Scarlet Letter Essay - 2061 Words

Question # 1 | Textual References/Observations | Reactions and Reflections (Commentary on the textual references) | Reference the word â€Å"ignominy† in Ch. 2, Ch. 3, and Ch. 7. Comment on why Hawthorne repeatedly uses the word, in terms of purpose. | â€Å"Those who had before known her, and had expected to behold her dimmed and obscured by a disastrous cloud, were astonished, and even startled, to perceive how her beauty shone out, and made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy in which she was enveloped.† â€Å"†¦the human head is its tight grasp, and thus holding it up to the public gaze. The very ideal of ignominy was embodied and made manifest in this contrivance of wood and iron.† | Hawthorne uses the word ignominy so much because the town†¦show more content†¦Another device that may be used is the characterization of Hester that develops throughout the second chapter. At first when reading we see Hester based on her reputation†¦as a whore. But by the end of the chapter we see Hester as a woman accepting her wrongs and honoring them as components of who she is. | | Citations- (Pgs 49, 56 Chp. 2) | | Question # 4 | Textual References/Observations | Reactions and Reflections (Commentary on the textual references) | In Ch.8, Hester’s speech about why Pearl should remain in her care includes a metaphor. Identify the metaphor and describe how its meaning reveals insight into Hester’s character. | â€Å"†¦this badge hath taught me-it daily teaches me-it is teaching me at this moment-lessons whereof my child may be the wiser and better, albeit they can profit nothing to myself.† â€Å"I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this!† â€Å"God gave me this child!†Ã¢â‚¬Å"He gave her in requital of all things else, which he had taken from me. She is my happiness!-she is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin? Ye shall not take her! I will die first!† | Hes ter compares herself to the letter to help her keep her daughter. She use it to say how if she keeps her she can teachShow MoreRelatedThe Scarlet Letter1659 Words   |  7 PagesThe Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is a well known novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The novel is composed and written in Salem and Concord, as well as Boston, Massachusetts in the late 1840s. The narrator of the novel is in an omniscent state, meaning he knows more about the characters than the characters know about themselves. Although the narrartor is omniscent, he also makes sure to include his ideas and opinions on situations, making him also greatly subjective. Being subjectiveRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter1456 Words   |  6 Pagesa Christ figure in The Scarlet Letter. She displays self-sacrifice, saintlike features, and exemplifies some biblical teachings throughout the book. The first, which is self-sacrifice, is shown when Hester is standing on the scaffold in front of the whole town and will not uncover the other participant in the adultery. Reverend Wilson questions her of this man that helped commit this crime, â€Å"Speak out thy name! That, and thy repentance, may ava il to take the scarlet letter off thy breast† (60), withRead More The Scarlet Letter801 Words   |  4 PagesThe aspect of Nature in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter seems to have been characterized to readers with a mixed blessing. In other words, Nature shows its power to both heal as well as harm various characters throughout the text. The Scarlet Letter highlights Natures complexity by showing that the Puritan idea of Nature as an entirely evil force is a naive misconception. The text reveals the beneficial attributes of Nature that the Puritans overlook or fear. Conversely, the text showsRead MoreScarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter Has Five Scenes And1290 Words   |  6 PagesScarlet Letter The scarlet letter has five scenes and without them the story would not make any sense. All of the scenes either shed light on Hester situation in the puritan colony, they tell about the malice in Chillingworth s heart, or the sorrow and forgiveness of Dimmesdale. The first scene with Hester s punishment. The second scene is about Chillingworth s plan that finally turns his heart to stone. The third scene when the reader learns about the connections Hester, Dimmesdale, and ChillingworthRead MoreSymbols In The Scarlet Letter1023 Words   |  5 PagesKaci Peeler Ms. Ortiz, Period 4 English Language and Composition AP 06 June 2017 The Scarlet Letter Analysis In the book, â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many symbols can be found. Hawthorne uses symbols such as the scarlet letter itself, which could represent things like determination, hard work, and a punishment. Another symbol he uses is the forest and the wilderness, which represents Hester and Pearl’s freedom from society as they explore the forest. The last symbol that seemedRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1436 Words   |  6 PagesThe Scarlet Letter Journal 1 I empathize most with Reverend Dimmesdale. He had to live with the secret of his sin for many years. He also was a reverend and had to preach about sins every Sunday and so was reminded constantly of what he did. In fact he felt so guilty about receiving no punishment while Hester was cursed with the letter that he â€Å"inflicted a hideous torture on himself† by carving the letter A into his own chest (Hawthorne 176). He has also had to endure much from Roger ChillingsworthRead MoreSymbolism Of The Scarlet Letter753 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter: Symbolism of the Scarlet ‘A’ Symbolism has many different meanings, and the Scarlet ‘A’ in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† has many different meanings as well. Hester Prynne is the main character who is forced to wear the scarlet letter as remembrance for the crime and the sin that she has committed. This letter completely ruined her reputation in her community. How could a small piece of fabric do so much harm? This letter was a representation of something much greater than the letter ‘A’Read MoreEssay on Scarlet Letter618 Words   |  3 PagesScarlet Letter The Puritan Beliefs As Told Through The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne was not a Puritan. But Hawthrone’s forefathers were Puritans, so he had an understanding of their belief system and their basis behind it. He stated that he hoped the sins of his forefathers had been forgiven. Hoping to expose those ideas which he understood, yet despised, Hawthorne purposely presented many important Puritan beliefs as import aspects to the Scarlet Letter. In the Scarlet Letter, HawthorneRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 935 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter is about a woman, Hester Prynne, who has had an affair with a man who she would not name. During the affair Hester became pregnant, so the affair became known to the town. She had the child but would still not reveal who the father was she was then forced to wear a red A representing adulterer on her chest for the rest of her life. The movie Easy A is about Olive Pendergast is an average high school student who is not one of the super-popular girls, but not a loser eitherRead MoreThe Gender Of The Scarlet Letter888 Words   |  4 PagesThe Gender Spheres in Puritan Society and Their Importance in the Scarlet Letter Throughout the history of the last few centuries, an ongoing conflict in society has been the roles of the public and private spheres. The first of these has been mainly represented by men, taking on the positions of power and dominance, working outside of the home. The latter however was primarily controlled by their female counterparts; their positions as wives and mothers being all that mattered. In the private sphere