Bryce Hernandez March 16‚ 2013 Ms. Leonard English 11 Redeeming the Sins of the Scarlet Letter Sin is as much a part of life as anything else‚ and most are not simply forgiven over time for their sins. They must redeem themselves‚ through actions and words‚ for their sins. Sin and redemption is not only a theme of life‚ it is also a major theme in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter takes place in New England‚ during the Puritan Era. The novel takes place around a sin
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Dimmesdale’s Arguments: 1. In chapter 8‚ Dimmesdale‚ Mr. Wilson‚ and Governor Bellingham are visited by Hester and Pearl at the Governor’s mansion. When pearl is asked “who made thee?”‚ she responds that she was not made‚ but rather "plucked . . . off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison door.". This causes the governor and Mr. Wilson to immediately become horrified and ready to take Pearl from Hester’s custody. As Pearl protests her God given right for Pearls custody‚ she pleads that
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Hawthorne ’s The Scarlet Letter‚ there are two characters that have many sinister or evil qualities‚ but if one looks closer‚ he or she can see that one character is far more evil than the other. “To make himself the one trusted friend‚ to whom should be confided all the fear‚ the remorse‚ the agony‚ the ineffectual repentance‚ the backward rush of sinful thoughts‚ expelled in vain!” (Hawthorne 107). Dimmesdale may be a cowardly adulterer‚ but Chillingworth is a two-faced‚ evil‚ liar. Actions Dimmesdale
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In The Scarlet Letter‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne displays many examples of love and hatred throughout the story. Though Hawthorne shows that love and hatred both have the potential to harm‚ hatred has a greater tendency to cause pain. This is clearly seen in Hester’s love for Pearl and Chillingworth’s hatred for Dimmesdale. Pearl is not the easiest child to love‚ but the attributes Hester has attained over the years have allowed her to show motherly love regardless. One aspect of Hester’s love is her
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mistakes. So‚ no one person can rightfully point their finger in judgement‚ when he too has fallen short of perfection. In The Scarlet Letter‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne contrasts between outward appearance and inner secrets using elaborate symbolism‚ distinct irony‚ and theatrical dialogue to develop his argument that hypocrisy is eminent in all societies. The Scarlet Letter portrays the townspeople as a fierce and judgmental group symbolizing the hypocritical characteristics in the members of a society
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One of the most complex and elaborate characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl‚ the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Pearl‚ throughout the story‚ develops into a dynamic individual‚ as well as an extremely important symbol. Pearl is shunned because of her mother’s sin. Pearl is a living representation of the scarlet letter - acting as a constant reminder of Hester’s sin. Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the infant; "...whose
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The puritan era was a time of strife for many early American settlers. They felt the world was at war between the forces of good and the forces of evil. This contention was made evident in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter as the author combines the physical‚ moral and mental state of Roger Chillingworth to highlight the theme of revenge and the evil obsession that takes over Chillingworth’s soul. Hawthorne’s use of figurative language connects Chillingworth’s misshapen form with
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Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter “He that falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it‚ is a saint; that boasteth of it‚ is a devil” (Thomas Fuller). In modern times‚ society doesn’t sentence a man to jail time for committing the crime of adultery. We have grown to accept adultery more in our society today than people did in the 17th century. Back then‚ committing the sin of adultery was as bad as murder‚ and an adulterer could be sentenced to death. Luckily for Hester Prynn in The Scarlet Letter‚ she is
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Kristin Moseley Professor Hooks English 101 20 July 2009 The Scarlet Letter: Literary Criticism Published in 1850‚ The Scarlet Letter is considered Nathaniel Hawthorne ’s most famous work‚ and the first quintessentially American novel in style‚ theme‚ and language. Set in seventeenth-century Puritan Massachusetts‚ the novel centers around the travails of Hester Prynne‚ who gives birth to daughter Pearl after an adulterous affair. Hawthorne ’s novel concerns the consequences of the affair
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8-18-13 AP English The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is a story that characters have to live and deal with the effects of sin in different ways. Of all the characters in the book‚ the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the character represented as the most weak. He is a much stronger guy than he is given credit for. The amount of control he has over handling and dealing with burdens is out of this world. The first time we see Dimmesdale‚ he is represented as a very nervous and sensitive
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