vow of his will be in the rest of the novel? 7. In what way‚ according to the Reverend Dimmesdale. can Hester help her unknown lover atone for his sin? 8. How does the Reverend Wilson interpret the baby’s response to Dimmesdale’s entreaty? What significance do you think the baby’s response may have? 9. The Reverend Dimmesdale awaited the result of his appeal to Hester to reveal her lover’s name leaning over the balcony‚ with his hand over his heart On hearing her refusal
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without punishment. The type of punishment they would use the most was that of public humiliation and to be taunted by the community around the one who committed the crime or sin. In Hester Prynne’s case‚ her crime was adultery‚ which was most commonly punishable by death. Instead of death‚ the community branded Hester Prynne with a letter "A" for the rest of her life and made her stand in front of the whole community as an example for everyone that sin and corruption was not accepted in their society
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of the astounding life of Hester Prynne and her shameful yet intellectual experiences with the scarlet letter resting on her bosom. In the midst of her time bearing the scarlet letter however‚ Hester begins to feel a throb on her bosom whenever a certain person walks past her. This develops into a peculiar sixth sense; the scarlet letter detects the guilt of a person walking by and relays the information to Hester. This sense of shared guilt provides a bond between Hester and the sinners of her community
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human standards‚ set by this time period‚ religion‚ people‚ and the hypocrisy of how some lived their lives’. Hester Prynne‚ who is the main character in the book The Scarlet letter‚ is a perfect and great example‚ on how someone should have acted in this puritan community to be considered a good person‚ or better known as‚ a natural man. In the book‚ Hester gives birth to a child named Pearl‚ who is fathered by another man‚ not her husband. In the Puritan community this is a sin and
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else. Hawthorne has a perfect atmosphere for the symbols in The Scarlet Letter because the Puritans saw the world through allegory. The Puritan community sees Hester as a fallen woman‚ Dimmesdale as a saint‚ and would have seen the disguised Chillingworth as a victim — a husband betrayed. Instead‚ Hawthorne ultimately presents Hester as a woman who represents a sensitive human being with a heart and emotions; Dimmesdale as a minister who is not very saint-like in private but‚ instead‚ morally
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be punishable by death. Hester is spared by the Puritans because they believe that she will serve as a living sermon of sin. Hester must wear a scarlet letter on her chest for the entirety of her life to make up for her punishment. These events convey how the overall theme of the book stands as the punishment of sin and overcoming the pressure brought about by the Puritanical community. Hawthorne uses both actions taken by the people of Boston which include shunning Hester‚ and using her taking her
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Professor Gao English 430 Spring 2012 “Scarlet Letter” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter is a story full of themes of guilt‚ pride‚ hypocrisy‚ retribution‚ and isolation. Taking place during the seventeenth century‚ the story of Hester Prynne and her famed scarlet letter depicts a story of unconceivable proportions. Guilt‚ Sin and Judgment Perhaps the foremost purpose of The Scarlet Letter is to illustrate the difference between shaming someone in public and allowing him or her to
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of symbol than the others because it is known to everyone that the scarlet letter is a symbol. It is the symbol of indignity and dishonor that the townspeople have brought upon Hester Prynne. Initially this elaborately decorated piece is meant to symbolize "adulterer." Soon‚ however‚ the meaning of the scarlet letter changes as does its significance and implication. In the beginning it is even tough for her to live with it. As told when she goes to visit Governor Bellingham and she sees herself in
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the inner truth. In the beginning‚ Hester seems to be a passionate woman‚ and then turns into this sinful reflection of Puritan belief. Ironically‚ the man she commits adultery with is Reverend Dimmesdale‚ who is a reflection of the evil that has taken over Chillingworth. Lastly‚ the embodiment of the sin‚ Pearl‚ is a mirror image of Hester’s punishment. Mirror imagery helps characters recognize the real complexion that lie within. The main character‚ Hester Prynne becomes a reflection of the ideas
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The Scarlet Letter & A Model of Christian Charity Beneath the Surface Nathaniel Hawthorne lived during an extraordinarily turbulent time in American history. Our young nation was barely into its second generation of independence from England. Emotionally volatile issues revolving around religion‚ slavery‚ and liberty abounded. During American ’s antebellum period‚ citizens struggled to define themselves in a rapidly changing world. Questions concerning religious doctrines‚ the morality of slavery
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