More often than not‚ the consequences for disobeying these rules are reasonable and just. However‚ rules in certain societies hinder and harm a person‚ rather than correct their mistake. Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ author of The Scarlet Letter‚ exposes the rigidity and cruelty of the Puritan society through the characters and plot. Set in the early colonization of New England‚ Hawthorne demonstrates society’s oppression on several characters through one woman’s mistake. The heroine‚ Hester Prynne‚ is cast away
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family that was of Puritan belief since generations. Hawthorne’s lived in poverty with his mother and two younger sisters in a house filled with Puritan ideals. He had a feeling to some extents of Puritanism as being intolerant and cruel. Hawthorne’s states that Puritans feared that some women were completely lost to God and had turned to witchcraft to serve the Devil. Although these witches still appeared human‚ the Devil would use them to commit his deeds. In New England‚ Puritans started investigating
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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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The Scarlet Letter Expository Essay Doesn’t redemption require more than just a simple sorry? Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the letter “A” to prove redemption may be possible through one’s admirable actions. As stated in The Scarlet Letter‚ "Many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification.” (Hawthorne 111) meaning Hester Prynne changed the view that others had of her because of her scarlet letter. The punishment from a women’s wrongdoing was soon interpreted from a symbol
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Thesis: By examining the Puritan ideology that abuses and oppresses an individual’s spirit‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ in The Scarlet Letter‚ recognizes the resilience that a person must have in order to remain impervious to unjust laws that a religion based society upholds. Hawthorne emphasizes the struggles of living in a society that suppresses the citizens by utilizing words that have a negative connotation. While affirming his hatred for society’s stifling ideas that differ from their own religious
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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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The Letter A is a mark of punishment and humiliation. However ‚ Hester Prynne carries the symbol upon her with a very different out look than the puritans intended. Hester and the Puritans both have strong feelings for this Scarlet Letter but both will not come to terms and define a universal meaning for this strong symbol. <br> <br>The Puritans intend this A to be a disgrace to Hester Prynne. To make the public aware that she is nothing but a sinner and an adulteress. The Puritans want nothing more
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Period October 17‚ 2011 The Scarlet Letter - Essay Take Home Test In The Scarlet Letter‚ by Nathaniel Hawthorne presents to us the story of Hester Prynne; one full of sin‚ of guilt‚ of fear‚ of crime. After she commits adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale‚ while being married to Chillingworth‚ she is forced through much punishment. Too many introduced‚ yet only one would mark her forever; the scarlet letter. When Hawthorne gives us imagery of the scenes on how the
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Puritans in Literature The Puritans‚ a very religious group of people‚ thrived in the northern British colonies in the 17th century. Religion governed the way these people lived at the time. “[…] The Puritans were concerned‚ perhaps even obsessed‚ with establishing a system wherein religion would flourish and their values and beliefs would penetrate every aspect of life‚ both sacred and secular” (Friedman). Famous for their incorporation of religion in laws and the famous witch trials which they
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The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ in his novel The Scarlet Letter‚ argues that the role of shame in society is not what keeps the citizens of that society pure and is possibly the worst type of punishment. Hawthorne supports his argument by demonstrating his perspective on shame through the rhetorical strategy of enthymeme given the major premise‚ minor premise‚ and conclusion. The author’s purpose is to persuade his audience that salvation can only be earned by being open about and true
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