Literature 9 April 2014 ‘The Scarlet Letter’ as a Tragedy The Scarlet Letter is a literature monument of the American Romantic era. The intensely tragic drama‚ written by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ has been analyzed by American literature analysts and critics alike. The aim of this paper is to specifically highlight the tragedy it narrates. Tragedy‚ considered to be the highest poetic element by Aristotle‚ has elements and characteristics portrayed in the text of The Scarlet Letter‚ that the weave of the
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Major Themes Individual vs. Society The Scarlet Letter is a novel that describes the psychological anguish of two principle characters‚ Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimondale. They are both suffering under‚ while attempting to come to terms with‚ their mutual sin of adultery in a strict Puritan society. As critics immediately recognized upon publication of the novel in 1850‚ one of its principal themes involved conflict between the individual and society. Hawthorne represents the stern and threatening
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The Scarlet Letter: Symbolism British Literature Matt Gordon 9-22-96 Symbolism in literature is the deepness and hidden meaning in a piece of work. It is often used to represent a moral or religious belief or value. Without symbolism literature is just a bunch of meaningless words on paper. The most symbolic piece of work in American Literature is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne’s use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter is one of the most significant contributions to
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The Scarlet Letter Throughout The Scarlet Letter‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne continually uses witchcraft and the devil as a theme. Hester Prynne‚ the main character‚ emerges from a prison in the first few pages of the book. So from the very beginning‚ it is known that she has committed a great sin of some kind. Many other characters other than Hester also have a connection with the dark side. It is this association with the devil that eventually brings about the demise of one of the major characters. Although
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“Setting” is a word used to describe the place‚ time‚ assumptions and values of a society in a story. In the Scarlet Letter‚ the setting was in the Puritan town of Salem in Massachusetts Bay Colony circa 1640. Being that the era and location of the backdrop is in a 17th century Protestant Puritan village‚ the assumptions and values would be that the townspeople are God-fearing individuals who strictly adhere to the Bible and its preachings. In this particular story‚ the primary conflict was the setting
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Scarlett Letter Dialectical Journal “On one side of the portal‚ and rooted almost at the threshold‚ was a wild rose-bush‚ covered‚ in this month of June‚ with its delicate gems‚ which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in‚ and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom‚ in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him." Chapter 1‚ pg. 46 | -This rose-bush represents Pearl afterwards in Hester’s life. The prison
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that one has no control over . Regardless of which feeling of guilt‚ each person has experienced this feeling at one point of a their life. One can attribute this feeling to what Reverend Dimmesdale‚ member to the Puritan society‚ felt in The Scarlet Letter when he directly committed adultery with Hester Prynne. Dimmsdale considered himself the “deepest man of guilt” after going against his teachings of quintessential Puritan behavior‚ and also left Hester to suffer
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Hawthorne manages to create many metaphors within his novel The Scarlet Letter. The rose bush outside the prison door‚ the black man‚ and the scaffold are three metaphors. Perhaps the most important metaphor would be the scaffold‚ which plays a great role throughout the entire story. The three scaffold scenes which Hawthorne incorporated into The Scarlet Letter contain a great deal of significance and importance the plot. Each scene brings a different aspect of the main characters‚ the crowd or
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Zakk Hartwig PIB English 10 Period 2G October 20‚ 2010 The Scarlet Letter In the novel The Scarlet Letter‚ Hawthorne uses many different settings to portray important functions and significance. Several of the settings such as the prison and cemetery‚ the town‚ Governor Bellingham’s house‚ the scaffold‚ the forest‚ the lighting‚ and so on have a deeper definition. The settings act as theme enhancers that make the novel more complex and classic. Hawthorne’s use of setting is spectacular in
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The Scarlet Letter Analysis Throughout history‚ sinners and misfits have been alienated from society by the people of their community. Examples of people out casting others can be found in every day life from the odd peer at school to an adult who does not share the same opinions or ideas as the majority. In the 17th century‚ Puritans became an important part of American history. They had strict laws and punishments and wanted a government that could enforce public morality. In Nathaniel
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