As I was debating topics to discuss in my Scarlet Letter paper‚ I stumbled across one more than intriguing concept: the modern “scarlet letter.” Though societal expectations have changed over time‚ the authority that we allow society to hold over us has remained constant. Today‚ social media has become what used to be a literal scarlet letter “A” as seen in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel. To me‚ this is an extremely interesting topic‚ as I also find myself succumbing to behavioral pressures that society
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"But this had been a sin of passion‚ not of principle‚ nor even purpose." Humans have strong‚ uncontrollable‚ and unstoppable feelings known as passion. Passion drives people to do things they never thought they were capable of. In some cases‚ these passions and desires are considered to be sinful‚ which result in consequences that last a lifetime. Is it a sin to give in to the desires and feelings we have as humans? In the scarlet letter‚ Hawthorne uses Pearl to symbolize the sin and passion that
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Topic 2 Throughout the novel‚ The Scarlett letter‚ the theme that “the punishment imposed on us by others may not be as destructive as the guilt we impose on ourselves” is shown a lot through some characters‚ especially Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. As the book goes along‚ we find out that Reverend Dimmesdale is Hester’s lover. Although the town people are not aware of this‚ the guilt he has inside him is much bigger than any punishment and so he begins to torture himself physically. As the story
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Pearls behavior in the Scarlet Letter is perceived as very peculiar for a child of her age. Though this is the case‚ Hawthorne writes Pearl’s character in this particular way. Pearl’s behavior plays an important role throughout the novel; her behavior is yet another consequence of Hester and Dimsdale’s sin. She is a consequence that is a living reminder‚ and not just so in her presence‚ but as well as her words and actions. In addition to the scarlet letter upon Hester’s bosom Pearl is also a
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A man without purpose is a man without life‚ which in this story is what happens to Roger Chillingworth. The townspeople were very judgmental people with very little compassion. Pearl is the “sin child” who is the daughter of Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. Hester is the wife of Chillingworth‚ who has a child while he is gone‚ and later she wants to leave with Dimmesdale to live somewhere else‚ because she loves him. Dimmesdale is the great minister of Salem‚ Massachusetts and has committed
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The Scarlet Letter: Evil of Isolation In the New Testament it states that "the wages of sin is death." Though the penalty of sin in The Scarlet Letter is not a termination of life‚ the evil of isolation can be a physically‚ morally‚ and socially tortuous event in Puritan society. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale‚ in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter‚ are both victims of the cruel isolation from Puritan society on the basis of their sins. Hester wears her sin upon her breast where it stands as
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Essay Test: The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne’s "The Scarlet Letter" is set in the early days of Puritan America. Hester Prynne‚ a seamstress‚ comes to the New World before her husband in order to prepare a place for them. During his absence‚ she develops a relationship with Arthur Dimmesdale‚ a rising minister in the newly founded Puritan community. Hester becomes pregnant. The novel is widely viewed to be a story about her trials and tribulations; however‚ critic Randall Steward argues
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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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One might say that symbols are the most important things in a story‚ and that they unlock the secrets of a novel. Hawthorne‚ in The Scarlet Letter‚ uses many symbols to represent different things. Some symbols represent the same thing. The letter "A" has many meanings‚ each character has their own meanings‚ and even the different parts of nature are symbols. Also‚ apart from providing structure for the novel‚ each scaffold scene conveys something different. One could say‚ arguably‚ that nearly everything
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American Transcendentalism began as a protest against the general state of culture and society during the 1700s‚ and in particular‚ the state of intellectualism. Among the core beliefs of American Transcendentalists was an ideal spiritual state that ’transcends ’ the physical and empirical and is only realized through the individual ’s intuition‚ rather than through the doctrines of established religions. Transcendentalism is also largely about exposing the hypocrisy in our society. Transcendentalism
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