Symbols of Guilt Within The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter‚ a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the 1800’s‚ transports readers to a Puritan town in the 1600’s. Hawthorne‚ nephew of the Puritan Judge John Hathorne‚ was very fixated on puritanism and theocracy. Throughout his novel Hawthorne repeatedly emphasizes the importance of the Christian religion in the theocratic town. Along with stressing the topic of religion Hawthorne also accentuates the theme of guilt within his novel and uses
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novel The Scarlet Letter that some dogmatic attempts by society to label a person by his or her actions in the past will fail. Subjectivity across the community and throughout time changes the meaning of a symbol society implements to control an idea. The scarlet letter “A” Hester Prynne wears exemplifies this. The town wants the object to arouse feelings of ignominy towards Hester; however‚ not everyone who meets Hester interprets it the same way. The town originally regards the letters as a signification
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Alcoholism: Nature Versus Nurture For years people have argued that alcoholism is a choice and not a learned or inherited disease. These people will normally agree that yes‚ children are in fact influenced by family‚ but purely of a social nature‚ and that this disease is actually caused by poor economic status‚ poor social upbringings‚ or merely by imitating the behaviors of those who raised them. However‚ research has proven that in a great deal of cases there is in fact enormous basis for alcoholism
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Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter contains many reflective and important symbols. The device of symbolism is described in the novel with different meanings. In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ he uses a rosebush‚ a letter A on Hester Prynne’s blossom‚ and Pearl as examples to symbolism for the Scarlet Letter. As the novel goes on the meaning of the Scarlet Letter A on Hester’s blossom changes from Adultery to Able to Angel. This shows that symbolism
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to do with her mother’s scarlet letter. Pearl Hester’s daughter‚ Pearl‚ functions primarily as a symbol. She is quite young during most of the events of this novel—when Dimmesdale dies she is only seven years old—and her real importance lies in her ability to provoke the adult characters in the book. She asks them pointed questions and draws their attention‚ and the reader’s‚ to the denied or overlooked truths of the adult world. In general‚ children in The Scarlet Letter are portrayed as more perceptive
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Children are‚ by nature‚ incredibly sensitive creatures. They can sense almost any emotion an adult might feel just by observing a particular person’s body language and facial expressions. Such is the case with the youthful Pearl from the novel The Scarlet Letter‚ by Nathaniel Hawthorn. As the daughter of the adulteress Hester Prynne‚ the townspeople view Pearl as a demon in an angel’s clothing; as an imp who not only knows exactly what the letter "A" signifies on the breast of her mother‚ but as
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A CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER READING GUIDE FOR THE SCARLET LETTER A 1636 Plymouth Colony law required anyone convicted of adultery to "wear two Capital letters viz AD cut out in cloth and sowed on theire uppermost Garments on their arme or backe; and if att any time they shallbee taken without the said letters whiles they are in the Govrment soewarn to bee forthwith taken and publickly whipt."[1] Other Massachusetts colonies had their own versions of this law. In fact‚ "The Capitall Lawes of
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Name: Professor: Bernhard Radloff Subject: ENG 2450 B Date: December 4‚ 2012 Scarlet Letter Review Introduction Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter remains one of the best examples of Puritan literature‚ a novel‚ which points to the inadequacy of the Puritan beliefs and the moral duality of the Puritan culture. This paper reviews the author’s novel from a new‚ conformity vs. individuality angle. The context in which the novel was created is discussed. Hester’s silent challenge against
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The Scarlet Letter Essay Topics Below I have given you several essay topics on The Scarlet Letter. Choose one and compose an essay in response to the questions it raises. The essay should be 3-5 pages in length‚ should be carefully proofread‚ and should follow the guidelines defined by MLA. Due Tuesday‚ September 27‚ 2011‚ at the beginning of class. 1. Explain how The Scarlet Letter may be read as a “psychological novel.” You may want to focus on the psychological nature of one or two
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This letter A is not only a symbol of sin and guilt. It is also a symbol of goodness and holiness‚ for when Governor Winthrop dies‚ people think that the meteor is a symbol that the governor’s soul has been received in heaven‚ and this he transcended this gloomy world to become an angel in Heaven. At the end of the novel‚ the letter A stands for the word ’able’ and symbolizes the fact that Hester has proven herself as one who is in the help of anyone who would need her help. It can be noticed that
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