In The Scarlet Letter‚ the author‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ uses many symbols throughout the novel. The most obvious and well known symbol‚ is the scarlet letter Hester is forced to wear. The infamous scarlet letter can be considered the most important and influential symbol. The symbolism behind the scarlet letter changes throughout this novel. Initially‚ the letter A was intended to mark Hester as an adulterer. During the first years of her punishment‚ the letter was a daily reminder of shame and her
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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter has much to instruct psychoanalysts and psychotherapists‚ probably no other American novel lends itself so well to an study in gravity of the dynamics‚ conflicts‚ and aggressive attribute of shame. Hawthorne‘s novels deal with persons caught in a fight between individual desires and the ethical weight of society‚ a struggle which the being usually loses. More importantly‚ Hawthorne‘s characters are secluded individuals‚ who refuse society‘s principles but
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“It is human nature to want patterns‚ standards‚ and a structure of behavior. A pattern to conform to is a kind of shelter.” This quote can be considered valid or invalid depending on the person who is reading the quote. Whether it is someone like the Puritans in the Scarlet Letter who believes that life should be lived in a strict manner‚ or whether it is someone who cannot stand a uniform life‚ there will be never a time when everyone accepts or denies this quote. People feel safe and confident
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Throughout The Scarlet Letter‚ two prominent characters battle with how to react to societal views‚ and that ultimately changes ones outlook on life. Primarily‚ one can change the way that society views them by being strong or transversely by being weak and maleable. To begin‚ by remaining strong and trusting herself‚ society begins to evolve and view Hester in a new light. The book quotes‚ “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her-so much power to do and power
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against another‚ is characterized as a corruption of the mind of the affected individual. Throughout the history of literature‚ countless authors have incorporated the theme of revenge into their works. For example‚ in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ Roger Chillingworth seeks revenge on Minister Dimmesdale because of his crime committed with Hester. Similarly‚ in William Shakespeare’s‚ Othello‚ Iago devises an evil plan to avenge Othello of his rumored sin. Iago‚ the two-faced antagonist
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was a dream come true. Thier society was obsessed with the idea of being pure. Any sin that was committed had an over exaggerated punishment. Many of the puritans were hypocritical. This idea is expressed greatly in The Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter as a story of revenge‚ sin and hypocrisy because the narration does not really show love between people‚ but shows all the sinful acts people would do to one another. A great example of sin is Hester cheating on Chillingworth
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Lydia Crouse Honors English 10 Mrs. Rollings 26 September 2011 Mysterious Death of Dimmesdale One could say that Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is poisoned‚ or that he merely died of guilty conscience. In the Scarlet Letter‚ by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ Reverend Dimmesdale commits adultery with Hester Prynne‚ and so she bears a child. Dimmesdale does not admit his sin to the people in the community. Keeping the sin a secret for as long as he does creates guilt and suffering which manifests in him until
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Essay: The Scarlet Letter-Colors Throughout the novel‚ “The Scarlet Letter‚” Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates the themes with various dramatic colors. Of the array are the colors green and gold‚ where green symbolizes different aspects of nature such as tranquility‚ security‚ and gloominess‚ whereas gold represents all that pertains to luxuriance‚ serenity and goodness. In certain chapters‚ it seems as if one color is codependent with the other. The implication of the color
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Hypocrisy in “The Scarlet Letter” Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in 1850‚ “The Scarlet Letter” is about an adulteress‚ Hester‚ who must wear the scarlet letter‚ an ‘A’ as a means of punishment. Throughout the course of “The Scarlet Letter”‚ Hawthorne reveals many symbols and central ideas which all relate to the theme of sin and hypocrisy. The fate of the main characters in the novel conveys that‚ not only does hypocrisy come as a result of one’s sin‚ thus further influencing sin‚
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our own heartbreaks through expectations.” In Hurst’s "The Scarlet Ibis‚" the unique narration and diction is used to convey the danger of pride‚ as symbolized by Doodle’s inspirational yet devastating struggle to live up to his brother’s unfair and unrealistic expectations. Throughout this paper‚ you will see just how different handicapped people’s expectations are for themselves than the people’s expectations around them. “The Scarlet Ibis” shows that handicapped people are seen as different “creatures”
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