Perhaps the foremost purpose of The Scarlet Letter is to illustrate the difference between shaming someone in public and allowing him or her to suffer the consequences of an unjust act privately. According to the legal statutes at the time and the prevailing sentiment of keeping in accordance with a strict interpretation of the Bible‚ adultery was a capital sin that required the execution of both adulterer and adulteress--or at the very least‚ severe public corporal punishment. Indeed‚ even if the
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Literary Criticism of The Scarlet Letter E.P. Whipple- author of “Review of ‘The Scarlet Letter’‚ a Romance”- essentially describes Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter as a genius work of art by letting the reader see the near and far side of the spiritual laws‚ and praises Nathaniel Hawthorne for creating such an intensifying and objective novel. Whipple reminds us of the first part of the book when Nathaniel Hawthorne reminiscences about his times in the Old Custom House of Salem‚ Massachusetts
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In the novel‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ Hester commits adultery‚ disobeying the Puritan laws‚ and is punished with two constant reminders of her sin‚ the scarlet A and her daughter‚ Pearl. Hawthorne characterizes Pearl with contrasting personalities and roles she plays in Hester’s life. Pearl’s conflicting personality components‚ innocence and defiance‚ both derive from her isolation from society‚ which resulted from her mother’s sin. Pearl represents the conflict between good and
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used as a symbol. If the author takes the time to write about it then it’s important. If the object doesn’t seem relevant than it is probably being used as a symbol and probably has a deeper meaning. Anything can be used as a symbol‚ and in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne there are many different symbols. A certain import symbol to me in the book is Pearl‚ Hester’s daughter. Pearl was born out of Wedlock and Hester chose to name her Pearl because “as being of great price‚ purchased with
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Transformation The setting of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet letter” is crucial to the understanding of the event that takes place in the story. The setting of the story is in Salem‚ Massachusetts during the Puritan era. During the Puritan era‚ adultery was taken as a very serious sin‚ and this is what Hester and Dimmesdale committ with each other. Because of the sin‚ their lives change‚ Hester has to walk around in public with a Scarlet Letter “A” which stands for adultery‚ and she is constantly
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wears the letter "A" pinned to her dress as a constant reminder of the sin she has commit which wears away at her heart. The Black Man symbolizes the devil and the evil that is present on Earth. In this quote Pearl who was a product of Hester’s sin asks her mother to tell her a story about the Black Man. In this situation Hester is once more reminded of what awaits her for sinning as the consequence of her sin asks her to tell a story. The story’s three major symbols include Pearl‚ the scarlet letter
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A Feminist Perspective on the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is an important piece of literature which offers a notable contribution to all literature with it’s strong female main character and themes of misogyny‚ religious mania‚ and forgiveness. The summary by Mary Ellen Snodgrass in The Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature describes and summarizes this perspective. The excerpt speaks on Hester’s strong character and resistance against the patriarchal oppressive religious male stronghold
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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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Symbolism of the Scarlet Letter AIn Nathaniel Hawthorne ’s The Scarlet Letter‚ the meaning of the letter A changes throughout the novel. This change is significant as it indicates the personal growth of the characters as well as the enlightenment of the townspeople. When the novel begins‚ the letter A is a symbol of sin. As the story progresses the A slowly is viewed as a symbol of Hesters strength and ability (Hawthorne Julian). By the end of the novel‚ the letter A has undergone a complete metamorphosis
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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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