6) In The Scarlet Letter‚ Nathaniel Hawthorne employs figurative language to explain the symbolic character of Pearl before she becomes a woman. To Hester‚ her child who is often associated with sin is‚ “Her Pearl! ...she named the infant “Pearl”‚ as being of great price‚ --purchased with all she had‚ her mother’s only treasure!”(6‚1). This allusion of the Gospel of Matthew‚ the merchant man seeking goodly pearls gave up everything to get that one pearl‚ similarly connects to how Hester gave up
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In the story‚ The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ sacrifice runs through almost every character. One specific person who portrays this kind of trait towards the end of the book is DImmesdale. He sacrifices the sin he created with Hester and his placement with everyone else when he finally exposes the “A” for all to see. Dimmesdale is fond of Hester‚ but he could never share the sin he committed. No one can find out. People who are selfish never realize the impact they make on other’s lives
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her green “A” as a deliberate test of her mother because she does not know why her mother is shunned and wants an explanation. The best explanation Hester has for her daughter is to tell her that she has indeed met the “Black Man” and that the scarlet letter is his mark‚ as the old woman has said. The discussions in the last four chapters of the identity of the “Black Man” suggest a profound confusion among the characters about the nature of evil‚ the definition of which is an important theme in
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one time or another. They say‚ child‚ thou art of the lineage of the Prince of Air! Wilt thou ride with me some fine night to see thy father? Then thou shalt know wherefore the minister keeps his hand over his heart!” (Chapter 22 Pg.230). In The Scarlet Letter Mistress Hibbins is the voice of society so one can infer that the rest of society also perceives Pearl as not only Hester’s sin‚ but also as the devil‚ which is why she is left to find companionship on her own leading her to do things in which
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Many characters go through transformations in The Scarlet Letter‚ and one of those characters is Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne writes of a puritan society‚ and it is the laws of that society‚ both written and unwritten‚ that Dimmesdale breaks and which causes the changes to occur. He commits the sin of adultery‚ and by sleeping with Hester Prynne‚ breaks the laws that he is supposed to represent. He cannot admit his sin because he is a holy man‚ and admitting his sin would
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the long awaited truth (Ch. 23‚ 195). The only time when Hester feels free is when she is in the woods with Pearl and Dimmesdale because she can escape the judgment from the townspeople (Ch. 17‚ 148). When Hester is in the woods she rips off the scarlet letter from her chest and lets her hair down‚ which shows that before that moment she was consumed by her sin and felt she could only be herself when she was in the woods (Ch.
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 In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter‚ life is centered around a rigid Puritan society in which one is unable to divulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how he or she truly feels‚ otherwise the emotions are bottled up until they become volatile. Unfortunately‚ Puritan society did not permit this kind of expression‚ thus characters had to seek alternate means to relieve their personal anguishes and desires. Luckily
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Arthur wishes to have his shame displayed as Hester’s is and even says to her: Happy are you‚ Hester‚ that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is after the torment of seven years’ cheat‚ to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am! Had I one friend‚ or were it my worst enemy‚ to whom‚ when
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The Scarlet Ibis‚ a story about a boy and his younger brother Doodle. Brother’s pride is so big that he gets ashamed of how his brother Doodle cannot walk and teaches him how to walk for his own needs not Doodle’s. Doodle learns and can walk pretty good goes to show his parents on the morning of his birthday and they are proud of how he can walk and how brother had helped him but brother can dose not tell them because he is ashamed of his pride. Brother expects so much out of Doodle that it push
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Reverent Dimmesdale ’s journey through the story shows how his insecurities effect his decisions. Dimmesdale often let his thoughts of rejection from his life as a loved godly man take away from what he needed to do. He shows‚ by these actions‚ a want to be accepted that is so strong that it can overpower his churchly values. Dimmesdale ’s inner-conflict with his conscience demonstrates how his need to fit in with society overpowers his value to have a pure repented heart. Dimmesdale isolates himself
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