In the Scarlet Letter‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne’s experiences and ability to persevere as well as the portrayal of the men in the story to convey feminist ideas and the strength of women throughout the book. The definition of feminism being that women and men are equal and therefore should be treated and looked upon with equality. In the scarlet letter Hawthorn shows how women can be strong and independent despite the fixated ideas that society is accustomed to. These ideas being that
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What is in a name? A name defines an individual and some of their aspects. Through the names of his characters‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne already begins to define their personage and their role within the Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne‚ the main character of the novel‚ leads a life filled with ordeals‚ but her name hold different meaning. The first part of her name‚ he‚ is mainly referred to as the pronoun for the male sex but it can also mean people in general such in the statement: as he should
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commit adultery. It is one of the simplest rules of the Ten Commandments. Love and be loved by only one man or one woman. If one breaks this commandment‚ they are condemned a sinner. Hester Prynne in “The Scarlet Letter” commits such a sin‚ and in her doing‚ is punished harshly by the community. But when taking into account the situation‚ is her punishment just? Could Hester’s punishment be considered too severe‚ or are the perceptions of society on adultery too flexible? The 1600’s was a time in
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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 look up her death‚ had that been the sentence
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In 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
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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‚ in the eyes of some‚ Hester deserved
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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter the story takes place in Puritanical America where the young Hester Prynne‚ after committing adultery is punished on the basis of what the town thinks is right. She is simultaneously a part of the town and is also pushed away from it. Hawthorne explores the theme of liminality between society and nature through the motif of setting to convey the isolation that comes with sin. The scaffold (where Hester stands to face her consequences)‚ Hester and Pearl’s cottage
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my bosom yet!" "Nor ever will‚ my child‚ I hope‚" said Hester. "And why not‚ mother?" asked Pearl‚ stopping short. . . . "Will it not come of its own accord‚ when I am a woman grown?" (Pg 141) What theme regarding human nature does Pearl portray through this conversion with her mother? Pearl’s unique character often times has the ability of recognizing truths that no one else can. Impressively‚ she directly connects the scarlet letter on her mother’s bosom and the sun’s failure to shine on
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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 Dimmesdale speak for her. Dimmesdale uses religious
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The Scarlet Letter—by Nathaniel Hawthorne Short Response Questions: Respond to the following questions in 100-150 words each. Limit your answers‚ but do use text support where necessary. You may type on this document‚ save it as your own‚ and upload it with answers to turnitin.com. Use an appropriate MLA heading in the upper right. Do this by inserting a header. Use MLA parenthetical citation for all quotes. 1. Which character of The Scarlet Letter is innocent? In The Scarlet Letter‚ Pearl
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