Jonathan Alessi 10/16/11 Period 4 Who Are You?: An analysis of identities in The Scarlet Letter Identity‚ what is it? Is it a name? Is it defined by what we do‚ where we work or how hard we play? Is identity categorized by a moment from our past or is it defined by the present? Is identity of a person only one definite thing or is it dependent upon the observer? According to Nathaniel Hawthorne identity is definite‚ unchangeable‚ and can be defined by one single moment in a person’s life
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The Scarlet Letter: Review Adultery‚ betrayal‚ promiscuity‚ subterfuge‚ and intrigue‚ all of which would make an excellent coming attraction on the Hollywood scene and probably a pretty good book. Add Puritan ideals and writing styles‚ making it long‚ drawn out‚ tedious‚ wearisome‚ sleep inducing‚ insipidly asinine‚ and the end result is The Scarlet Letter. Despite all these things it is considered a classic and was a statement of the era. The Scarlet Letter is a wonderful and
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looked into her eyes--a gaze that made her heart shrink and shudder‚ because so familiar‚ and yet so strange and cold--and‚ finally‚ satisfied with his investigation‚ proceeded to mingle another draught. Hester is being punished harshly for her sin‚ no one understands her and the whole town seems to hate her. When chillingsworth comes she knows its her husband. Yet fear not for him! Think not that I shall interfere with Heaven’s own method of retribution‚ or‚ to my own loss‚ betray him to the
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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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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 of the play‚ is portrayed by Shakespeare as an inconsiderate‚ backstabbing trickster‚ who absolutely
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Throughout The Scarlet Letter‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne describes the complex relationships between the characters. Of these‚ Hester‚ who commits adultery against her husband with the youthful town minister‚ Reverend Dimmesdale‚ grows and develops throughout this story. Hawthorne puts into words how they develop together‚ which in turn helps the story to progress immensely‚ and is of major importance throughout the novel. The two worry how their sin will affect their appearance toward the townspeople
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The Scarlet Letter: Nature’s Individualist Every individual is born universally in nature‚ all starting from the same humble beginnings. The only way we gain our originality in life‚ is when we look deeper into the eyes of nature and see that her small flaws are mirrored in us as well. In the novel‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ by Nathaniel Hawthorne Hester Prynne embodies the characteristics of the self- reliant individual. The novel takes place in Puritan sixteenth century Massachusetts telling the story
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preordained; God chose who would be saved and welcomed into heaven. However‚ if an individual does not follow Puritan rules‚ he or she will most certainly be damned. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ set in a Puritan town in the seventeenth century‚ Hester Prynne is forced to wear a letter A on her chest‚ also known as the scarlet letter‚ for the adultery she committed that ended her up with a child. When asked who the father of her child is‚ she refuses to answer and is forced to stand at the scaffold
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Scarlet Letter Short Essay Adrienne Rich‚ a feminist poet and critic‚ wrote the essay “When We Dead Awaken: Writing as Re-Vision‚” to identify and admonish gender norms in her society. Rich considers that “the argument will go on whether an oppressive economic class system is responsible for the oppressive nature of male/female relations‚ or whether‚ in fact‚ patriarchy... is the original model of oppression on which all others are based.” She comments on the origin of gender roles‚ wondering
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In the classic novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ nature is frequently used as imagery‚ symbolism‚ or a metaphor. The three most vital examples are: the rosebush in Chapter 1‚ the black weeds in Chapter 10‚ and the brook in Chapter 11. There are other ways that the author uses the environment to help explain characters’ feelings. Nature‚ in The Scarlet Letter‚ is used in place of various literary devices with the author using to represent an idea larger than what is initially portrayed
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