God was strictly obeyed by the Puritans. Those found guilty of breaking this law‚ and any other of the Ten‚ were severely punished to a degree determined by the leader of the church. Hester Prynne‚ the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter‚ is exposed as an adulteress-which creates the main conflict in the novel. Hester willingly sins against the laws of the church‚ thus causing the tragedy. Puritanism started in the sixteenth century as a movement to reform the Church of England
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Bryce Hernandez March 16‚ 2013 Ms. Leonard English 11 Redeeming the Sins of the Scarlet Letter Sin is as much a part of life as anything else‚ and most are not simply forgiven over time for their sins. They must redeem themselves‚ through actions and words‚ for their sins. Sin and redemption is not only a theme of life‚ it is also a major theme in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter takes place in New England‚ during the Puritan Era. The novel takes place around a sin
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The Scarlet Letter The scarlet letter is a tragedy. The puritan society is responsible for Dimmesdale ’s downfall because its members expect him to be perfect‚ and he is not. His inability to give the people what they require from him ultimately leads to his downfall. Dimmesdale has an affair with Hester Prynne‚ a married Puritan woman. Hester gives birth to their daughter‚ Pearl. "Children have always a sympathy in the agitations of those connected with them; always‚ especially‚ a sense of any
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Kristin Moseley Professor Hooks English 101 20 July 2009 The Scarlet Letter: Literary Criticism Published in 1850‚ The Scarlet Letter is considered Nathaniel Hawthorne ’s most famous work‚ and the first quintessentially American novel in style‚ theme‚ and language. Set in seventeenth-century Puritan Massachusetts‚ the novel centers around the travails of Hester Prynne‚ who gives birth to daughter Pearl after an adulterous affair. Hawthorne ’s novel concerns the consequences of the affair
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One of the most complex and elaborate characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl‚ the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Pearl‚ throughout the story‚ develops into a dynamic individual‚ as well as an extremely important symbol. Pearl is shunned because of her mother’s sin. Pearl is a living representation of the scarlet letter - acting as a constant reminder of Hester’s sin. Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the infant; "...whose
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images because she is nearly all symbol‚ little reality. Dimmesdale sees Pearl as the "freedom of a broken law"; Hester sees her as "the living hieroglyphic" of their sin; and the community sees her as the result of the devil’s work. She is the scarlet letter in the flesh‚ a reminder of Hester’s sin. As Hester tells the pious community leaders in Chapter 8‚ ". . . she is my happiness! —
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Name Teacher English 1‚ block 3 12 October 2013 The Power of Guilt Almost all people have felt some type of guilt. Whether it be from cheating on a test‚ lying to your parents‚ or forgetting your best friend’s birthday‚ guilt can be very powerful‚ it gives us a contrite awareness that we have acted in a way that some would considered to be wrong. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale have committed a great sin‚ and because of this sin‚ it causes these
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Symbols in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism plays an important role in many novels. Held with the distinction of implying important themes‚ symbols add depth to a story. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter takes place in Boston‚ Massachusetts‚ in the 1640’s. Embellished with symbols and hidden themes‚ the novel tells “a tale of human frailty and sorrow” (Hawthorne 46). In addition to human flaw and sadness‚ the novel reveals inhumane punishment and torture from the government and citizens
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In The Scarlet Letter‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne displays many examples of love and hatred throughout the story. Though Hawthorne shows that love and hatred both have the potential to harm‚ hatred has a greater tendency to cause pain. This is clearly seen in Hester’s love for Pearl and Chillingworth’s hatred for Dimmesdale. Pearl is not the easiest child to love‚ but the attributes Hester has attained over the years have allowed her to show motherly love regardless. One aspect of Hester’s love is her
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Who’s In Charge Here? In The Scarlet Letter‚ the majority of the action happens not between characters‚ but within them. Guilt‚ passion‚ love‚ and hate all play key roles in the development of the novel. “The Sins of the Fathers: Hawthorne’s Psychological Themes‚” a critique penned by Frederick C. Crews‚ explores the inner workings of Hawthorne’s characters. He argues that characters in The Scarlet Letter act not of their own accord‚ but instead are ruled absolutely by “feelings that [they] neither
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