How far would you take love for the one’s you cherish? The inquiry lies in the core of The Scarlet Letter‚ and they are the reason Hester can be seen as a woman activist. After committing adultery‚ Hester was made to wear an “A” for her punishment instead of getting put to death‚ as it was usual for form of sin in the Puritan views . She wore the custom embroidery with pride‚ as if the “A” stood for able‚ instead of adultery like everyone else put it out to be. Hester also defended herself and Pearl
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The Scarlet Letter Sin Debate In Nathanial Hawthorne’s famous standard of American literature‚ The Scarlett Letter‚ Hawthorne examines individual cases of sin occurring within society known for its intolerance of sin and strict religious principles‚ the Puritans. In The Scarlet Letter ‚ each of the main characters‚ whether protagonist or antagonist‚ are guilty of a sin or form of “evil”. However‚ one character stands out from the rest. This character is guilty of the worst form of malice and evil
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Chillingworth visits Hester during her brief incarceration‚ where he berates her for having crushed his dreams of finding acceptance and love ("My heart was a great mansion with room for many souls‚ but cold and empty and without a parlor fire; I longed to light one!"). While he makes it obvious he will not take revenge upon her or the baby‚ he demands to know the name of Hester’s lover. She refuses to tell him‚ but Chillingworth promises that he will find the man and destroy his soul. Chillingworth
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Scarlett Letter Criticism Nathanial Hawthorne envisioned The Scarlet Letter as a short story published in a collection‚ but it outgrew that purpose. Most critics accept Hawthorne’s definition of it as a “romance” rather than a novel. The novel begins with an introductory autobiographical essay‚ “The Custom House” where Hawthorne describes working as a custom officer in Salem‚ Massachusetts. He describes coming across documents that provide him with the basis for The Scarlett Letter. The introductory
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only dead fish swim with the stream. -Malcolm Muggeridge. This famous quote justifies that to be an individual‚ one must break from society and think for himself‚ and only when he has done this‚ is he truly alive. Nathaniel Hawthornes novel The Scarlet Letter is about a courageous woman‚ Hester Prynne‚ and her struggle to split from society in order to live the loving life she has always wanted. By the use of symbolism‚ Hawthorne is effectively able to portray the forest‚ which promotes individuality
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self-destruction‚ affected psychologically from sin and guilt. In “The Scarlet Letter”‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne employs elements of romanticism and symbolism to communicate the idea that sin and guilt has a great impact in the manifestations of humans. Hawthorne utilizes symbolism to demonstrate what effects sin and guilt has on humans. Hester Prynne has to wear a scarlet letter on her chest‚ walking in her own shame. This has
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Hester’s Strengths as a Feminist Protagonist in The Scarlet Letter Feminism is the philosophy advocating equal political‚ economic‚ and social rights for women. The idea of feminism was not at all prevalent during the 1850s when Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter was published. In spite of this‚ Hawthorne wrote one of the most influential feminist novels of his time: The Scarlet Letter. This novel was hailed as an important feminist novel because of the main character: Hester Prynne. Hester
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everywhere in everyday life. Beginning before even before 1640‚ people in the newly established colonies were forced to wear letters on their chests for all of the public to see. People who refused were actually whipped and beaten to coerce them into wearing their letters. One particular letter was the scarlet letter “A” which represented adultery. In the novel The Scarlet Letter‚ the leading woman‚ Hester Prynne‚ is forced to wear an “A” for her sin. Hawthorne uses Hester as an example to the rest of
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happens all around us. In your everyday life‚ in movies‚ on television‚ in literature‚ it’s everywhere! It can change you‚ someone you know‚ or someone you don’t know. It can even change the world! This axiom is shown in the American classic‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ in chapter 13‚ Hester Prynne was shocked by how different the clergyman had seemed. He had nearly lost his nerve. His moral strength had been reduced to that of a child. But then again‚ his mind was as strong as ever. Hester‚ with insight of
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Hester’s Scarlet Letter In the novel‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ the protagonist‚ Hester Prynne‚ is forced to publically wear her sin on her sleeve. She committed adultery‚ which was a sin that was highly chastised by the Puritan society. The Scarlet Letter that Hester wore first symbolized the burden and humiliation that accompanied the sin. Throughout the novel however‚ the meaning of the letter changed to parallel Hester’s own development into a strong‚ independent woman. The letter starts out
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