Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Motif: Words and names for the Scarlet Letter
Chapter 1:
Chapter 2: 1. “‘But she—the naughty baggage—little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown!’” (49)
CM: Like many Puritan women in Boston, this woman illustrates the hate they all have for Hester Prynne, by declaring that Hester is unmoved by her sin.
2. “‘Ah, but,” interposed, more softly, a young wife, holding a child by the hand, "let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart.’” (49)
CM: This woman, who is holding a child, does not speak of Hester harshly, but by bringing her child, she portrays that she wants her child to envision Hester as second class, too.
3. “‘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 as well as the most pitiless of these self-constituted judges. “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die.’” (49)
CM: When the narrator depicts that the “ugliest as well as the most pitiless” of these women desires for Hester to die, he argues that jealousy is a common trait for all women; he makes a connection that the ugliest woman wishes the worst for Hester, because she is jealous.
4. “When the young woman—the mother of this child—stood fully revealed before the crowd, it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom; not so much by an impulse of motherly affection, as that she might thereby conceal a certain token, which was wrought or fastened into her dress.” (50)
CM: People attempt to conceal their mistakes, so they never become embarrassed; Hester yearns to disguise her bosom, to avoid being looked down upon in disgust.
5. “On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter “A.”” (50)
CM: The letter “A” that contained “elaborate embroidery and
Motif: Words and names for the Scarlet Letter
Chapter 1:
Chapter 2: 1. “‘But she—the naughty baggage—little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown!’” (49)
CM: Like many Puritan women in Boston, this woman illustrates the hate they all have for Hester Prynne, by declaring that Hester is unmoved by her sin.
2. “‘Ah, but,” interposed, more softly, a young wife, holding a child by the hand, "let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart.’” (49)
CM: This woman, who is holding a child, does not speak of Hester harshly, but by bringing her child, she portrays that she wants her child to envision Hester as second class, too.
3. “‘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 as well as the most pitiless of these self-constituted judges. “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die.’” (49)
CM: When the narrator depicts that the “ugliest as well as the most pitiless” of these women desires for Hester to die, he argues that jealousy is a common trait for all women; he makes a connection that the ugliest woman wishes the worst for Hester, because she is jealous.
4. “When the young woman—the mother of this child—stood fully revealed before the crowd, it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom; not so much by an impulse of motherly affection, as that she might thereby conceal a certain token, which was wrought or fastened into her dress.” (50)
CM: People attempt to conceal their mistakes, so they never become embarrassed; Hester yearns to disguise her bosom, to avoid being looked down upon in disgust.
5. “On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter “A.”” (50)
CM: The letter “A” that contained “elaborate embroidery and