics as caring and conservative. This aspect of Hester's femininity is not the only trait, however, which separates her from the Puritan women 2006-07-17T13:33:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Memorable-Characters-of-the-Scarlet-Letter-30308.aspx Comprehensive Analysis of the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an exceptional novel based on sin, forgiveness, and deception. Hester, the main character, has committed the sin of adultery to an unknown man. She lives in Boston and is a puritan, which does not accept sin and lives by the strict, Puritan code. Hester’s sin is unveiled when she bears a child by the name of Pearl and has no husband at that time. Hester punishment is not death because her husband is gone, and temptation over ran her heart. Throughout the novel, the author uses symbols to entertain the reader and help explain the story. Many symbols come from settings such as, the scaffold scenes, the forest, and the light and darkness from the sun. The scaffold scenes contain many symbols that prove to be essential to the novel. The definition of scaffold is a platform used for the execution of a criminal. Ironically, this is a puritan village, which in turn should not need a scaffold because of faith and love. The scaffold, in this novel, is a platform used for redemption and a symbol of the stern Puritan code. “It was, in short, the platform of the pillory; and above it rose the framework of that instrument of discipline, so fashioned as to confine the human head in its tight grasp, and thus hold it up to the public gaze.” (Hawthorne 51) Hester's punishment for her sin of adultery is to wear the letter “A” on her bosom and stand on the scaffold in front of the whole town to see her and her child. By using the scaffold as place where Hester’s forgiven and repented, the author symbolizes how important the scaffold is to the novel. Because Hester had to stand on the scaffold for repentance so must the father of the baby, Dimmesdale, which is unknown to this point. Though many times Dimmesdale asks for forgiveness, he failed because he has not stood on the scaffold in front of the people, with Hester and Pearl. When Dimmesdale is dying, he feels that he is able to stand on the scaffold and ask for forgiveness, along side with Hester and Pearl. Another symbol, at every scaffold scene Dimmesdale, Hester, Pearl, Chillingworth, are all present showing how 2006-07-17T13:29:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comprehensive-Analysis-of-the-Scarlet-Letter-30305.aspx Dimmesdale: The Bearer of the Scarlet letter Who should bear the stigma of sin? Hawthorne’s novel is a story of adultery, social judgment, and moral redemption. Hester cannot hide the consequences of her mistake, so she is exposed to public judgment and forced to wear the scarlet letter. However, it is Dimmesdale’s guilty conscience and struggle to rise above the sin that makes the essence of the narrative. The argument for Dimmesdale as a protagonist lies in the answers to the following questions. Does Dimmesdale’s character change throughout the story? Does he have an antagonist and a helper? Do his actions bring about the climax of the story? Finally, does he solve the problem? Hawthorne uses character development to show how a person can change. A well-developed character stirs emotions in the reader to make a powerful story. All three main characters, Hester, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale undergo changes that mark the development of events. However, it is Dimmesdale who changes the most. The reason for his change is the sin he commits with Hester. At the beginning of the book, we meet a young and self-confident minister who is trusted by the townspeople, as their moral and religious leader, “So powerful seemed the minister’s appeal…” (74). As the story progresses we see Dimmesdale become weaker physically, due to his moral torment “, who’s health had severly suffered” (119). In Chapter 8, we see him through Hester’s eyes, as a man who “Looked now more careworn and emanciated than as we described him at the scene of Hester’s public ignominy: and wether it were his failing health, or whatever the cause might be, his large dark eyes had a world of pain in their troubled and melancholy depth” (124). For a large part of the novel Dimmesdale becomes both, very sick physically and mentally, as a result of Chillingworth’s “friendly care”. Chillingworth, Hester’s wronged husband pretends to be his friend, but he actually plays an evil game with Dimmesdale throughout the whole story. In Chapter 17 Hester tells Dimmesdale about his so-called friend “Thou hast long had such an enemy, and dwellest with him, under the same roof!”(215).After their conversation, Dimmesdale regains his lost power again and decides to confess. Although Dimmesdale is physically very sick at the end of the book, he seems to be 2006-07-10T13:18:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dimmesdale-The-Bearer-of-The-Scarlet-letter-30153.aspx Consequences of Human Desire in the Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many of the characters suffer from the tolls of sin, but none as horribly as Hester’s daughter, Pearl. Throughout the novel, Pearl is a symbol of the sin that her mother has committed, and also suffers from this sin. Pearl is portrayed as an offspring of vice, and is even characterized as demonic by her mother. The austere Puritan society isolates Pearl, causing animosity between her and the other Puritan children. Pearl is conceived in sin, is a constant reminder to Hester of the sin she has committed, and suffers along with her mother. Hester impresses her feelings of guilt onto Pearl, the reminder of her sin. Pearl has always had an attachment to the scarlet letter on her mother’s bosom. As an infant, Peal reached up and grabbed the scarlet letter, causing “Hester Prynne to clutch the fatal token…So infinite was the torture inflicted by the intelligent touch of Pearl’s baby-hand” (Hawthorne 88). Every time that Hester sees Pearl, she is reminded of her sin and questions the permanent symbol of her sin in Pearl: “what is this being, which I have brought into this world!” Hester even asks “Child, what art thou?” as Pearl throws flowers at her mother “dancing up and down like a little elf whenever she hit the scarlet letter”(89). This is implying that Hester often saw Pearl as something other than a human child when Pearl constantly reminds her of her sin. Pearl is not only a symbol of the sin Hester committed, but she is often described as a living scarlet letter. The ordinary attire of a Puritan society were plain, gray or black clothes, however Hester dresses Pearl extravagantly, “arraying her in a crimson-velvet tunic abundantly embroidered with fantasies and flourishes of gold thread” (93). These clothes, with abundant embroidery are much like the crimson scarlet letter Hester wears. Pearl becomes no more than a manifestation based entirely on Hester and Dimmesdale’s sin; a living symbol to remind both Hester and Dimmesdale of their sin. Pearl is described as “the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life!” (70) Hester often views Pearl’s existence as a demon sent to make her suffer. Hawthorne discusses that at times Hester is “feeling that her penance might best be wrought out by this unutterable pain”(67). She 2006-07-07T13:43:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Consequences-of-Human-Desire-in-the-Scarlet-Letter-30098.aspx Analysis of Key Chapters in The Scarlet Letter Several chapters in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne are critical to the shaping of the story. Hester Prynne is an extreme sinner in the eyes of Puritan society in the 1640s; she has gone against the Bible, committing adultery. Hester is forced to live on the dirty outskirts of Boston. For committing the sin of adultery, Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter, “A” for adultery. Hester stood alone in her sin, the father of her child, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale refused to confess. Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingsworth came back to Boston and found Hester with her baby Pearl. Eventually Dimmesdale confessed to his mutual sin and died. Many chapters in the book play essential roles. Three of these chapters in The Crucible shape the book and how the characters interact. These chapters are XV, XVIII, and XXIII, respectively. In a naïve blur, Hester married Chillingsworth, and she resents him for allowing the marriage to happen. In chapter XV, Hester realizes that she hates her husband, Roger Chillingsworth; her only happiness came from earlier delusion. Hester finds Pearl in a tide pool pretending to be a mermaid, but one thing throws Hester off- Pearl has an “A” on her chest made of grass. Pearl wants Hester to ask her what is it, and Hester talks to Pearl about the “A”, but since Pearl is so young, she cannot fully grasp adultery, sex, and shame, but she understands that the “A” is something her mother has always had. Pearl also makes the connection between the “A” on her mother’s chest, and Dimmesdale always grabbing at his heart. For the next few days, Pearl consistently asks her mother about the letter and why Dimmesdale is always clutching his heart. The easiest explanation Hester is able to give Pearl is that she had a meeting with the “black man” and that was her mark. Pearl is able to distinguish a small connection between Dimmesdale and Hester, but it is not until later in the book that Pearl understands fully. After years of scorn, Hester and Dimmesdale met in the woods and decided that they should move to Europe to escape the harsh treatment of the Puritan society. Both Hester and Dimmesdale felt joyous, and Hester smiled and 2006-07-07T12:28:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Key-Chapters-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-30068.aspx Hawthorne Depicts Guilt in the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne paints a picture of two equally guilty sinners, Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale, and shows how both characters deal with their different forms of punishment and feelings of remorse for what they have done. Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale are both guilty of adultery, but have altered ways of performing penance for their actions. While Hester must pay for her sins under the watchful eye of the world around her, Reverend Dimmesdale must endure the heavy weight of his guilt in secret. It may seem easier for Reverend Dimmesdale to live his daily life since he is not surrounded by people who shun him as Hester is shunned, but in the end Reverend Dimmesdale suffers a far worse punishment than his female counterpart. As the story opens, Hester makes her way from the prison door to the market place, revealing for the first time the scarlet letter A fastened to her gown. Hester must wear this letter A as a penance for committing adultery and to set an example for the rest of the community. As Hester stands on the platform, facing her fellow citizens, she feels horrible humiliation on top of all her guilt for the sin she has committed. “The unhappy culprit sustained herself as best a women might, under the heavy weight of a thousand unrelenting eyes, all fastened upon her, and concentrating on her bosom. It was almost intolerable to be borne” (Hawthorne 58). At the same time Reverend Dimmesdale sits above Hester, seeming to judge her just as everyone else does. At the command of his superior, he questions Hester, “…I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer…though he were to step down beside thee, in thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life” (Hawthorne 68). At this point, it is unknown to the reader that the “fellow-sufferer” Reverend Dimmesdale refers to is himself. The Reverend says all this to make sure that no one realizes that he is a sinner as well. The Reverend is also speaking of the pain that he himself feels in his heart. As the story continues, Hester Prynne continues to be plagued by guilt and embarrassment. Every look 2006-07-04T16:08:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hawthorne-Depicts-Guilt-in-the-Scarlet-Letter-29993.aspx Puritan Values in Dimmesdale from "Scarlet Letter" In the book The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the story of the adultery of Hester Prynne. In developing his story, he uses many images to give his characters depth and to help explain the plot. Many of these images are religious and natural ones that undermine Puritan ideals. Hawthorne uses these images to show his dislike for the austerity of the religion. To undercut the Puritan religion, Hawthorne uses many religious images. Early in the novel, he describes Hester and her baby as "... this beautiful woman, so picturesque in her attire and mien, and with the infant at her bosom, an object to remind him of the image of the Divine Maternity" (pg. 53). The Divine Maternity refers to the birth of Jesus by the Virgin Mary. The Puritans feel that because of her unfaithfulness, Hester is someone to scorn and look down upon. By comparing her to the Virgin Mary, Hawthorne shows that, despite her sin, Hester really is a good and holy person. A little later in the book, Mistress Prynne, concerning Roger Chillingworth, says, " Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us" (pg. 71-72). The Black Man is another name for the Devil's messenger or the Devil himself. The Puritans believe that Roger Chillingworth is a good man, there helping the Reverend Dimmesdale restore to his former good health. This image shows instead that Chillingworth has darker and more evil intentions than the facade observed by the village. Roger is there to torment the Reverend for his sin. Also, later in the story, a man observing Roger "... would have no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won to his kingdom" (pg. 127). This passage also shows the wickedness of Chillingworth's character that is not observed by the Puritans. About halfway through the book, Hawthorne says that Dimmesdale's fellow clergymen lacked "... the gift that descended upon the chosen disciples at Pentecost" (pg. 130). The gift refers to the Holy Spirit. The Puritans believed that their clergymen were the most holy, having spent many years acquiring knowledge of their faith and being spoken to by God. Hawthorne undermines them by saying that despite all their knowledge, they lack the most important thing needed by a reverend, the gift of the 2006-07-03T23:02:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Puritan-Values-in-Dimmesdale-from-quot-Scarlet-Letter-quot-29948.aspx Important Literary Elements of The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne’s revolutionary novel, The Scarlet Letter, was written in the time where there were no exceptions; either one was holy and abided the law, or one was a sinner, condemned by all. In that time, life was centered around an impermeable Puritan society, in which secrets and innermost thoughts were to be kept inside the self. Hester Prynne, the protagonist of the story, tries to cope with the guilt that the town puts her through because of her sin. The other main characters of the story have to deal with their sins as well. Throughout the duration of the novel, the use of literary elements, such as motivation and conflict, form the foundation of the characters, as well as, the book itself, which creates a pillar of magnificence. The motivation of the characters, the things that drive them, plays a key role in the development of the novel. First of all, Hester is motivated to live a life of purity by the love for her daughter. Hester begins to notice that Pearl acts like a little imp, or “a demon offspring,” so she makes sure to acts good and holy around Pearl. Hester Prynne also begins to raise Pearl through Christ, teaching her all she knows about Christianity, and taking her to Mass regularly. Next, Roger Chillingworth is motivated to track down and keep Reverend Dimmesdale in his grasp, by the fact that Dimmesdale seduced Hester to committing adultery. He does not, though, want revenge on Hester because she has already served her time by wearing the scarlet ‘A’ and being imprisoned. His actual sin is putting the matters into his own hands, when God should be the only one to judge people for their actions. In conclusion, the motivation of the characters is important to the novel because it explains their actions and feelings. In addition, there are several main conflicts in the story that are essential to the development of the novel. To begin with, the town battles against Hester Pyrnne as a result of the sin she committed. The Puritan village is extremely against the sin of adultery, and therefore punishes Hester for her wrongdoing. Eventually, the town begins to accept her and she overcomes one of the harshest punishments, the scarlet letter. Also, Roger Chillingworth is in conflict with Reverend Dimmesdale from the first moment he knew 2006-06-27T02:55:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Important-Literary-Elements-of-The-Scarlet-Letter-29876.aspx Analysis of Hawthorne's Introduction to The Scarlet Letter In the "Custom House," written as an introduction to The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne gives an autobiographical description of his life and times. The detailed descriptions of the scenes and people not only prepare the reader for the author's style, but also aim at recreating the author's past. The preface concentrates on the author's period of service at the Custom House during which time he came into contact with several people and had the opportunity to study human behavior. The description of his co- employees and others shows the author's deft hand at characterization, which is revealed during the novel. Further, the preface serves the purpose of giving a background to the novel and introduces America's Puritanical ancestors. Through the novel, by taking a favorable view of Hester and Dimmesdale and by drawing Chillingworth in evil proportions, Hawthorne attempts to undo the wrong and injustice done by his ancestors. The reference to the discovery of the scarlet letter and some papers referring to the incident of a woman condemned like Hester is to strengthen the author's claim of the authenticity of the story. Passage I, by Frank Conroy, and passage II, by William Maxwell, are works of literature that deal with the nature of boyhood friendships. Both passages convey to the reader an idea that boyhood friendships are unbiased and are merely based on the fact that young boys appreciate the presence of other boys. The author conveys this idea through the use of figurative language and uses a very simple, innocent tone. Both passages discuss the nature of boyhood friendships and reveal that boyhood friendships occur just because boys are present near each other and are not based on anything else such as class or background. In passage I, the author reveals that one boy named Frank makes a friendship with another boy named Tobey even though Tobey appears to have less money than Frank. Frank is described as having a new house, a new bike, and a bathing suit, while Tobey does not appear to have any of these facilities, which makes him appear to be less wealthy. Even though, one boy appears to either be wealthier or have a dissimilar upbringing than the other, this does not stop them from playing together and go swimming. Furthermore, the author shows that the boys liked to play in the forest, and which is a 2006-06-12T03:02:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Hawthorne-s-Introduction-to-The-Scarlet-Letter-29293.aspx Themes of Puritain Society as Viewed in The Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid, Puritanistic-structured society in which one is unable to divulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how they truly feel, or the emotion is bottled up until it becomes volatile. Unfortunately, Puritan society did not permit this expression, so characters had to seek alternate means in order to relieve themselves. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of the mysterious forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a shelter for members of society in need of a refuge from daily life. In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the crucial characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. The forest track leads away from the settlement out in to the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This is precisely the escape route, from strict mandates of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as women, can open up, and be themselves. It is here that Dimmesdale can openly acknowledge Hester and his undying love for her. It is here that Hester can do the same for Dimmesdale. It is here that the two of them can openly engage in conversation, without being preoccupied with the constraints that Puritan society places on them. The forest itself is free. Nobody watches in the woods to report misbehavior, so it is here where people do as they wish. To independent spirits like Hester Prynne's, the wilderness beckons her "Throw off the shackles of law and religion. What good have they done you anyway? Look at you, a young and vibrant woman, grown old before your time. And no wonder, hemmed in, as you are, on every side by prohibitions. Why, you can hardly walk without tripping over one commandment or another. Come to me, and be masterless." Truly, Hester takes advantage of this, when Arthur Dimmesdale appears. She openly talks with Dimmesdale about subjects, which would never be mentioned in any place other than the forest. "What we did…" she reminds him, "had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said to each other!"(p. 170) This statement shocks Dimmesdale, and he tells Hester to hush, but he eventually realizes that he is in an environment where he 2006-06-07T18:42:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Themes-of-Puritain-Society-as-Viewed-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-29120.aspx Roger Chillingworth Roger Chillingworth in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, a revolutionary man. His views on topics such as medicine are influenced by the natives which whom he lived with. These ideas, which are frowned upon by the Puritan society, begin to control his life. Chillingworth slowly progresses from an old, wise, physician, to a malevolent monster. Physically, he becomes more bent over while at the same time he also becomes more conniving in his thoughts. Chillingworth’s entire purpose for staying in town changes as he learns more about the father of Pearl. Chillingworth becomes contagious in a sense because the more time he spends with Arthur Dimmesdale, the more Dimmesdale begins to start to rot as well. The townspeople agree that Roger Chillingworth is no good, and that he is truly from the devil. Roger Chillingworth certainly changes and differs from the rest of society intellectually, mentally, and physically. The reader's first image that they have of Chillingworth is with an Indian. Indians were considered savages and the Christians believed them to be from the devil because they connected themselves with nature. Coincidentally, Chillingworth uses many herbal ingredients in his remedies, including the ones which he gives Hester and Pearl when he goes to visit them in prison when he first arrives in town. "My old studies in alchemy, and my sojourn, for above a year past, among a people well versed in kindly properties of simples, have made a better physician of me than many that claim the medical degree," (67), he told Hester. Chillingworth and his medical ideas are certainly different than the typical thoughts of the townspeople. Not only did Chillingworth exemplify a differentiation in his medical beliefs by collecting herbs and ingredients from the earth, but also in his theory of genetics. When Hester and Pearl were brought to Governor Bellingham's place, Chillingworth suggests the theory of genetics as a way to determine the father. "Would it be beyond a philosopher's research to analyze that the child's nature, and, from its make and mold, to give a shrewd guess at the father?" (106), he asked. But this idea was considered ludicrous. "Nay; it would be sinful, in such a question, to follow the clew of profane philosophy," (106), Mr. Wilson replied to this idea. It is a bit ironic how Hawthorne placed the word ' sinful' in the response because it exemplifies completely different worlds of 2006-01-09T01:40:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Character-Analysis--28417.aspx The Scarlet Letter - John Proctor, An Honorable Character Adultery and shame drove a single man to engage in a quest for truth. Life in Salem, Massachusetts was a constant struggle consisting of false accusations rampant among members of the community. John Proctor was the most dignified, capable, and stubborn in the fact that he would not allow his wife to die as a result of his own previous mistakes. John Proctor was the most honorable man in the play, The Crucible. The most decorous man in the play, Mr. Proctor, persisted to wrangle for truth in the best interest of the people accused of heinous activities under the court of Salem and its witchcraft proceedings. John convinced one of the so-called witness girls, Mary Warren, to turn on her friends and do what she knew was right, no matter how it affects her. In convincing her Proctor said, “Make your peace with it! Now hell and heaven grapple on our backs, and all our old pretense is ripped away—make your peace!” John Proctor devoted himself to making the ethical choice in spite of his past in which he had an affair that directly betrayed his wife, Elizabeth. Mrs. Proctor was being accused of witchcraft by the girl, Abigail Williams, whom of which her husband had an affair with. John Proctor also relinquished his dignity when he refused to perjure himself and proclaim that he was guilty of witchcraft. Reverend Hale commanded him to disclose that he was a witch though he was not, because it would save his life. In response he said to him, “Would you give them such a lie? Say it. Would you ever give them this? You would not; if tongs of fire were singing you would not! It is evil. Good then—it is evil, and I do it!” Proctor desperately tried to replenish his dignity to himself and his wife by never giving up and abiding by his beliefs, values that he was so confident in that he considered them to be truths, neither he, nor his wife were guilty of witchcraft. The shame John felt led him to persist in his goal of avenging Abigail Williams’ lies. Mr. Proctor, ashamed of his previous actions, felt that it was necessary to prove to Elizabeth that he was capable of complete love and faith. In his temptation to cheat again he resisted going to see his partner 2005-12-27T01:57:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-John-Proctor-An-Honorable-Character-28272.aspx Symbolism is the applied use of any iconic representations, which carry particular conventional meanings. Within The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne incorporates symbolism to expose a deeper meaning in the story. The first and most obvious symbol that Hawthorne displays is the embroidery of the letter “A” given to Hester to wear as a reminder to the town of her adultery. The second symbol is revealed in Chapter XII, when a meteor in the form of a letter “A” lights up the night sky. Finally, Hawthorne reveals symbolism in the scaffold, where many of the important plot points take place. The Letter “A” is a major form of symbolism within The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne establishes that Hester, the main character within the play, receives an embroidery of the letter “A” to mark her as an adulterer. The letter’s meaning shifts as time passes. At first, the “A” is a symbol of shame, but as the story progresses, the shameful “A” becomes her powerful identity. The community started to form a different meaning for the scarlet letter: ability. In the thirteenth chapter, Hawthorne comes out in the third person and states, “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, so much power to do, and power to sympathize, that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength. (134)” The letter’s meaning clearly changes when the Native Americans come to watch the Election Day pageant, and think the “A” marks Hester as a person of importance. The scarlet letter, in conclusion, was ineffective and “had not done its office. (137)” While Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl in Chapter XII, a meteor outlines the letter “A” in the night sky. In response to the meteor sighting, “There stands the minister, with his hand over his heart; and Hester Prynne, with the embroidered letter glimmering on her bosom; and little Pearl, herself as a symbol, and the connecting link between those two. (127)” Dimmesdale believes that the “A” in the sky is a message from God telling him to wear a mark of shame just as Hester does. This revelation causes Dimmesdale to place his hand firmly over his heart. The meteor is interpreted differently by the townspeople of the Salem community. The community feels that the “A” 2005-11-28T22:38:51-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Symbolism-Within-the-Scarlet-Letter-28140.aspx The Scarlet Letter - Symbols Displaying Character Emotions Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter uses many different types of symbols throughout his book to portray the feelings and emotions of the characters. Hester, the main character of the book, is filled with many feelings, including pride and acceptance, surrounding her sin of adultery. Many of the people around Hester also reflect similar emotions and feelings and are reflected by the author through the use of colors. Nathanial Hawthorne employs many symbols throughout his book, as he uses the colors red, black, and white to represent the emotions of Hester and those around her. The most frequently used color symbol in The Scarlet Letter is red. Red most noticeably represents the sin committed by Hester, as shown by the scarlet “A” she is forced to wear on her bosom. The scarlet letter, like her sin, is something that she will never be able to forget and is something she can never escape from. The color red is also used to represent the result of the sin, as Pearl is usually dressed in red clothing. Pearl is called a wide variety of names pertaining to the color red in the book such as “Ruby”, “Coral”, “Red Rose”, and “a little bird of scarlet plumage.” Red is also used by Hawthorne to represent the passion and sensuality of the other characters in the book. Red is used to represent the sin further with the red “A” formed from meteors and the “A” appearing on Dimmesdale’s chest. The wild red rose bush that formed outside of the prison where Hester was being held represented Hester’s place in a Puritan society that would no longer accept her for who she was. Hawthorne states that “This rosebush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history…It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom that may be found along the track.” The meaning to this quote shows how powerful colors can be to show the true emotions of the characters and the setting around them. Another frequently used color used by Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter is black. Black is mainly used to represent the darkness and evil that is living throughout this book. Very early in the book, Hawthorne refers to the prison as the “black 2005-09-18T00:22:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Symbols-Displaying-Character-Emotions-27987.aspx The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne Between Hawthorne's earlier and his later productions there is no solution of literary continuity, but only increased growth and grasp. Rappaccini's Daughter, Young Goodman Brown, Peter Goldthwaite's Treasure, and The Artist of the Beautiful, on the one side, are the promise which is fulfilled in The Scarlet Letter and the House of The Seven Gables, on the other; though we should hardly have understood the promise had not the fulfillment explained it. The shorter pieces have a lyrical quality, but the longer romances express more than a mere combination of lyrics; they have a rich, multifarious life of their own. The material is so wrought as to become incidental to something loftier and greater, for which our previous analysis of the contents of the egg had not prepared us. The Scarlet Letter was the first, and the tendency of criticism is to pronounce it the most impressive, also, of these ampler productions. It has the charm of unconsciousness; the author did not realize while he worked, that this "most prolix among tales" was alive with the miraculous vitality of genius. It combines the strength and substance of an oak with the subtle organization of a rose, and is great, not of malice aforethought, but inevitably. It goes to the root of the matter, and reaches some unconventional conclusions, which, however, would scarce be apprehended by one reader in twenty. For the external or literal significance of the story, though in strict correspondence with the spirit, conceals that spirit from the literal eye. The reader may choose his depth according to his inches but only a tall man will touch the bottom. The punishment of the scarlet letter is a historical fact; and, apart from the symbol thus ready provided to the author's hand, such a book as The Scarlet Letter would doubtless never have existed. But the symbol gave the touch whereby Hawthorne's disconnected thoughts on the subject were united and crystallized in organic form. Evidently, likewise, it was a source of inspiration, suggesting new aspects and features of the truth, -- a sort of witch-hazel to detect spiritual gold. Some such figurative emblem, introduced in a matter-of-fact way, but gradually invested with supernatural attributes, was one of Hawthorne's favorite devices in his stories. We may realize its value, in the present case, by imagining the book with the scarlet letter omitted. It is not 2005-07-11T06:03:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-by-Nathaniel-Hawthorne-27289.aspx In the Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, does Pearl have preternatural knowledge of the symbolism of the letter and what the characters truly represent? Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is a novel about the guilt of sin in a Puritanical society and how sometimes it is better to face your mistakes and admit them than to hide them and suffer inside. The result of sin can often produce something beautiful. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale are the sinners in this book. They commit adultery and bring a child into the world. That child is Pearl. Pearl is a beautiful and stunning girl. Everywhere she goes the attention is on her. There is nothing sinful about her except that she was bred from sin. Puritan society considers adultery a serious charge. It was easy for Hester to be labeled as an adulterer because she was pregnant without a husband to be the father. However, Hester refused to reveal who the father was, so Dimmesdale dealt with his sin personally instead of publicly. What everyone does not know is that Hester's husband, who was long forgotten and thought to be dead, is in Boston is manipulating Dimmesdale with evil and black magic. Pearl is the bright star in this miserable life that Hester has to deal with. Pearl encompasses the beauty and free-spirit that Hester once had. She is a wild, uncontained child who does not feel any of the pressures of Puritan society. There is something special about her, particularly in her behavior. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Pearl displays preternatural knowledge of subjects that she has never been informed about, like whom Dimmesdale and Chillingworth really are, and why Hester wears the scarlet letter. Reverend Dimmesdale keeps as much distance as possible from Hester and Pearl throughout most of the book. He is not with them alone until close to the end. Pearl does not really have any relationship with him, which is why her comments and actions towards him are uncanny and show that she knows more than she is given credit for. She shows affection toward him during their interactions that are more than they should be. She treats him like someone who should be in her life and means a lot to her. She has never been told who her father is, but it is evident that she has some knowledge that Dimmesdale is him. When Hester and Pearl go 2005-06-21T23:25:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Does-Pearl-have-Preternatural-Knowldege-27129.aspx Nathaniel Hawthorne's character Hester Pyrnne in "The Scarlet Letter" In the novel The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne undergoes both physical and emotional revelations. Hester is directly affected by the consequences of breaking moral and social codes of behavior. The novel is a story of a young woman who commits adultery, and stays strong when the community harasses her. She will not reveal the identity of her daughter Pearl's father. In the end of the novel, Arthur Dimmesdale, Pearl's father, reveals to the townspeople that he is an unworthy minister for committing such a sin. In the beginning of the novel, Hester is portrayed as a young and elegantly beautiful mother who is being punished for a horrid sin. The townspeople think of her as a haughty and wretched woman, and her punishment should be much harsher. "The magistrates are God-fearing gentlemen, but merciful overmuch-that is a truth" (Hawthorne, 38). When she comes out of the jailhouse, a beautifully sewn letter "A" is embroidered onto her breast. The townspeople see this as her taking light of her punishment. In the middle of the novel, Hester has become a more mature woman. Her passion, embroidery, and her compassion towards others become apparent. Also, she shows responsibility and courage by going to the governor's house and asking to have custody of her daughter, Pearl. She defends her argument by stating " I can teach my Pearl what I have learned from this!" (Hawthorne, 84). She now lives in a thatched cottage on the outskirts of town, and has become ignored somewhat by the townspeople. At the end of The Scarlet Letter, Hester is now a woman who is looked up to. The townspeople's view on the meaning of the scarlet "A" has changed from "adultery" to "able", because she is able to care for herself, others, and Pearl. This quote shows her ability to care for both Pearl and the community. "It was perceived, too, that while Hester never put forward even the humblest title to share in the world's privileges-further than to breathe the common air, and earn daily bread for little Pearl and herself by the faithful labor of her hands..." (Hawthorne, 123). Her love for Dimmesdale also becomes very apparent towards the end of the novel because she and Dimmesdale plan on going to the Old World and live together happily. Hester has changed from a beautiful and naïve young 2005-06-21T23:20:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hester-Pyrnne-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-27126.aspx The Scarlet Letter - Individuality within a Puritan Society Often in society people are criticized, punished and despised for their individual choices and flaws. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author attempts to show the way society casts out individuals simply because their ideas and deeds differ from the common values. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne to symbolize that those who challenge social conformities can benefit society as a whole. Though she has been banished for committing adultery, she sees that the community needs her. Through her generous accomplishments the community realizes she is a person who, regardless of her sin, can affect the community in a positive way. In the beginning of the book Hester Prynne is publicly humiliated as a punishment for breaking a Puritan belief and one of the Ten Commandments; adultery. She is then forced to stand in front of the town for hours as the crowd tries to break her down with criticism and shaming words. After her release, "the scene was not without a mixture of awe, such as much always invest the spectacle of guilt and shame of a fellow creature" (63). They almost took a delight in her punishment, having thought they cleansed the town, and therefore only leaving a "pure" society. They thought that if they treated her so horrible that no one would ever even think of breaking the law again. As the story begins the townspeople do not see her as a necessity but as a nuisance to get rid of. They do not realize the need for which they have of her. And that she is just as much a part of the community as they all are. So in a sense when the banish Hester they are banishing a part of themselves. After this she is given more punishment by having to wear the letter "A" embroidered on everything she wears as a reminder to everyone that she has committed adultery. She is thrown out of town and is no longer a community member. She suffered these ordeals and punishments because she was an affront to them; she is an individual and that scares them. These perfect Puritans threw her out of their lives because she was not a drone to their ways, but a distinctive person. Fear was the motivation that drove the Puritans to exclude Hester Prynne from society. This new society 2005-06-19T18:24:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Individuality-within-a-Puritan-Society-27005.aspx The Scarlet Letter: Destined to torture high school students for time immemorial “A text is not a text unless it hides from the first comer, from the first glance, the law of its composition and the rules of its game,” writes Jacques Derrida. “A text remains, moreover, forever imperceptible. . . . [It] can never be booked, in the present, into anything that could rigorously be called a perception.” At first glance, a piece of literature is bound to the time in which it is written – the peculiarities of the language of the period, as well as the sensibilities and prejudices of the author’s culture, create the text’s external impression. However, the truths that the author weaves beneath the surface of the text can transcend time; indeed, they gain meaning as the text is interpreted and reinterpreted by readers outside of the text’s original time period. Thus, though Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter is marked with the indulgently verbose language of its time, its comments on human strength, morality, and identity render it pertinent to a modern audience. As Derrida notes, this modern re-reading takes Hawthorne’s original themes and develops them in an expanded context. Just as Hawthorne adds new importance to 17th century Puritan life through his 19th century interpretation, 21st century readers can add a modern significance to the themes of Hawthorne’s novel. The Scarlet Letter deals heavily with the concept of human strength, a theme that is applicable throughout the ages. The novel’s protagonist, Hester Prynne, has an adulterous affair with Arthur Dimmesdale after her husband has been absent many years and presumed dead. Prynne’s one moment of weakness actually leads her to a life of deep personal strength. Though she is forced to carry the burden of her sin plainly on her breast, Prynne manages to work and raise a child on her own, and maintain strict moral integrity throughout the novel. She never blames Dimmesdale for abandoning her and her daughter, and even keeps her husband’s identity a secret at his request. Dimmesdale, however, proves an extraordinarily weak character, as his moment of sin leads him to self-destruction instead of self-fulfillment. While Prynne builds a new life for herself out of her sin, Dimmesdale not only shirks his duties as a father, he literally devastates himself in his guilt. Dimmesdale 2005-04-24T08:14:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Analysis-and-Why-it-is-so-Pervasive-26559.aspx The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a American Literature classic. The story of Hester Prynne's adulterous affair with Mr. Dimmesdale, and the twisted tale that follows, however entertaining and is the bulk of written work, is not the main theme of the book. The Scarlet Letter is a novel based upon the unjust mindset of hypocritical Puritans, as they governed Boston with a fundamentalist regime, possessed an eagerness to exact sadistic punishment on it's rule breakers. The adultery is just an instrument used to educate subsequent generations of the once masochistic settlers that have seeded the population of America. In the beginning of the novel, all of the residents from the Colony of Boston are gathered and compacted together in the Town Square. This mob of sad-colored and gray dressed people are congregating to witness the public ridicule and sentencing of a young lady named Hester Prynne, who has been found guilty of adultery. The majority of women present, being thick and unattractive; "...The man-like Elizabeth had been the not altogether a suitable representative of the sex. They were her country woman; and the beef and ale of their native land, with a moral diet and not a whit refined, entered largely into their composition. The bright morning sun, therefore, shone on broad shoulders and well developed busts, and on round ruddy cheeks" (pg. 48), have a jealousy of Hester's beauty. To compensate for their self-dignity, the women begin to envisage various significantly more painful punishments; "At the very least they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead.... "What do we talk of marks and brands, whether on the bodice of her gown, or the flesh of her forehead?" cried another female, the ugliest of these self constituted judges. "This woman has brought shame upon us all and ought to die. Is there not a law for it? Truly, there is, both in Scripture and Statebook." (pg. 48). However much the woman scold Hester for breaking a commandment, these women have broken one also, and one more serious then adultery: Thou shalt not use the Lord's name in vain. They are using Scriptures as an excuse to attempt to put a woman to death for their own self satisfaction. 2005-03-27T10:26:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-and-the-Fundamentalist-System-of-the-Time-26407.aspx Films of this age are often criticized for lacking ‘substance’ and compensate for this discrepancy with explosions and elaborate camera work. Books, on the other hand, demand a bit more respect from the general public. Many believe that concocting a script is an unsophisticated mode of writing, a copper to the gold of a novel. After careful scrutiny of both, the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and viewing the rendition of the Scarlet Letter by Roland Joffe, one can immediately comprehend the enormous amount of work put into both, as well as the innumerable differences and similarities between them. It is easy enough to discern the common and uncommon features but one must think of why the filmmaker may have used a specific lighting, or how colors were used to symbolize themes from the book. Analysis answers the questions: How did the two differ? How were they the same? Why did the filmmaker make these decisions? The film is freely adapted from the novel. The word “free” describing the modification is well used; there are major differences in regard to time usage, characterization, visual imagery and symbolism, narration, plot, and tone. The first hour of the movie was devoted to informing the viewer about the background. The film was set in motion when Hester arrived in the New World, not at the grim prison door she passed through on her way to the scaffold in the novel. Many characters not included in the novel were inserted into the film, several of whom were pivotal to the plot. Mituba, Hester’s introverted slave girl, Brewster, the coarse, undisciplined rule-breaker, Goody Gotwick, the mouthpiece of the community’s “pious women,” and Minister Cheever, the influential church leader who attempted to serve as the judge of the community’s morals did not exist in the novel. Mistress Hibbins’ relationship to Governor Bellingham was ambiguous and not well portrayed. It was almost as if they were acquaintances. In the book, their connection prevented her persecution, whereas in the movie, no familial bond protected mistress Hibbins from the cruel witch trials typical of the seventeenth century. Her minor function in the in the book, evolved into an imperative role in the movie. In addition to Hester, mistress Hibbins was as the only character that behaved according to her personal beliefs, and not the traditional values of the Puritans. Dimmesdale’s character was stronger in the film and 2005-02-21T05:08:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Scarlet-Letter-Novel-vs_-Movie-26301.aspx In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays Arthur Dimmesdale as a troubled individual. In him lies the central conflict of the book. Dimmesdale’s soul is torn between two opposing forces: his heart, his love for freedom and his passion for Hester Prynne, and his head, his knowledge of Puritanism and its denial of fleshly love. He has committed the sin of adultery but cannot seek divine forgiveness, believing as the Puritans did that sinners received no grace. His dilemma, his struggle to cope with sin, manifests itself in the three scaffold scenes depicted in The Scarlet Letter. These scenes form a progression through which Dimmesdale at first denies, then accepts reluctantly, and finally conquers his sin. During Hester Prynne’s three-hour ignominy, Dimmesdale openly denies his sin. Hawthorne introduces Dimmesdale as “a being who felt himself quite astray and at a loss in the pathway of human existence” (64). The author made it obvious that a grim secret lies hidden in the depths of Dimmesdale’s soul. This secret, however, does not reveal itself immediately, since Dimmesdale hides it from the closely watching town. In addition, he magnifies his own denial of his sin when he charges Hester to “speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer”(65). By deliberately speaking to Hester as if the sinner were not himself, the pastor makes sure that nobody suspects him. One may also interpret Dimmesdale’s speech as a hint to Hester not to name him. He feels he must “add hypocrisy to sin” in order to keep his standing in the town. He thinks that if the town finds out about his sin, they will never forgive him, much like his belief system tells him that God will never forgive him. So great is his relief when he finds that “she will not speak” that he stands in awe of the “wondrous strength and generosity of a woman’s heart”(66). Despite an inward wish for his sin to be discovered, Dimmesdale feels better knowing that Hester will not willingly expose him. In this scene in front of the town, Dimmesdale shows his original strength of character, which will diminish along the course of the book. In the middle of the night, seven years after Hester’s punishment, Dimmesdale holds a vigil on the scaffold where he finally accepts his sin. The battle within Dimmesdale between “Remorse, which dogged him everywhere” and “Cowardice, which invariably drew him 2004-12-21T04:50:58-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Three-Scaffold-Scenes-Progression-of-Dimmesdale-25894.aspx In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne makes Hester Prynne the central figure in the story much like Susanna Rowson does with Charlotte in Charlotte Temple. The plots of the books are centered on these women; the storylines occasionally move elsewhere to inform the reader of the happenings of other characters, but always returns to their respective female protagonist. The authors’ use of their leading ladies differs when providing a theme, however. Susanna Rowson uses Charlotte Temple as an example for the reader. By taking the reader on a journey through Charlotte’s life of perpetual misery, Rowson’s narrator is able to point out where Charlotte makes poor decisions. With the reader now aware of the misdirected choices of Charlotte, the narrator warns the reader that any young girl could end up in the same type of predicament. She then teaches the young female reader how she should react in a similar situation and the “sober matron” reader how to prevent such a dilemma from happening to her daughter. In summary, Charlotte Temple’s actions are used to directly teach the theme as Rowson wishes. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses his main character in a completely different way. It is common for a reader of The Scarlet Letter to determine that the theme of the story is that adultery is bad, but that is not the case. Hawthorne is not promoting adultery; that is true: As Darrel Abel states in his essay, “Hawthorne’s Hester,” “Although we are expected to love and pity Hester, we are not invited to condone her fault or to construe it as a virtue.”1 Hester Prynne and her lecherous sin are Hawthorne’s means of conveying a different message; Hawthorne is more interested in uncovering the flaws of puritan society and the hypocrisy of their reactions to Hester. The character of Hester Prynne is created as to exploit these flaws indirectly. The Puritan culture is one that recognizes Protestantism, a sect of Christianity. Though a staple of Christianity is forgiveness for one’s sins, this has long been forgotten amongst the women of Boston: “Morally, as well as materially, there was a coarser fibre in those wives and maidens of old English birth and breeding, than in their fair decendants.”2 When Hester is first brought out of her prison cell, the gossiping goodwives recommend much harsher punishments, from a brand on her forehead to death. Hester, who had done little wrong prior to this sin of 2004-12-21T04:49:15-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Use-of-Hester-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-25893.aspx Symbolic characters are very important in most powerful novels. One classic that uses characters as symbols is The Scarlet Letter. This novel is about a woman in Puritan society, Hester, who commits adultery with her minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. She has a daughter, Pearl, and is forced to wear a scarlet letter the rest of her life. Arthur hides his sin and becomes extremely troubled. Hester’s husband, Roger, takes it upon himself to judge and punish Arthur for his sin and becomes like the devil. Many characters in the novel are symbols for something. Three characters that are symbolic are Roger Chillingworth, the young woman, and Pearl. One character in the story that is symbolic is Roger, Hester’s husband. He is the symbol of a life consumed with revenge. When the reader first meets Roger, he is a mostly normal man. He was small in stature, with a furrowed visage, which, as yet, could hardly be termed aged. There was a remarkable intelligence in his features... (p. 56) The only unusual trait of his is a slight deformity of the shoulder. He is an intelligent man who spends most of his time reading. When Roger finds out that Hester has been unfaithful to him, he vows to take revenge on the man who sinned with her. Later he finds out that the man is Minister Arthur Dimmesdale and meticulously plots revenge. His life becomes consumed with the carrying out of his revenge. He himself sins as he tries to destroy Arthur’s soul. Roger soon comes to resemble the devil. He even notices this similarity in himself. He says, “I have already told thee what I am! A fiend!” (p. 158) Hester also says that she pities him, “...for the hatred that has transformed a wise and just man to a fiend.” (p. 159) Each of them recognize that Roger’s life centered around hatred and revenge have made him like the devil. The symbol working in Roger, living to destroy, shows that tearing down another person causes as much damage to one’s own life. Roger is the symbol of a life consumed by desire for revenge. Another symbolic character is the kind young woman. She is symbolic of hope in the story. Surrounded by people criticizing and being self-righteous the young woman alone has kind words to say to and about Hester Prynne. The first instance when she is kind is at the beginning 2004-12-21T04:48:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Symbolic-characters-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-25892.aspx Throughout all forms of literature, the author will often provide situations and characters, each which can contain a strong symbolic meaning. Symbolism allows a character to be expressed as almost anything. Through the symbolism of a single character, any type of character trait, story, or way of life can be told. Also, a character can represent a strong and demanding feeling. One of these feelings is that of revenge, a controlling obsession possessed by a character. It is a problem that may lead to feelings or acts of sin and evil. The actions, feelings, thoughts, and looks of one character may symbolize that chain of evil and sin, including the root of all evil. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, symbolism is used throughout the novel to describe the character Roger Chillingworth’s acts of revenge, representing sin and evil, including the devil, which lead to the decomposition of his character. Near the beginning of the novel, as Roger Chillingworth first appears as a character, his symbolic relationship with the devil and sin is first apparent. Roger Chillingworth first appears as a stranger of the new colony. After being held captive by Indians after he was shipwrecked a year before, he learns of Hester’s sin. Shortly after, the symbolic relationship between Chillingworth and the devil is first shown in Chapter 4, where he disguises himself as a physician, and provides a new identity for himself as Roger Chillingworth. “…said Old Roger Chillingworth, as he was hereafter to be named.” Pg. 81 “The Stranger entered the room with the characteristic quietude of the profession to which he announced himself as belonging.” Pg. 76. After changing his name to Roger Chillingworth, and labeling himself as a great physician, he is able to deceive the colony. This may relate to the devil in the way that stories have told how the devil often disguises itself in order to tempt someone, or perform another evil. The primary and deadly evil seen vividly through Roger Chillingworth is that of vengeance. It is his primary sin and problem in the novel, which eventually leads to his defeat and his death. What once began for Chillingworth as an act of vengeance, slowly transformed into a life of endless obsession. “Not the less, he shall be mine.” Pg. 2004-10-30T04:40:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Scarlet-Letter-Roger-Chillingworth-25636.aspx The Morality Issue Through Hawthorne, the book The Scarlet Letter is written about love, sin, and most of all morals. Hawthorne creates many different perspectives on characters and their views. His vivid descriptions of the main trio of characters allow the reader to make there own decisions on who is morally right or wrong. Is Hester a victim, or a temptress, or maybe Dimmesdale is in the wrong for falling for the temptress. Chillingworth, who is at first thought to be the victim, but in the end the villain? Through Hawthorne’s writing we the reader must decide on the morality issue among Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Hester, who is essentially the main character in The Scarlet Letter, therefore, is the most vividly described character in the book. In committing an act so looked down upon by her community in Salem, she must be burdened by an "A" on her chest. As Hester suffered greatly for her transgression, the citizens suffered as well, whether knowing or not, through their hypocritical and cruel punishment. She was morally wrong in what she did, but Hester Prynne was honest enough to herself to reveal the adulterous acts that she committed. She became more accepted in her community as she accepted herself and the "A" on her chest. We all have sins, but if we don not admit to our sins we won’t be forgiven. The reverend Dimmesdale said "But still, me thinks, it must needs be better for the sufferer to be free to show his pain, as this poor woman Hester is, than to cover it all up in his heart." This statement is true because she because she began to reconstruct her life. The community began calling her sister of Mercy, and the "A" was said to stand for "Able." Though Hester was morally wrong in her act, she was morally right in accepting her wrong. This leads us to the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the man who assisted in ruining Hester’s reputation. Though, a holy man, and a man who is very much revered by the people of Salem, he commits a sin in which goes totally against the words he preaches. His choice to keep his black secret locked deep within his soul resulted in the deterioration of his health. Each time he would deliver a sermon to his congregation, he grew weaker and more ashamed of what he did. In doing 2004-07-05T21:29:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Morality-Issue-25424.aspx Nathaniel Hawthorne was a truly outstanding author. His detailed descriptions and imagery will surely keep people interested in reading The Scarlet Letter for years to come. In writing this book he used themes evident throughout the entirety of the novel. These themes are illustrated in what happens to the characters and how they react. By examining how these themes affect the main characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, one can obtain a better understanding of what Hawthorne was trying to impress upon his readers. The first theme expressed in The Scarlet Letter is that even well meaning deceptions and secrets can lead to destruction. Dimmesdale is a prime example of this; he meant well by concealing his secret relationship with Hester, however, keeping it bound up was deteriorating his health. Over the course of the book this fact is made to stand out by Dimmesdale’s changing appearance. Over the course of the novel Dimmesdale becomes more pale, and emaciated. Hester prevents herself from suffer the same fate. She is open about her sin but stays loyal to her lover by not telling who is the father of Pearl. Hester matures in the book; becomes a stronger character. The fact that revenge destroys both the victim and the seeker is another theme presented in the Scarlet Letter. Dimmesdale is the victim of Chillingworth’s revenge upon Hester and whoever her lover happened to be. Dimmesdale, beside his self-inflicted harm was also not helped by the fact Chillingworth enjoyed watching him waste away. However, Chillingworth is also subject to this destiny as evidence by his change in the novel. Chillingworth was considered wise and aged in the beginning of the novel, although, later he is seen as being dusky and evil. Lastly Nathaniel Hawthorne brings out that we absolutely must accept responsibility for our actions or suffer the consequences come with them. Hester is the prime example for this here because she was smart and freed herself of this great weight quickly so that it wouldn’t drag her down. This theme was not as applicable to Dimmesdale, however, who decided to hide his wrongful actions and was bearing this secret upon his heart and mind at all times. Dimmesdale did not get better as a character until he opened up to Hester in the forest by confessing his love for her. Themes are an excellent method for tying in a complex story’s plot. Hawthorne executes this with perfection, 2004-07-05T21:26:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Themes-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-25423.aspx Hester Prynne is a very well recognized character in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. She is a character about whom much gas been written such as, Toward Hester Prynn, by David Reynolds, and The Scarlet A, Aboriginal and Awesome, by Kristin Herzog. Reynold's essay dealt with Hester as a heroine, who is an artistic combination of disparate female types. Herzog's essay dealt with the idea that Hester is both wild and passionate, as well as, caring, conservative, and alien. Towards Hester Prynne, by David Reynolds, expressed Hester as a heroine composed of many different stereotypes of females from the time period Hawthorne was writing. Hawthorne created some of the most skeptical and politically uncommitted characters in pre-civil war history. Reynolds went on to say, His [Hawthorne's] career illustrates the success of an especially responsive author in gathering together disparate female types and recombining them artistically so that they become crucial elements of the rhetorical and artistic construct of his fiction (Reynolds 179). Hawthorne used ironies of fallen women and female criminals to achieve the perfect combination of different types of heroines. His heroines are equipped to expel wrongs against their sex bringing about an awareness of both the rights and wrongs of women. Hester is a compound of many popular stereotypes rich in the thoughts of the time ...portrayed as a fallen woman whose honest sinfulness is found preferable to the future corruption of the reverend (Reynolds 183). Hester was described by Reynolds as a feminist criminal bound in an iron link of mutual crime (Reynolds 183). According to Reynolds, Hawthorne was trying to have his culture's darkest stereotypes absorbed into the character of Hester and rescue them from noisy politics by reinterpreting them in Puritan terms and fusing them with the moral exemplar. Kristin Herzog had a somewhat different view of Hester in The Scarlet A, Aboriginal and Awesome. She described Hester as both wild and passionate, and caring, conservative, and alien. Herzog stated that The Scarlet Letter is a story set at the rough edge of civilization. Hester is as much an outcast as any Quaker in the Puritan colony and she takes the colony's abuse laid upon her with a Quaker's dignity. Herzog described Hester's Aboriginal characteristics as caring and conservative. This aspect of Hester's femininity is not the only trait, however, which separates her from the Puritan women around her. She is also ...an alien with a 2004-07-05T21:25:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Flamboyant-Hester-Prynne-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-25422.aspx The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many things for symbolism and in my opinion the most symbolic were the scaffold scenes. There are a total of three scaffold scenes and each has its own purpose and meaning. Without the scaffold scenes this book would basically leave you clueless to what was really going on because the scaffold scenes really tell you what is going on and why. The first scaffold scene is basically an introduction to the whole book. You learn who all the main charters are and most of all Hester and her terrible crime she committed. This is the first time everyone sees Hester with the letter "A" on her bosom. Hester is a very brave woman for standing up on that scaffold in front of everyone in the town to gawk at and for admitting that she had committed adultery. Also, it takes a very courageous person to stick up for what they believe in like she did by not telling who she had committed the crime with. The whole story builds you up to this point of finding out who Hester committed adultery with. By this point in the story you have some clue who the father of Pearl is but until you get to the second scaffold scene you don’t know for sure. At the second scaffold scene Dimesdale is on the scaffold and Hester and Pearl come up and join him. Dimesdale is wearing down by the burden of his sin he committed. He goes to the scaffold to confess to God and ask for some kind of forgiveness. Then a cloud forms the letter "A" in the sky and everyone thinks this stands for angel because that’s how they view Dimesdale. Then when Dimesdale goes to leave he leaves his glove on the scaffold to symbolize he was there and that he should have been up there with Hester and his daughter in the first place. Then when you think everything is going to turn out okay and nothing bad is going to happen to Hester and Pearl, Dimesdale goes up on the scaffold. This worries Hester like it would anyone in her position. So Hester and Pearl join him again on the scaffold. Hester is wearing the Scarlet Letter like always and then Dimesdale shows his letter "A" that he inscribed over his heart. He has become very weak and his health just 2004-07-05T21:24:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Symbolism-in-The-Scarlet-Letter-25421.aspx The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, contains many profound characters. The townspeople intrigue the reader because they gradually evolve throughout the book, as would any solitary character. In the beginning of the novel, they are generally rigid and judgmental towards Hester, because she has committed adultery. Throughout the novel, they slowly allow Hester and her daughter into their community, but still look at them with suspicion and doubt. Finally, in the end of The Scarlet Letter, the town forgives her of her sin, and she cautiously finds her place in society. Hawthorne uses the strict Puritan townspeople as a criterion by which all societies can be measured. The townspeople, as with any individual character, possess a certain depth that develops with knowledge. Readers generally characterize the Puritan Townspeople in The Scarlet Letter by their attitudes in the beginning of the novel. When Hester first walks into the scene, most of the townspeople are very harsh and strict in their religions. They believe that adultery is one of the worst sins possible. One unyielding woman says, "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly, there is, both in the Scripture and in the statutebook. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray." Although a young woman and a righteous man try to intervene with the angry old women, their voices are never heard. Also, Hawthorne associates ugliness with wickedness; therefore, all of the stingy women are described as being very ugly. They regard her not as a fellow sinner but as a woman so evil that she must be ostracized from her "perfect" community. They view the scarlet letter that she wears upon her breast as a symbol of her atrocious crime of adultery and nothing more. The women in the beginning of the novel are so quick to pass judgment on others, yet they fail to recognize the sin in themselves. Once they realize this obstacle, the townspeople will become more understanding of Hester’s situation. Throughout the novel, the harsh Puritan townspeople begin to realize the abilities of Hester despite her past. Hester works selflessly and devotes herself to the wellbeing of others. "Hester sought not to acquire anything beyond a subsistence of the plainest and most ascetic description, for herself, and a simple abundance for her 2004-07-05T21:24:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Townspeople-25420.aspx Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, a dark tale of sin and redemption, centers around the small Puritan community of Boston during the seventeenth century. In the middle of the town market place is a " . . .weather darkened scaffold. . . (234)" where sinners are made to face the condemning public. The people standing on the scaffold experience strange phenomena while on the scaffold. Some become braver, some meeker. And whether the people are looking at them or not, they becomes their true selves on the scaffold. In essence, everything that is real and true occurs on the scaffold, and everything that is illusion or hypocrisy occurs everywhere else. The forest is also a setting where characters find the truth about themselves. Most settlers to the forest are people who are outsiders from society. They are untainted by the views of the townspeople and can see beyond the lies and hypocrisy of the townspeople. The experiences of the people on the scaffold and in the forest lend themselves to a higher issue, reality vs. perception. In the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne shows how people create their own reality with what they see. The Scaffold is not only a high view point the in market place but a site where one can see beyond the restraints of town and even time. For one person, " . . . the scaffold of the pillory was the point of view that revealed to Hester Prynne the entire track which she had been treading since her happy infancy (p65)". The experience of the scaffold has a profound effect on Hester. Living on the border between the town and the forest, she learns new freedom while seeing the conformist repression of the town. Hester sees what the townspeople ignore. She soon believes that because of her punishment on the scaffold and her perpetual reminder of it, the scarlet letter, she sees the sins of the entire townspeople and the hypocrisy of keeping them secret. Thus, her time on the scaffold has made her see the truth of the town and its lies. Reverend Dimmesdale has a similar experience on the scaffold. Troubled by his sins and his failure to confess them, the reverend ascends the pillory in the dead of night to "confess" his sins to the world. Even though on one sees him, Dimmesdale feels " . . . all the dread of public exposure [that] 2004-07-05T21:24:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Reality-vs-Perception-25419.aspx "Only the man who has enough good in him to feel the justice of the penalty can be punished; the other can only be hurt." This is a very interesting quote, and depending what you make of it, it can be very confusing. To most people this quote might not mean anything, but you must read it and try to understand it. Though this quote can relate to a persons personality, it also might not relate to a person at all. All people are different and think differently than others. Almost everybody in the world has a different understanding of what is wrong and what is right, and also of what should be punished and what should not be punished. The quote "Only the man who has enough good in him to feel the justice of the penalty can be punished; the others can only be hurt," may have many meanings to many different people. To me this quote means that if a person does not know or does not believe that what they have done to be punished is bad, then the punishment will mean nothing to them. If the person thinks that they did nothing wrong, and thinks there is no reason for them to be punished, then the punishment will mean nothing to them. The person will gain nothing, they will gain no knowledge from their act or their punishment. There are a lot of reasons why people do not understand the concept of punishment in the world. People think very differently from others, therefore, people will have different beliefs of what is right and what is wrong. A person might consider one thing to be a wrong action and the need to be punished, while another person thinks the opposite. They might think it is not wrong and there is no need for punishment. If actions are not dealt with correctly, punishment will be of no use. People will become out of control and there will be nothing but chaos in the world we live in. This quote relates to the book, The Scarlet Letter, as well as all of its characters quite a bit. In fact the whole book, from what I have read, is mainly about punishment, while this quote is also about punishment. The main character of The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, must deal with a major punishment for her actions. Hester Prynne realizes that what she 2004-07-05T21:23:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Punishment-25418.aspx Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, felt that the Puritans were people who believed that the world was a place where the battle between good and evil was a never-ending one. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses the symbols of light and dark to depict this battle among the characters Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Roger Chillingworth. After Hester commits her sin, her beauty almost immediately vanishes into darkness. Her hair no longer hangs freely about her face, instead she ties it up in a bonnet. Hester is not perceived as an evil person, but her sin makes her "light" hide away. The sun is used as a descriptor of the goodness or pure nature of character. Because of her sin and the scarlet letter, Hester is no longer pure, therefore she is not seen in the sun. Hawthorne states, "It was only the darkened house that could contain her. When sunshine came again, she was not there." While on a walk to the forest, Pearl, Hester’s daughter states, "...the sunshine does not love you. it runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom." This is evidence that the scarlet letter itself may be the cause of Hester’s darkness. Pearl is the character most recognized for her presence in the sun. She is drawn to the sun, as the sun is drawn to her. While at the governor’s house, Pearl notices how brightly the sun shines through the windows. She requests that, "the sunshine be stripped off its front and given to her to play with." Hester responds by saying, "No my little Pearl. Thou must gather thine own sunshine. I have none to give thee!" Pearl has been seen as a character that always persists on knowing the truth. While in the forest Pearl wants to hear a story from Hester. She asks Hester if she has ever seen the Black Man. Hester replies that she has seen the Black Man once before. This suggests that the Black Man may be her husband, Roger Chillingworth. Roger Chillingworth is a character who is almost Satan-like. Chillingworth is described as the Black Man by Pearl and his own description of himself suggests that he is a fiend of some kind. When Chillingworth discovers that Dimmesdale was the father of Pearl, he taunts him and makes him feel more guilt than he already possesses. Hester feels guilty 2004-07-05T21:22:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Light-and-Darkness-25417.aspx The Scarlet Letter shows many types of sin. Some is only sin in the Puritan eye, some is internally blamed sin and some is sin only defined back in the time period of pre-Romanticism. Three main characters; Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth are the 'sinners' of the Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorn gives each one very different a consequence and remedy for each ones sin. Hester is publicly punished right away, Dimmesdale has to dwell on his sin for years and Chillingworth is punished abruptly when his sin comes to an end. Each punishment is different and holds its own lesson. Hester was forced into the marriage of a man she did not love, and after being separated for a long amount of time, she became attracted to another man. She then falls into a spell of passion with Reverend Dimmesdale. She then becomes pregnant with Dimmesdale's baby, obviously revealing her 'sin'. She is sent to the Scaffold to be mocked by all and is forced to reveal the father of the child. She refuses and then for her sins, received a scarlet letter, "A" which she had to wear upon her chest for the rest of her life in Boston. She wondered the streets and was given bitter looks from all. This was the Puritan way of punishing her for her then criminal action of adultery. The Scarlet Letter on her bosom does the exact opposite of that which it was meant for. Eventually, Hester upsets all the odds against here due to her courage, pride and effort. Hester goes beyond the letter of the law and does everything asked of her in order to prove that she is "able"(158). Hester, even though she was more appreciated by the Puritans, she still was not respected and her life was never the same. This eventually caused so much mental and physical anguish that she eventually questioned why she should live if it weren't for her Pearl. Pearl was a bundle of life sent from god to remind her of her wrong doing each and every moment and as a walking sermon to preach against sin for others. The symbolic Pearl helped Hester overcome her guilt. Hester becomes a highly respected person in a Puritan society by overcoming one of the harshest punishments, the scarlet letter. After Dimmesdale's passing away, she remains in the small Boston 2004-07-05T21:09:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Consequences-and-Remedies-of-Din-25416.aspx In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn the society of a Puritan town of Salem excludes anyone who is in any way deviant and renders that person sinful. However, the society, the townspeople themselves, is not without fault. However they try to conceal and contain their passions and all their faults because of their fear of exclusion. All the characters in the book that are excluded from society are the most "natural" and true and possess a second-sense perception and almost magical intuition. Hester Prynne's separation from the townspeople is both physical and mental. She is expelled from the town as an adulteress, and she goes to live with her illegitimate daughter to a cottage "not in close vicinity to any other habitation." (68) They are despised by the whole town. Even children throw stones at them and chase them down the street. People do not dare to come close to Hester because of the mark as an outcast. To the townspeople, Hester's character is something different and uncertain from the values that they are used to. "Wherever Hester stood, a small, vacant area - a sort of magic circle - had formed about her, into which ¦ none ventured, or felt disposed to intrude." (206) Hester is destined to forever wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest - "A" for "adulteress" - a sign of her sin, shame and separation from the righteous people. However, by being separated from the Puritanical town of Salem and all its prejudices, Hester is able to look at the people objectively and see much she was not able to see before. "Walking to and fro, with those lonely footsteps, in the little world with which she was outwardly connected, it now and then appeared to Hester that [the scarlet letter] gave her a sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other hearts. (73) The people of the town are so busy covering up their faults and hiding their human passions, that they cannot see their own or each other's faults. Hester, who wears her Cain's mark of exclusion openly, does not have to worry about the opinion of others, and gains an intuition - an insight into the hearts of the people who throw her out. Hester's mark of shame becomes a mark of being different, a mark of nonconformity. Many people interpret Hester's "A" as "Able" (141), for Hester's natural 2004-07-05T21:08:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Evil-and-the-Second-Sense-25415.aspx Appearance vs. Reality Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, a dark tale of sin and redemption, centres around the small Puritan community of Boston during the seventeenth century. Things and places in The Scarlet Letter are not always what they seem to be. There are major differences in the appearance of something to the actual meaning and significance it carries. In the middle of the town market is a "... weather-darkened scaffold. . ." (Hawthorne 234) where sinners are made to face the condemning public. The people standing on the scaffold experience strange phenomena while on it. Some become braver, some meeker. And whether the people are looking at them or not, they become their true self. In essence, everything that is real and true occurs on the scaffold, and everything that is illusion or hypocrisy occurs everywhere else. The forest is also a setting where characters find the truth about themselves. Most settlers to the forest are people who are outsiders from society. They are untainted by the views of the townspeople and can see beyond the lies and hypocrisy of the townspeople. The experiences of the people on the scaffold and in the forest lend themselves to a higher issue, appearance vs. reality. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne shows how people create their own reality with what they see. The Scaffold is not only a high view point the in market place but a site where one can see beyond the restraints of town and even time. For one person, " . . . the scaffold of the pillory was the point of view that revealed to Hester Prynne the entire track which she had been treading since her happy infancy…" (65). The experience of the scaffold has a profound effect on Hester. Living on the border between the town and the forest, she learns new freedom while seeing the conformist repression of the town. Hester sees what the townspeople ignore. She soon believes that because of her punishment on the scaffold and her perpetual reminder of it, the scarlet letter, she sees the sins of the entire towns’ and the hypocrisy of keeping them secret. Thus, her time on the scaffold has made her see the truth of the town and its lies. Reverend Dimmesdale has a similar experience on the scaffold. Troubled by his sins and his failure to confess them, the reverend ascends the pillory in the dead of 2004-07-05T21:07:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-Appearance-vs_-Reality-25414.aspx The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses the aspects of relationships, religion, community, discipline and punishment in the puritan community of 17th century Boston. Relationships between men and women were very constrained and that is what made adultery such a bad sin in the eyes of everyone in the community. Religion seemed to govern over all, people would look up to reverends and the community believed that fate was their destiny. Public discipline and punishment were used to discourage everyone else from committing the same crime or sin as the offending "criminal" did. The community was to follow the beliefs of god and to do their duties the best they could, yet were there to criticize and punish all who disobeyed the religion or laws. In 17th century Boston every thing was very strict and everyone was expected to follow the laws, which makes Hester's sin such an excellent example of the beliefs of that time period. The first scaffold scene is very important because the scene sums up the beliefs of the general public at that time, and gives a prospective of what Hester Prynne must deal with. In the beginning of chapter two the scene is described as "it could have betokened nothing short of the anticipated execution of some noted culprit,"(47) showing that the whole town was there for a ruthless public punishment. The crowd was not there for an execution though, but there for a public punishment of Hester Prynne who had committed adultery. A townsman describes Hester's punishment to a stranger as, "they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom."(58) This scene shows the weight of values and morals upon society in the 17th century and how public punishment was not only used as punishment but as a way to discourage others from committing the same crime. The community was key in this punishment because it helped alienate Hester and further her pain. The punishment brings forth Hester's underlying pain, "[Hester] sent forth a cry she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real."(55) This pain only breaks surface once, yet throughout the whole story Hester must 2004-07-05T21:07:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scarlet-Letter-17th-century-Life-25413.aspx In The Scarlet Letter Hypocrisy is evident everywhere. The characters of Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and the very society that the characters lived in, were steeped in hypocrisy. Hawthorne was not subtle in his portrayal of the terrible sin of hypocrisy; he made sure it was easy to see the sin at work. Parallels can be drawn between the characters of The Scarlet Letter and of today’s society. Just because this book is set in colonial times, does not mean its lessons are not applicable to the world we live in. The first character, Hester Prynne, is guilty of adultery and of hypocrisy. She “loves” Dimmesdale yet she says nothing while for seven years Dimmesdale is slowly tortured. This love she felt that was so strong, that it made her break sacred vows must have disappeared. Why else would she condemn her supposed love to the hands of her vengeful husband. Dimmesdale is continually tortured by his inner demons of guilt that gnaw at his soul, and Chillingworth makes sure these demons never go away. Hester allows this to happen. Physically and mentally the minister begins to weaken, slowly he becomes emaciated, and he punishes himself constantly. Only when Hester knows that if Chillingworth is aloud to continue, that Dimmesdale will surely go insane if she does not reveal her secret. Why did Hester wait so long? She did not reveal who her lover was on the scaffolding when she had the perfect opportunity to. Also, she did not tell her husband who her lover was. Why did Hester Prynne keep secrets that ended up hurting everyone. Hester can atone for her sin of adultery, but every day that she keeps the secret of her lover, and the true identity of Rodger Chillingworth a secret she is committing a sin. If Hester would have “Take heed how thou deniest to him---who, perchance, hath not the courage to grasp it for himself---the bitter, but wholesome, cup that is now presented to thy lips!”(Dimmesdale 47) things would have been infinitely better for everyone. Everyone Hester Prynne loves, she does in a hypocritical way. She loves Pearl enough to sacrifice to feed and clothe her, but she does not love Pearl enough to give her a father. Hester loves Dimmesdale, but she does not love him enough to expose his sin publicly, and she conceals her knowledge of Chillingworth. Either you love something whole-heartedly, or 2004-03-26T02:22:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hypocrisy-In-The-Scarlet-Letter-79.aspx Arthur Dimmesdale, from The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was the perfect minister. He gave more powerful and touching sermons than anyone else around. He was the overall image of perfection for a minister. However, he had a grave secret that ate at him from within. He had committed adultery with one of his parishioners and fathered a child. Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale to make a point that guilt for unpunished sin will erode a person until they die. Dimmesdale is unable to publicly face the consequences of his sin, so his guilt drives him to masochism, attempted confessions, and eventually leads to his death. After Dimmesdale commits adultery with Hester Prynne, he feels incredibly guilty. His health begins to deteriorate because of his guilt. Knowing the consequences of unconfessed sin, he attempts to redeem himself. However, he believes that the consequences of his sin are greater than not taking the punishment. Rather than share the punishment with Hester, and be chastised by the public, he tries to punish himself. He beats himself with whips and chains. At the time, catholic priests commonly practiced this, but it was rare for a protestant to do so. Dimmesdale believes that he can absolve him of his sin if he suffers enough. Rather than release him of his sin, it contributes to his illness caused by his guilt. Realizing that self-chastisement is not enough, he looks for other means to free himself of the guilt. Dimmesdale then decides that if he can confess to everyone else then he will be free of the guilt. During his sermons, he hints at what he has done. Dimmesdale is not able to tell them outright and confess his sin. He is still afraid of the consequences of publicly confessing. By not actually telling his congregation, they can uphold their perfect opinion of him. His congregation wants to believe that he is perfect so they will not believe that he is capable of committing such a sin. Instead of chastising him for his sin, the congregation believes that he is being humble. His physical state continues to worsen as he tries to avoid his just punishment. Dimmesdale decides that he will share the same punishment that Hester went through for her part in the sin. 2004-03-20T02:40:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Guilt-Killed-The-Minister-66.aspx Hester Prynne, the main character in the book The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a woman living in a Puritan society who has an illegitimate child. The story begins with her punishment for adultery. Hester is jailed and then forced to wear a scarlet ‘A’ on her clothing forever as a mark of her shame. The story continues to tell about her life in Puritan society trying to raise her daughter Pearl. Hawthorne was a member of the Transcendentalist movement that believed that divinity manifests itself in everyday life, especially in nature. The author uses these transcendental principals to add religious and symbolic meanings to many objects and places in the book. The most important symbol in the book is introduced in the first chapter. The scarlet letter ‘A’ that Hester was forced to wear came to mean many things throughout the book. The letter was meant to stand for adultery, and at the beginning of the story it exists as a physical reminder of the sin that she committed. Ultimately I think the scarlet ‘A’ ends up showing strength and character on the part of Hester. When a group of Native Americans visit the colony they think they letter is a sign of importance. The town elders at one point discuss letting her take off the letter but she feels differently thinking it is just punishment for her transgression. It is only after she and Dimmesdale decide to leave together that she feels released from her sin and can take it off. The character of Pearl is a complex one. She exists in the story as a living reminder of the sin that Hester committed and at the same time Pearl is also Hester’s salvation. When Hester becomes completely ostracized from society Pearl is all that she has. Pearl is not only a reason for Hester to live but also the reason she stays away from bad influences. When Hester is invited to a witches gathering by Mistress Hibbins she refuses but says if she didn’t have Pearl she would have probably agreed to. One of the more obvious instances of symbolism in the book is when the ‘A’ is imprinted in the sky by a falling meteor. Dimmesdale believes the meteor means that he should also wear the scarlet ‘A’. The townspeople interpret it differently thinking the meteor stands for “Angel” to mark Governor Winthrop's entry into heaven. Throughout the book 2004-02-22T19:41:33-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Symbolism-in-the-Scarlet-Letter-45.aspx