Literature Mrs Hanan-West February 22‚ 2010 Final Draft Does Hester Prynne’s Role in Puritan Society affect her feminism? Throughout the Scarlet Letter‚ Hawthorne depicts Hester as a dynamic character who is constantly struggling with her identity within the Puritan Society. Ever since her conviction of adultery and her punishment as the Scarlet Letter‚ the Puritan Society has tried labeling and identifying her with their terms and laws. Hester has also identified herself with these terms‚
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Scarlet Letter Analysis In a passage from The Scarlet Letter‚ the narrator concocts a sense of a judgmental and somewhat contemplative attitude toward the Puritan society. The narrator’s stance is emphasized mainly on the author’s description of the Puritans and his use of symbolism to describe their community. Throughout the passage‚ the Puritans are described in such a sense that characterizes them as a monotonous and ruthless society governed by laws and religion. As the Puritans are standing
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against another‚ is characterized as a corruption of the mind of the affected individual. Throughout the 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
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the Puritans‚ is an extreme sinner; she has gone against the Puritan ways‚ by committing the unforgivable sin of adultery. For this irrevocably cruel sin‚ she must wear a symbol of shame and humiliation for the rest of her godforsaken life. The scarlet letter is an evaluation and study of the results of sin on the hearts‚ minds and souls of Hester‚ Pearl‚ Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. In every case the effect changes the character significantly. Once the characters have indulged themselves in sin and
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The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ in his novel The Scarlet Letter‚ argues that the role of shame in society is not what keeps the citizens of that society pure and is possibly the worst type of punishment. Hawthorne supports his argument by demonstrating his perspective on shame through the rhetorical strategy of enthymeme given the major premise‚ minor premise‚ and conclusion. The author’s purpose is to persuade his audience that salvation can only be earned by being open about and true
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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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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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In Nathaniel Hawthrone’s novel‚ The Scarlet Letter‚ both main protagonists‚ Hester and Dimmesdale‚ present behaviors which do not correlate with what they feel inside. According to Psychoanalytic ideology‚ "[the study] to bring patients’ repressed memories and wishes to the surface"(Psychoanalysis)‚ Hester and Dimmesdale are repressing their real emotions and projections ones that they are not feeling. In the beginning of the novel‚"When the young woman- them other of this child- stood fully revealed
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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 passage present above from the book “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ Hawthorne attitude of Dimmesdale is of passion and nobility. Hawthorne expressed his attitude through a multitude of devices such as diction‚ syntax‚ and imagery. His dictions for Dimmesdale is that of a man who does not care and just wanted to tell the truth. The syntax that Hawthorne applied is meant to undermined Dimmesdale with irony but at the same time‚ make Dimmesdale even nobler. Imageries were used as
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