Many of the major themes of The Scarlet Letter are introduced in the opening scene. Some of these themes were sin‚ nature’s kindness to the condemned and the dreary lifestyle of puritan society. The first chapter has little action but it sets up these major themes. The tone of the whole story was set in this chapter. The opening scene of The Scarlet Letter‚ many major themes were introduced. One of the major themes of The Scarket Letter was sin. Much of Puritan society was based on sin. The first
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actions. Hester Prynne is “a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale‚” a young and beautiful woman (Hawthorne 46). She brought a child into the world with an unknown father. She is punished by Puritan society by wearing the scarlet letter A on the bosom of her dress. The letter is decorated in gold thread; it is decorated in gold because it is a reflection of her spirit. Hester is a very strong woman; it is seen since the very start of this novel. She walks to the scaffold from the prison‚ she holds
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theme of identity to the audience. The scarlet letter is a defining moment in Hester’s life where she is faced with the dilemma of letting society decide her character or for her to determine her own. A significant moment in the book was when Hester decided not to leave Boston after being publicly humiliated and forced to wear the badge of shame. Hester was given the chance to leave Boston and lead a normal life somewhere else without wearing the scarlet letter‚ but she chose not to. Hester even
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Daniele Luetke AP English 12/20/12 Nature Essay The Role of Nature In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter‚ there are several chapters devoted to nature and its role in the novel. Every main character has some kind of an interaction with nature. In the beginning of the novel‚ Hawthorne relates a rosebush to the footsteps of Ann Hutchinson who‚ in the eyes of early Puritan society‚ was a criminal. However‚ nature knows she was innocent‚ so it responded to her with a pure rosebush. Whether
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A Feminist Perspective on the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is an important piece of literature which offers a notable contribution to all literature with it’s strong female main character and themes of misogyny‚ religious mania‚ and forgiveness. The summary by Mary Ellen Snodgrass in The Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature describes and summarizes this perspective. The excerpt speaks on Hester’s strong character and resistance against the patriarchal oppressive religious male stronghold
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Shelby Kane Dr. Mulholland College Literature February 21‚ 2012 Life Struggles in The Scarlet Letter and Frankenstein If you read a lot of classic literature‚ you can usually see multiple similarities in them. Whether the plots or themes are alike‚ they convey similar messages. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein‚ there are very similar life struggles that the characters go through. The main characters of each novel; Hester Prynne‚ Arthur Dimmesdale‚ Victor
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5 A Tale of Three Sinners In the classic novel‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ Hawthorne utilizes the extraordinary power of description and word choice to illustrate the tragically harsh lives and expectations of 19th century Puritans. The story begins with the ostracization of Ms. Hester Prynne‚ and quickly escalates toward a much deeper and darker focus: sin. Sin can be defined as the deliberate disobedience of Puritan morals and man-made law. To sin will always be bittersweet: the immediate effects
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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 Puritanism in Boston where a young and attractive Puritan woman commits adultery with the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. Chillingworth‚ Hesters’ husband‚ whom everyone thought was captured by Indians comes to town‚ but only Hester knows his true identity. Chillingworth vows to figure out
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“The motherchild relationship...requires the most intense love on the mother’s side‚” according to Erich Fromm‚ a German psychologist. The love that Hester expresses toward her daughter Pearl in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter‚ and the lessons that she teaches her are what makes Hester a great mother. In return‚ Pearl improves Hester’s public image with her beauty and keeps Hester’s emotions and actions in check. The way these two characters subconsciously complement each other forms a
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The Worst Sinner in The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter there are three main sinners presented to the reader. Hester Prynne‚ Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth are all written with their own forms of sin‚ and each has a unique coping mechanism for their sins and guilt. Sin‚ at this time‚ was a hugely important part of daily life‚ and punishment for one’s sins was universally seen as not only a positive thing‚ but a necessary action to keep the people of the colony pure. Both Hester
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