...Lawrence: The Devil in Hester’s Hell D. H. Lawrence’s On The Scarlet Letter critically analyzes Hester Prynne, the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. While deconstructing Prynne’s character, he uses a variety of literary techniques. In this critique, Lawrence voices his disapproval of Prynne, for he sees her as a horrible role model for women. Lawrence’s sarcastic tone, relevant allusions, and short, choppy diction are effective in evaluating Hester Prynne. Lawrence’s mocking tone reinforces his beliefs that Hester Prynne should not be regarded as a standard that anybody should live by. After calling Prynne a demon, Lawrence stated, “A man must be pure, just that you can seduce him to a fall.” Lawrence’s...
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...This essay is over the novel The Scarlet Letter and this is an essay about three main controversial characters that were key to this story. The main points focused on in this essay were good and evil deed and actions they have done throughout the novel and how it affects the readers overall attitude at the end. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses the symbols of light and dark to depict good and evil among the characters Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. Hawthorne introduces Hester by saying, “She came forth into the sunshine” (72). The sunshine shows Hester has some light coming down on her instead of the town looking down on her and her sin of adultery that she has committed. One of my other details on this reference is, Hester being in the dark prison means she had no freedom, but outside with the light shining on her she had her freedom back. Another dark quote was, Hester said, “Thee must gather thine own sunshine, for I have none to give thee” (Hawthorne 95). This meaning that Hester’s sin shows she has no sunshine to give other because he sin has erased all good she had once had in her....
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...Initially, I was not that fond of The Scarlet Letter. I thought that the language and diction used in this story was too advanced and complex for me to understand which made reading this not enjoyable, but over time I became accustomed to Hawthorne’s writing style. After reading a few chapters, it became easier to comprehend what was going on in each chapter and I began to appreciate this piece of literature better. As much as it was a bit tedious having to search up definitions to words that I had no idea what they meant, I believe reading this was beneficial to me because it challenged me and showed me what I had to look forward to possibly in more advanced English classes. So overall, Hawthorne's elaborate writing style and diction helped...
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...lived an ordinary life since. People in the town are even saying things like, “it [scarlet letter] meant Able” (Hawthorne 168) and that she’s “holy.” The community leaders also have a different view of her now, proved when the narrator states, “…were longer in acknowledging the influence of Hester’s good qualities than the people” (Hawthorne 168). The townspeople themselves haven’t changed. It’s Hester’s actions and attitude over the past years that have shaped a new feeling towards her, for the better. 2....
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...didn’t wear low cut shirts anymore or cute tops that showed off her upper chest. One night she realized that she was just like Hester Prynne with an A stuck on her breast but, it stood for something completely different then like the book’s meaning. The Scarlett Letter was for adultery to teach her a lesson but for the girl it was a symbol of abuse and annihilation. It was literally burned into her chest one day she woke up with it being there and panicked. She then began to get pains over her heart constantly before something bad happened or just to remind her of it. When she tries to...
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...In the novel, Scarlett Letter, the Puritans live in a community bent on conforming to the common beliefs and values set by their society. Those whose ideas and values diverge from the norm are criticized and despised for their individualism. Hawthorne portrays this ignorance and conformity through the Puritans' belief that the forest is evil and unruly. However, because the forest is secluded far from the influences of society, Hawthorne suggests that in the forest people are able to express the individuality they are deprived of in their Puritan settlement. Thus, the forest, an embodiment of freedom and individuality, is used as a symbol to contrast the harsh Puritan society with the free nature of the forest in order to convey the importance of isolation from society in being true to one's self. In the beginning of the novel, the forest is used to reveal the Puritan's ignorance through their fear of the unknown. The Puritans assume the forest to be a savage and evil place because it is uncontrolled by Puritan law, thus reflecting how centered the Puritans were around their rigid society. Just as Dimmsdale enters the scene of the scaffold coming from the forest, the rigid "settlement of Christian men" (Hawthorne, 66) is immediately put into comparison with the "vast and dismal forest" (66) that is feared by the puritans. The use of the adjectives to describe the forest imply its dark, obscure and boundless characteristics, in contrast to the very structured society of the...
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...moral and ethical standards, characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, likewise, feel forced to keep many of their deeds and misdeeds from public knowledge to avoid criticism and maintain their good names. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale’s choice in timing to reveal his secret sin calls attention to the change in the society’s morals; in addition, the effect of Dimmesdale’s secret proves severity of sin and allows Hawthorne to expose the differences between Hester and Dimmesdale’s lives as influenced by their secrets. As the novel progresses, the opinions...
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...flowers…whispered.., “Adorn thyself with me, thou beautiful child, adorn thyself with me!” In this passage we see Pearl embrace who she is- a product of sin. “With these[twigs, flowers, she decorated her hair, and her young waist, and became a nymph-child, or an infant dryad , or whatever else was in closest sympathy with the antique wood. In such guise had Pearl adorned herself, when she heard her mother’s voice, and came slowly back.” In the forest Pearl can be who she is, when suddenly her mother interrupts her. This may be a symbol representing Pearl’s willingness to embrace her physical embodiment of sin and her mother’s desire to abandon the very reminder of it by escaping Puritan society and “[undoing] the clasp that fastened the scarlet letter.” Given the fact that Hawthorne’s language demonstrates nature’s positive reaction to both Hester and Pearl, it is impossible to assume that nature is used to resemble Hawthorne’s feelings about Hester and Dimmesdale’s decision. Instead, we must assess Hawthorne’s language to get a better understanding of his stance on their decision. Furthermore, Hawthorne’s language suggests that Hester and Dimmesdale’s decision to leave Puritan society is just as “wild,” and “heathen,” as nature; this negative image seems to represent Hawthorne’s reproach of Hester and Dimmesdale’s choice. After Dimmesdale’s decision to accept Hester’s invitation to leave Puritan society behind, Hawthorne describes Dimmesdale’s emotional state as, “the exhilarating...
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...Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, The Scarlet Letter, centers around the story of an adulterous new mother named Hester Prynne and her struggles of living in the rigid Puritan society of Salem, Massachusetts, in the early 1600’s. Mostly the book is based off of the central biblical themes of sin, punishment, and forgiveness, however Hawthorne take it a step further by including numerous biblical allusions throughout the text. By both alluding to and specifically citing parts of the bible, the author is able to further emphasis those themes presented within, and make a stronger connection to bible itself. In the beginning of the narrative, Hawthorne alludes to the story of Cain in reference to Hester’s red letter “A”. On page 81, he claims that Hester’s “A” “with her native energy of character and rare capacity, could not entirely cast her off, although it had a set a mark upon her more intolerable to a woman's heart than that which branded the brow of Cain.” Cain was a biblical character in Genesis 4. As the story goes, both Cain and his brother Abel competed for God’s affection by presenting offerings to him. God was highly impressed by Abel’s offering but not so much Cain’s. Jealous of his brother, Cain decides to murder Abel and for that God punishes him gravely. Cain was...
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...Chapter 22, “The Procession” of The Scarlet Letter configures all the components into place to reveal the conclusion of the novel. The entire chapter is committed to the foreshadowing of events that expose the true relationship between Dimmesdale and Hester to the entire Puritan community. Therefore, Hawthorne makes great efforts to depict the atmosphere of the procession. To present the reader with a general comprehension of the era, Hawthorne sets the scene with a thorough analysis of monarchy power. He extensively describes how the of flaunt of strength from the monarchy overpowers almost everything. This exhibits his aversion to those who receive power without working for it. Hawthorne elaborates on how primitive statement were elected by power rather than qualities- “elevated to power by the early choice of the people, seem to...
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...with guilt and sins are human creations. Guilt, the result of shameful mistakes, is associated with infirmity, cowardice, and self-centeredness due to the fear of exposure. These three mesmerizing works, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Pie” by Gary Soto and, “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, address the theme of guilt and the consequences of concealing one’s guilt. The Scarlet Letter considered one of the most famous of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, is set in the1850s in Boston, Massachusetts. The plot revolves around a Puritan community and a woman named Hester. “The Pie”, written in Fresno, California in 1991, is an autobiographical narrative that illustrates Soto’s sin when he steals a pie from the grocery store and experiences the feeling of guilt along with a few other consequences. “The Crucible” was written in 1953 and exposes the truths about the Salem Witchcraft trials, in Massachusetts. Ultimately, through their respective protagonists’ acts of aggression and violations of boundaries, authors Hawthorne, Soto, and Miller illustrate that the guilt derived from sin itself, especially if concealed from society, can cause emotional and mental torture, leading to everlasting internal punishment, and an increase in remorseful feelings. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne depicts the consequences of concealing transgression through Hester by showing the internal punishment she faces and overcomes. Hawthorne opens this novel with a depiction of Hester’s punishment...
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...Forgiveness in The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne had intentionally given the reader the choice to decide whether or not Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale were forgiven by God in The Scarlet Letter. From Evidence collected from instances in the book, God has unmistakably pardoned the pair. The act of adultery, one of the most vile crimes to possibly commit of this period, was carried out by both Prynne and Dimmesdale. Resulting in harassment and maltreatment towards Hester. Also bringing about her daughter Pearl, a witty young girl. Considered sinners, the two went on without contact for years Eventually, Hester and Dimmesdale have been scorned in many ways for their past sin. The leading cause of much of this suffering is Roger Chillingworth, previous husband of Prynne “Violated in cold blood, the sanctity of the human heart.” Chillingworth had played himself into their lives and had become consumed by hatred. In conclusion, Sin has strengthened and humanized Prynne and Dimmesdale, whilst converting Chillingworth into a...
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...North American Literature 2014-2015. Individual Freedom restricted by Puritans. Analysis of Hester, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. [Nathaniel Hawthorne; The Scarlet Letter] ABSTRACT: The aim of this paper is to analyze how Nathaniel Hawthorne deals with the theme of freedom focusing on the major characters such as Hester, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. I argue that, there is a sign of individual freedom due to the fact that all the characters have the right to act in the way they do it but they will be always suppressed by the decisions of the Puritans. I also argue that, there is no collective freedom in terms of society because Puritanism restricts, punishes and judges individual actions. Key words: major characters, individual freedom, suppressed, no collective freedom. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, is constructed by the main themes of isolation and suffering. Moreover, sin and the Puritan law are narrowly connected, making the wish of freedom almost an impossible achievement. Over the course of the novel, Hester is the only one who truly manifests her right of individual freedom. However, she has been punished by the Puritan law, which considers her attitude as a threat to the Puritan community and its religion. Hester’s freedom starts since the moment she decides to carry her punishment in New England and not going back to England, where she could have lived a new life without feeling guilty. Furthermore, her self-determination...
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...Essay 1 Arthur Dimmesdale was a leader and pillar in the Boston community but he concealed a major sin from his congregation. Dimmesdale was the father of Pearl, meaning that he had an extramarital relationship with Hester Prynne. Hiding his affair from his church caused Dimmesdale massive amounts of guilt and internal suffering. He was emotionally tortured and driven to the verge of insanity to preserve his place in society. When Hester Prynne was publicly shamed in chapters one and two the entire town found out about her sin. Dimmesdale was extremely guilty that Hester went through the humiliation alone. He wanted Boston to know his part in the affair but also did not want his parish to reject his teachings. Reverend Dimmesdale was...
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...The Scarlet Letter Essay Not everyone agrees with someone’s actions. Sometimes people reject the public’s view of them by using mockery or other behaviors. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is viewed by the community as a horrible sinner since she committed adultery. The Puritans believe that when one commits a horrid crime they are to be punished publicly. Hester embroiders her scarlet letter (a mark she wears on her bosom to symbolize her sin) with gold thread before she is to present it to the townspeople. The exquisite decoration that Hester embroiders on the scarlet letter indicates her rejection of the community’s view of her sin. Puritans show public shame on a scaffold. Where the sinner stands to reveal in the towns square, where the town can view them and persecute them of their wrong. The gossips spread the news and rumors of the sinner and their actions. The gossips are the heart of the community’s view of others. One of the female spectators of Hester’s public prosecution exclaims that the decoration on the scarlet letter is a “laugh in the face of our godly magistrates”. Hester does not agree with the opinions of the townspeople and gossips. She feels that if she takes attention off herself and puts it on the scarlet letter, the letter will stand for her sin and not Hester herself. Taking the symbol of her sin off herself and making the letter hold the symbol of her sin, putting the focus on the letter. Hester is a beautiful women...
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