In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dimmesdale is introduced with a sympathetic tone. Hawthorne portrays Dimmesdale as a tormented man in order to get the audience to sympathize with him. By highlighting Dimmesdale’s “melancholy eyes” and overall timid nature, Hawthorne establishes the strange and internal fragility of the town’s revered minister (64). Since eyes are often a symbol of the soul, Hawthorne uses the description of Dimmesdale’s eyes in order to relate that it is,
Words: 547 - Pages: 3
The Scarlet Letter was a different book that I was used to reading. Even though the book was boring, I learned that no matter how long you try to hide the truth it will always come back to haunt you. 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 uses sunshine to represent both light and dark for Hester. At one time Hester suddenly takes her letter off, “All at
Words: 458 - Pages: 2
Prynne escaped from the chains of self deception when she chose to return to Boston, the birthplace of her ignominy. The gravity of Hester Prynne’s ignominy is a force unparalleled by any mundane powers at the disposal of the society that shames and shuns her. Rather, the public shame that Hester endures does not simply stain the cloth of her identity, but serves to shred her being and craft for her a new identity wrought from the very fibers of her shame. Hester’s return to Boston is sparked by
Words: 942 - Pages: 4
the novel, the letter “A” stands for adultery and is displayed on Hester’s breast. It is a visible reminder to Hester and the community of Boston that she is an adulteress. Hester refuses to let the “A” define her. She maintains her dignity and internal strength, never cracking under pressure from her peers. Because of this, the “A” comes to mean many things other than that of its original intent. People of the Boston community grow to ignore, if not accept, the scarlet letter. Hester uses her
Words: 1434 - Pages: 6
Throughout The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, readers are introduced to multiple characters in order to fully comprehend Hester Prynne’s peculiar situation. As Hester stands on the scaffold with her daughter in her arms, the public stares and judges her actions, considering her a sinner and transgressor. Through the use of rhetorical devices, readers are able to determine Hawthorne’s differing attitude towards each character and view Hester and Roger Chillingworth in a different light.
Words: 448 - Pages: 2
Shaming: to publicly humiliate or shame for being or doing something dishonorable or disrespectful. Historically shaming has been all about control and social norms. The society responds to misbehavior by publically shaming the person in order to each him a moral lesson and lead him to repentance. It is about imposing hardship on the offender that closely mirrors his wrongdoing. We can see through out history, cultures have resorted to publically criticizing, flaying, branding, egregious form of
Words: 384 - Pages: 2
In both the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Ted Talk by Monica Lewinsky, both authors highlight how the effects of humiliation by society towards an individual only have the desired negative impact for a short time. Even though the sin becomes part of the individual’s identity, the negative impacts of trying to reform the guilty wears off, and the character of the person is strengthened. However, the culture created by the genesis of humiliation is everlasting, and it creates a harmful
Words: 766 - Pages: 4
A Woman’s Example “The Scarlet Letter”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, illustrates the protagonist, Hester Prynne, being released from prison and then being shunned for committing adultery in the 1850s. She is forced to wear a scarlet A on all of her blouses so that the people of her town would be aware of the sin she has committed. Although this letter she is forced to wear is supposed to make her feel shame for what she has done, this character does not seem to express any sorrow for her actions and
Words: 1933 - Pages: 8
did, or completing a conquest for oneself? Well, the scaffold scenes are some of the most important scenes that occur in The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. These scenes provide insight as to how much of a significant factor the scaffold was in Puritan society. In puritan society, the scaffold was used as a symbol for one’s sin. In The Scarlet Letter, there are three different scenes that occur at the scaffold at different times during the book. All of the book's main characters are
Words: 813 - Pages: 4
novel prove that she is a strong female character in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester Prynne is also viewed as a hero by some people in parts of the novel. A point one could argue is whether The Scarlet Letter is a feminist novel or not; although the novel is supportive and negative to both men and women, it is often considered to be a feminist novel. Despite Hester’s heroic actions throughout the novel, The Scarlet Letter is not a feminist novel because during Puritan times, punishment
Words: 877 - Pages: 4
