Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a novel about the power of shame and redemption. Hester Prynne, the protagonist, is a woman who has committed adultery and must wear a scarlet letter “A” on her dress as punishment. Throughout the novel, she exhibits great strength and heroism in spite of her circumstances. Hester Prynne’s heroism … Read more
The Scarlet Letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The novel is about Hester Prynne, a woman who is shunned by her Puritan community after she has an affair and gives birth to a child out of wedlock. The novel follows Hester as she struggles to survive in her small town while raising her … Read more
In The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the great sins of three Puritans secretly tied together by their sins, living in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Hester Prynne begins by committing adultery with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale shares this sin with her, but he continues to sin as the next seven years pass. Roger … Read more
In The Scarlet Letter, there are many scenes that are important to the plot and help reveal the story’s theme of sin and its consequences. The story is presented differently than most novels, however, Hawthorne presents the story as an omniscient feeling towards all characters, rather than a chronological explanation in order to show a … Read more
Everyone is born with their own unique identity; these identities are largely influenced by the society and culture around them. Society shapes people to believe what is and what isn’t acceptable. All throughout history humans have battled with what they believe is their true identity, and what society believes their identity should be. A common … Read more
Throughout the year’s society’s have developed their own standard way of thinking creating traditional norms. Norms are conventional and are expected to be fulfilled by the individuals in that society. If a norm were to be violated, it would bring severe consequences to those individuals. In The Scarlet Letter and The Minister’s Black Veil by … Read more
Nathaniel Hawthorne chose such a controversial topic as adultery for The Scarlet Letter, his nineteenth century novel of “seventeenth century sexual repression and hypocrisy”, demonstrates a delicate yet changing climate with regard to infidelity. Historically, carrying on an adulterous affair back in such an era of Puritanism and traditional values was not taken lightly; in … Read more
Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne were close friends when they were both writing their famous novels. The two shared their ideas with each other through letters and meetings, one could imagine; however, this may not have been so perfect. It is likely that they agreed on each other’s ideas but also disagreed on some of … Read more
Moral values are the fundamental core of the human being, affecting nearly every aspect of life. Too often, parents of students attempt to shelter their children from being exposed to morals that contradict those of their family. Although the content of the book raised questions and concerns regarding ethical principles, The Scarlet Letter should not … Read more
In the Scarlet Letter two of the primary characters are provided by the author to show us a kind of foil. The one character, Reverend Dimmesdale, seems as if he is kind, but he has been living with a terrible burden, hindering him everywhere he goes. Chillingworth is his opposite, you would assume him to … Read more
Module Eight Lesson Four Mastery Assignment: The Scarlet Letter Chapters 13-19 a. What do many townspeople now say the A represents? The townspeople now believe the A stands for “able” rather than the real intention being “adulterer” b. Why does Hester feel she is to blame for Dimmesdale’s poor condition? Hester feels that she is … Read more
Pretending to be somebody else, by acting like them, in order to fit in or be popular is something that most people have done in their lives; however, this has always come back to bite them in the end. Similarly to how Dimmesdale did not show his true feelings and emotions in The Scarlet Letter … Read more
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel that was written over a series of months and published in March 1850. The book is based on the Puritan movement in the early 1600’s as immigration to the new found land of America was becoming popular. The protagonist of this work is Hester Prynn. Prynn … Read more
“Thou hast escaped me! ”-Chillingworth says. Throughout the course of the Scarlet Letter many of the characters suffer personal struggle and make choices that affect the lives of others. All characters experience this but one such character is Roger Chillingworth or Mr. Prynne, as he is also known. The choices and character changes of Roger … Read more
After reading the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne I came to believe that Adultery is a terrible thing and can have very bad repercussions, especially in the early to mid 1700s. Back then committing adultery was a very serious offense to not the just the community but to your family also. Adultery used to destroy … Read more
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the five main characters were faced with the immense challenge of forgiving the people who had committed wrongs against them. Whether those indiscretions be the sin of adultery or the act of revenge, each were equally as hard to forgive. Hester’s challenge was to forgive the townspeople. Reverend … Read more
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes Puritan ideology to convey a philosophical reflection on sin and redemption. Adulteress Hester Prynne must wear a scarlet A to mark her shame, and while her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, remains unidentified and is wracked with guilt, her husband, Roger Chillingworth, seeks revenge. Although all three characters contemplate redemption, … Read more
Sin creates a feeling of shame and anguish that is not incited by the sin itself, but from the scorn of others, and thus, it imbues secrecy within the host. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is endowed with the proclivity to unveil the truth that shrouds the sinners of the Puritan society, especially … Read more
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, the forest means different things to different people. To the honorable and respectable members of Puritan , the forest is an evil and frightening place where witches lurk and the devil resides. To Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, two people unable to speak their minds in Puritan community, the forest … Read more
The Scarlet Letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This essay discusses how Hester is a victim of her social pressure. She was punished for something she did to achieve her dream of having someone that loves her. Hester committed adultery with minister Dimmesdale and had a child with him, Pearl. Her punishment was … Read more
35. The scarlet letter has not done its office because it was meant to eventually get Hester to reveal the identity of her accomplice by consuming Hester with guilt and making her weak however, the scarlet “A” had quite the opposite effect. a. Verb Tense b. The scarlet letter “has not done its office” because … Read more
“Original sin”: is the Puritan belief that all sin developed from women due to the fact that Eve, the first woman, made the first sin by giving in to temptation and offering it to men. This sin made the belief that all children created are a sinner and should take responsibility for the act of … Read more
In The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne presents three main characters that commit evil and sinful acts, where each act is at a different degree of sinfulness. These three sinners (in the eyes of the Puritan community) are: the beautiful Hester Prynne, the esteemed Reverend Dimmesdale, and the cold-hearted doctor Roger Chillingworth. Hawthorn believes that evil … Read more
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a story of sin, guilt and salvation, centered in the purely Puritan community of Massachusetts in the seventeenth century. Within this community, we found all the central features of the town, the most symbolic of these is the scaffold; many souls are condemned upon it and are subjected to … Read more
A symbol is an object used to stand for something else. Symbolism has a hidden meaning lying within it; these meanings unite to form a more detailed theme. Symbolism is widely used in The Scarlet Letter to help the reader better understand the deep meanings Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays throughout his novel. He shows that sin, … Read more
If human beings are evil, then they can easily appoint themselves as judges, and from their point of view, the decisions they make are moral. These judges try to make themselves look better, by lowering the criminal below their level. These moral judges also try to play God, by selecting, and if they have enough … Read more
Puritans are well known for their morality in discipline, religious intolerance, and harsh punishments for those defying their beliefs. These Puritan influences had a great impact on early American literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne provides an illustrated look into the Puritans and their community in his classic The Scarlet Letter. Through Hawthorne’s use of tone, allusions with … Read more
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is generally considered to be the first American symbolic novel. A symbol is something which is used to represent something broader in meaning. The most obvious symbol in the novel is the actual scarlet “A” which both the criticism and I agree upon. This “A” is the literal symbol … Read more
The Scarlet Letter is a book of much symbolism. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic symbol – one that is always changing. In the following essay, I will explore some of the symbolism which Pearl … Read more
Arthur Dimmesdale’s all consuming guilt over his role in Hester’s plight affected every facet of his life and his relationship with his congregation as a clergyman. As we take a trip into Dimmesdale’s inner passions, fears and anxiety, we will discover the honesty of revealing secrets that have been locked away. In order to depict … Read more
Hester Prynne, a member of a once affluent and prosperous family, was arranged to marry a physician by the name of Roger Chillingworth. Although not out of love, they are married and live successful lives in Amsterdam. When they eventually decide to settle in America, Hester is set on ahead of Roger so that he … Read more
Pearl could, or could not be a believable character in The Scarlet Letter depending on how the reader interprets Pearls’ actions and speech. I plan to prove that Pearl could be believable, and that she could net be believable. Throughout the book Pearl either says or does things that are not typical of a girl … Read more
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes imagery to convey that Dimmesdale can represent Puritan Society rather than the round character that can be seen on the surface level. This is seen through the imagery and symbolism of hypocrisy, Dimmesdale as a Christ figure, and the scarlet letter. First of all, Hawthorne parallels the hypocrisy … Read more
The Scarlet Letter is a story of characters that have to live and deal with the effects of sin in different ways. Of these characters, the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the character portrayed as the most weak and unnoble. Despite this portrayal Dimmesdale was a stronger character than given credit for. His unbelievable amount of … Read more
The Scarlet Letter is a novel with much symbolism. Throughout the novel several characters represent other ideas. One of the most complex and misunderstood characters in the novel is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic symbol – one that is always changing. Although Pearl changes, she always … Read more
The Affects of Sin on the Individual in The Scarlet Letter In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is a reoccurring theme of the affects of sin on man. The three main characters, Hester Pryne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingsworth, are all affected by the sin of Hester Pryne and Arthur Dimmesdale. … Read more
The Scarlet Letter is a movie that has changed many times and in this summary I will try to stick to this one movie, even though I may compare it to the novel. As you already know, The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne dealing with the times of the Salem witch trials and … Read more
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the heroine is admired becuase of her strong will, and disregard for other’s views of her. Hester Pryne displays her best qualities when she stands up to Governor Bellingham and his gang, when they confront her about her daughter Pearl. Hester is a woman that is well ahead … Read more
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid Puritan society in which one is unable to divulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how he or she truly feels, otherwise the emotions are bottled up until they become volatile. Unfortunately, Puritan society … Read more
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 … Read more
A great deal of blood has been shed and many wars have been fought during the history of civilization; however, mans greatest battle and most formidable enemy is only himself. This has been made only more evident with the passage of time and the development of the human character. However, one factor that has remained … Read more
Free Essay on Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter – Plant Imagery Scarlet Letter essays The Scarlet Letter: Plant Imagery Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses plant imagery to symbolize both the negative and positive character traits and to set the mood of the novel. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place during the age of … Read more
The scarlet Letter and the puritans 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 … Read more
Chapter 1 A prison door is surrounded by a group of Puritan settlers. They are dressed in dark, simple clothing, and wear serious expressions. Just to the side of the door is a single wild rose bush, covered with flowers because it is June, rose season: “[O]n one side of the portal, and rooted almost … Read more
