Often‚ two people can commit the same sin‚ but deal with it differently. Guilt can be dealt with in two ways: publicly or privately. In The Scarlet Letter‚ by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale both commit adultery‚ and both Hester and Dimmesdale deal with guilt from the sin they committed in completely different ways. Hawthorne writes about dealing with guilt publicly and privately to show the emotional and sometimes physical toll of guilt based on how people choose to deal
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the forbidden acts of drunkenness‚ blasphemy‚ and adultery. In The Scarlet Letter‚ the church enacts harsh sentences of incarceration and public shaming in order to discipline the presumed sinners. Even though these punishments seek to inflict harm and cause suffering to their victims‚ Hawthorne uses their cruelty to elicit the truth. Presenting a major symbol of Puritan punishment‚ Hawthorne employs the harshness of the scarlet letter to allow Hester to discover her own strength and beauty. Under
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~ The Scarlet Letter ~ Psychological Analysis "I experienced a sensation...of burning heat; and as if the letter sere not of red cloth‚ but red-hot iron." These words in the introduction to The Scarlet Letter describe the letter as an object that contains power. The power left in the little red piece of cloth represents all the emotional toil that was associated with it - guilt‚ pain‚ betrayal‚ and vengeance. Throughout the novel the letter will stir all these emotions‚ creating an intense psychological
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one thing in their life to still be there when they get out of jail. It also says that the scarlet colored rose is used “to symbolize a sweet moral blossom.” This is a little ironic because of the robe the Hester is forced to wear. Hester‚ an adulteress is considered to have no morals and is shamed into wearing this scarlet letter. The scarlet flower is supposed to be a symbol of morals and scarlet-letter-bearing Hester is thought of as the opposite of morals. Yet another way to look at the flowers
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The Scarlet Letter: Prohibit or Protect? In this day and age‚ just about any opinion‚ show‚ book‚ or movie can be seen as offensive and unnecessary by different groups of people. All around the nation‚ classic novels are being banned from public schools and libraries due to their contentious and possibly harmful language and content. Among these is a timeless and beloved book‚ The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Since the publishing of this title in 1850‚ many teachers‚ parents‚ and community
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in the time period the novel was written. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ Puritan hypocrisy is a theme that prominently seen throughout the novel through actions and beliefs of the Puritan community. One of the best examples of Puritan hypocrisy occurs in the very last line of the novel‚ the message engraved into Hester and Dimmesdale’s gravestone‚ “On a field‚ sable‚ the letter A‚ gules‚” (Hawthorne 203). On a black field‚ the letter “A” is boldly red. The irony is in the fact that
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The Power of Romance Versus Society Hester Prynne‚ the main character in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter‚ is very similar to Edna Pontellier of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening‚ in that both women contradicted the societal standard and followed their hearts as opposed to the rigid marital structure of their respective times in history. Edna and Hester chose to be with men whom they really cared for. At times when marriage seemed to be based more on a convenient loyalty rather than a genuine bond‚ these
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cultures at different eras within American history‚ a common theme can be established when comparing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald with The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Both novels‚ for example‚ examine the dichotomy between reality and appearance as well as the conflict between individual and social values. In The Scarlet Letter‚ Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale love each other. This love holds great personal value for them. However‚ because their relationship is adulterous
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The Scarlet Letter: Symbolism in the Forest "The path strangled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest"(179). This sentence displays just one of the multiple personalities that the forest symbolizes in The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorn. As seen in the epic story Wizard of OZ‚ the forest represents a place of evil and delight‚ but in the Scarlet Letter the forest symbolizes much more then that. Each character brings out a different side of the forest‚ however the forest
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In Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter‚ Pearl serves many roles as a character. In the harsh Puritan society she lived in with her mother Hester‚ she provides some comical relief into their difficult lives. Hester was condemned her whole life from committing adultery. Her letter was not the only punishment she faced‚ but the internal guilt of knowing she went against her religion sat with her for life. Pearl was her most precious gift and she gave Hester a reason to keep going and continue on with her
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