Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ a critically acclaimed American writer of the 19th century‚ was born in Salem‚ Massachusetts in 1804. The novelist ’s book‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ is supposedly his best work‚ and universally considered a literary classic. Concerned with sin and consequences of dealing with it‚ Hawthorne ’s work relates to his own personal sense of shame about his ancestor ’s persecuting roles in the 17th century Salem Witch Trials. By indirectly dealing with his sense of guilt through fictional
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In the Scarlet Letter two of the primary characters are provided by the author to show us a kind of foil. The one character‚ Reverend Dimmesdale‚ seems as if he is kind‚ but he has been living with a terrible burden‚ hindering him everywhere he goes. Chillingworth is his opposite‚ you would assume him to be nice when really he is quite evil. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth bring out each other’s characteristics and bring out the characteristics of other characters around them. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth
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The Scarlet Women “Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength” - G.D. Anderson Today‚ some branches of feminism have developed beyond their roots into what some people consider a type of female supremacy. They did not always act in this way. Feminism is truly centered around the idea of total equality between both women and men. Nathaniel Hawthorne can be considered a first-wave feminist‚ or a someone who
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“…I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer! Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for‚ believe me‚ Hester‚ though he were to step down from a high place‚ and stand there beside thee on thy pedestal of shame‚ yet better were it so‚ than to hide a guilty heart through life.” (Hawthorne‚ 20) Arthur Dimmesdale speaks to the Miss Hester Prynne after she is convicted of the sin of adultery and is standing on a pedestal in town square being the
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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‚ uses many symbols to represent different things. Some symbols represent the same thing. The letter "A" has many meanings‚ each character has their own meanings‚ and even the different parts of nature are symbols. Also‚ apart from providing structure for the novel‚ each scaffold scene conveys something different. One could say‚ arguably‚ that nearly everything in The Scarlet Letter is a symbol of something else. In the novel‚ there are four different versions of the letter "A"
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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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In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ the author uses three scaffold scenes to mark the development of Hester Prynne. The image of Hester atop the scaffolding is a metaphor for her forced solitude; for her banishment from society; and for the futility of her punishment. In the first scene‚ Hawthorne uses the scaffold to explain how Hester can not believe that the “A” and the baby are real. In the second scaffold scene‚ Hawthorne tries to convey to the reader that Hester
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The Scarlet Letter Expository Essay Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter explains what sin is and what you get as a result of a sin. As Puritans‚ these people were raised in a very strict and religious background. They know that if they commit any type of sin not only with they be punished by God‚ but they will also be criticized and looked upon differently by society. Sin is an immoral act that is against divine law. The story illustrates the word sin because a character in the book named
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Throughout The Scarlet Letter‚ two prominent characters battle with how to react to societal views‚ and that ultimately changes ones outlook on life. Primarily‚ one can change the way that society views them by being strong or transversely by being weak and maleable. To begin‚ by remaining strong and trusting herself‚ society begins to evolve and view Hester in a new light. The book quotes‚ “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her-so much power to do and power
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