In The Scarlet Letter‚ the author‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ uses many symbols throughout the novel. The most obvious and well known symbol‚ is the scarlet letter Hester is forced to wear. The infamous scarlet letter can be considered the most important and influential symbol. The symbolism behind the scarlet letter changes throughout this novel. Initially‚ the letter A was intended to mark Hester as an adulterer. During the first years of her punishment‚ the letter was a daily reminder of shame and her
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Major Themes Individual vs. Society The Scarlet Letter is a novel that describes the psychological anguish of two principle characters‚ Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimondale. They are both suffering under‚ while attempting to come to terms with‚ their mutual sin of adultery in a strict Puritan society. As critics immediately recognized upon publication of the novel in 1850‚ one of its principal themes involved conflict between the individual and society. Hawthorne represents the stern and threatening
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Robyn Walz 9/01/2013 Prompt 2 Sexist Punishments? : Protofeminism in The Scarlet Letter In the eyes of some‚ The Scarlet Letter may seem like a protofeminist novel. In the eyes of some‚ had Hester been a man‚ her punishment would not have been nearly as embarrassing and deceitful. In the eyes of some‚ Hester did nothing but the right thing based on her trying to protect other women from gender-based prosecution‚ though it meant completely disregarding Puritan laws in her society. Then again‚
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Strengths as a Feminist Protagonist in The Scarlet Letter Feminism is the philosophy advocating equal political‚ economic‚ and social rights for women. The idea of feminism was not at all prevalent during the 1850s when Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter was published. In spite of this‚ Hawthorne wrote one of the most influential feminist novels of his time: The Scarlet Letter. This novel was hailed as an important feminist novel because of the main character: Hester Prynne. Hester Prynne is the
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A Scarlet RomanceIt is the year 1644‚ Boston Massachusetts‚ and the stage is set for one of the most famous romance novels of our time. The Scarlet Letter‚ by Nathaniel Hawthorne set a genre standard for American Romanticism‚ with an intrinsic love of nature‚ sense of freedom of imagination and emotion‚ and the low regard Hawthorne holds for organized religion and all that it entails. In his novel‚ Hawthorne builds on the standards of romanticism‚ as the trend away from Puritanism and religious Oligarchy
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punishments for the sins we commit. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ the main character Hester Prynne receives a scarlet letter for the sin that she committed. The scarlet letter A is a major piece of symbolism‚ it affects different characters in different ways‚ and changes greatly throughout the novel. The letter "A" is very symbolic throughout the entire novel. After committing adultery the main character‚ Hester Prynne‚ was given a scarlet letter "A". As Nathaniel Hawthorne says in chapter
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in The Scarlet Letter Human nature‚ while impressively complex‚ also has various poor qualities. Often these imperfections result in conflicts which are in turn depicted in works of literature. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ set in an old Puritan community‚ is centered on several conflicts of human nature that result from the adultery and punishment of Hester Prynne. There are three major conflicts each for which Hawthorne created a specific main character to illustrate: Pearl‚ Hester’s
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The Scarlet Letter Essay Topics Below I have given you several essay topics on The Scarlet Letter. Choose one and compose an essay in response to the questions it raises. The essay should be 3-5 pages in length‚ should be carefully proofread‚ and should follow the guidelines defined by MLA. Due Tuesday‚ September 27‚ 2011‚ at the beginning of class. 1. Explain how The Scarlet Letter may be read as a “psychological novel.” You may want to focus on the psychological nature of one or two
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Read the following passage from Nathaniel Hawthorn’s The Scarlet Letter. In a well-organized response‚ analyze how the author’s use of language influences both mood and tone. The scene was not without a mixture of awe‚ such as must always invest the spectacle of guilt and shame in a fellow-creature‚ before society shall have grown corrupt enough to smile‚ instead of shuddering‚ at it. The witnesses of Hester Prynne’s disgrace had not yet passed beyond their simplicity. They were stern enough to
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The Evolution of the Scarlet Letter At what point in time can one truly forgive themselves for a sin they have committed? A week? A month? A year? And what about peers? When do they start forgiving for a sin? Throughout The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ Hester Prynne learns answers to such questions after it is learned she in an adulteress. Hester’s scarlet letter serves as a reminder to herself and her peers of the sins she has committed‚ and there is a true evolution from the beginning
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