Tim Latina STAARS

Tim Latina

Subject-Hope

Theme-No matter what you have done and what you have been through there is always hope for you in the future.

Attitude-compassionate, caring, hopeful

Audience-Anyone

Rhetorical Strategy-Symbolism

Textual evidence-"But, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in the 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"(50).

"The rose-bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally over-shadowed it..."(50)

In the historical fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne brings up the idea of hope. He says that no matter what you have done or what you have been through there is still hope for you. He puts this idea across by using symbolism. Hawthorne writes "...a wild rose-bush...to offer its fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came to his doom"(50). When something happens to you, you can always know that there is something good and that there is hope waiting for you when you finish your ordeal. Hawthorne also writes that "The rose-bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally over-shadowed it..."(50). What he means by this is that hope will outlive many of the things we hold dear to us. Hope outlives all other ideals we have and, with it, we should always be optimistic and look on the brighter sides of life All of this relates to The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, in the idea of the hangings. If they confess to doing witchcraft then they won't be hanged and can look forward to being alive and hope that things will improve after it is all done. Also if they don't confess and do get hanged then also their pain and suffering is over. In conclusion hope is always there for you and will outlast every other idea you hold dear to you, with everything looking up for you in the future.

An idea that Hawthorne has is that holding in secrets will destroy you. This is true because during the novel Dimmesdale held in the fact that he had a relationship with Hester making him sickly throughout the book. He was unhealthy throughout until he confessed to the town publicly making him feel extremely better about himself, soon dying afterwards because he released all of his secrets making him clean. This is also true in The Crucible. John was holding in his secret of his relationship with Abigail until he accidentally mentioned it to his wife which soon after caused his life to spiral out of control with his wife being accused of witchcraft and later having her lie in court to protect him.

In a response to Lillie's question I do believe that it can be justified. She thought her husband was dead and would never see him again. She was in grief and couldn't justify her actions. She was just way too upset to think.

Lillie Kenyon

Subject- commitment

Theme- If a commitment is broken then that person may feel ashamed and want to hide that the commitment had been broken. Some people hide their broken commitment as an attempt to protect the person who the commitment was broken with.

Attitude- Love, compassion, sacrifice

Audience-Anyone

Rhetorical Strategy-Symbolism

“…That SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself” (56).

“…To stare into her face, and at the winking baby in her arms, and at the ignominious letter on her breast” (57).

In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses the rhetorical strategy of symbolism. Many themes are presented through the use of symbolism. Hawthorne writes, “…That SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself” (56). If commitment is not honored, there may be consequences, such as how Hester Prynne broke her commitment to her husband when they were in separate countries, and Hester is now forced to wear the letter “A” on her clothes for adultery. Nathaniel Hawthorne also states, “…To stare into her face, and at the winking baby in her arms, and at the ignominious letter on her breast” (57). Hester’s child, Pearl, also reminds her of the commitment with her husband that she broke. Pearl is the child of the affair that she had, representing the broken commitment. This relates to the Crucible, by Arthur Miller because the girls who have accused innocent people of being witches have to see all these people dying and it’s a constant reminder of what they did, and Pearl and the “A” are constant reminders to Hester Prynne of her broken commitment.

Question:

Do you believe that it can be justified as to why Hester Prynne committed adultery considering her husband sent her to America and took so long to come to America himself? Why or why not?

Cody Didas STAARS for The Scarlet Letter

Note: It would not let me underline the names of books, therefore I italicized them.

S-Sinning

T-Although it may be difficult to admit to a sin, once admitted it can become an actual good thing as society may earn the respect back.

A-foreboding, harsh, critical

A-This would be directed toward anyone who has ever committed a sin and not opened up about it.

RS-Symbolism

Textual Evidence- "On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold-thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore..." (page 55). "We impute it, therefore, solely to the disease in his own eye and heart, that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter,-the letter A,-marked out in lines of dull red light." (page 161)

Our class recently read The Scarlet Letter, a historical fiction book by Nathaniel Hawthorne that was 225 pages long. Hawthorne explains that although it may be difficult to admit to a sin, once the sin is admitted to then it may become a good thing as society may earn the respect back. He successfully uses symbolism throughout the book to explain this theme. "On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold-thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore..." (page 55). This quote is the narrator explaining the letter on Hester's bosom in the very beginning of the novel. Throughout the novel the letter is used to symbolize various things such as adultery, able, and eventually as a symbol of strength. In the beginning of the novel it is looked at as a symbol of adultery by the townspeople as they scorn Hester Prynne for her sins. While Pearl Prynne is growing up, Hester lives secluded from society, yet is very involved within the community as she does community service and is the main seamstress within the community, turning the symbol of the letter into able. Eventually once the townspeople begin to respect Hester they look to the letter as a sign of Hester's strength, for overcoming everything she has been through. Another object symbolized is the meteor that is seen by Dimmesdale while on the scaffold. "We impute it, therefore, solely to the disease in his own eye and heart, that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter,-the letter A,- marked out in lines of dull red light" (page 161). Dimmesdale immediately interprets this as if he needs to wear a scarlet letter of his own as he believes that he is the equivalent of Hester, as he is the man she committed the adultery with. The few townspeople who see the meteor interpret it as a sign that the recently deceased Governor Winthrop has been taken by an angel to heaven. This shows how a certain object can symbolize different things for different people. Hawthorne's main intention was for the meteor to humble Dimmesdale and feel remorse for his sin.



Nathaniel Hawthorne says that although admitting to a sin maybe difficult, in the end you may benefit in The Scarlet Letter which is a historical fiction novel. "We impute it, therefore, solely to the diseas in his own eye and heart, that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter,-the letter A,-marked out in lines of dull red light" (page 161). The symbolism of the meteor enhances this passage because the reader can feel the way Dimmesdale feels as he realizes that he has remorse for what he has done. The Scarlet Letter, is alike The Crucible because they are set in the same time period and place and both deal with covered up adultery, in The Crucible John Proctor tries to keep his affair with Abigail out of the public eye for as long as possible, the same occurs in The Scarlet Letter between Dimmesdale and Hester.


Question: How come Hester does not allow Pearl to go and give her kiss to Dimmesdale in the crowd?

STAARS

S- Subject- Sin
T- Theme- Sinning affects everyone involved and has a major impact either intentionally or unintentionally.
A- Attitude- sympathetic, thoughtful, straightforward
A- Audience- The author is writing for people who have faced a sin in their life and feels regret for what they did. Also people who feel trapped in a society where they're always feeling judged and who feel like they're alone.
R- Rhetorical - symbolism
S- Strategies

Textual Evidence- "Mother," said little Pearl, "the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!" (p. 191)
"But before Mr. Dimmesdale had done speaking, a light gleamed far and wide over all the muffled sky." (p. 159)



Sinning affects everyone involved and has a major impact either intentionally or unintentionally is the theme that is showed in the novel "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The genre of this novel is romantic and historical fiction. An example of symbolism in this novel would be the Scarlet Letter that Hester Prynne wears upon her breast. "Mother," said littler Pearl, "the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see! There it is, playing a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!" (p. 191). The Scarlet Letter is supposedly a symbol of shame but for Hester it is her identity. Her own child, Pearl, does not even recognize her without it on and she is a complete different person. The letter originally stands for adulterer but as time passes it starts to stand for able. Another example of symbolism would be, "But before Mr. Dimmesdale had done speaking, a light gleamed far and wide over all the muffled sky." (p. 159) The meteor that falls from the sky is symbolism because Dimmesdale sees it and thinks it traces out a letter "A" in the sky. The meteor implies that Dimmesdale should wear a mark of shame upon his chest just as Hester does. The rhetorical strategy, symbolism, enhances the meaning of the passage because it shows the reader what Dimmesdale is feeling and what it is compared to and really makes the reader connect more with the passage. Hawthorne is really good at making the reader connect with his writing and also he is really good at explaining what the characters are going through and what they are feeling. This novel would compare to the novel "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. Both Proctor and Hester go through a period of shame in which they have to deal with the town looking down on them.

STAARS in TEAR format

Tommy Jenkins

2 A/C

STAARS in TEAR format

November 4th

S- Confession

T- The author talks about how confession influences the person and everyone else around them. The expectations of others make people do the right thing and confess the sins they have committed.

A-Selfish, Responsible,

A-The Author is writing to the people that have deceived someone and has a sin that is not yet confessed.

R-Metaphor

S-“A pure hand needs no glove to cover it! “Thank you, my good friend,” said the minister, gravely, but startled at heart; for so confused was his remembrance, that he had almost brought himself to look at the events of the past night as visionary. “Yes, it seems to be my glove. Indeed!” ” (pg 164)

“But this had been a sin of passion, nor even purpose. Since that wretched epoch, he had watched, with morbid zeal and minuteness, not his acts, - for those it was easy to arrange, - but each breath of emotion, and his every thought.” (pg 209)

In the historical fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathan Hawthorne, confession of sins is brought out and is an important part of the novel, and overcoming the selfishness of themselves to admit to the mistakes they have made. In the quotation, “A pure hand needs no glove to cover it! “Thank you, my good friend,” said the minister, gravely, but startled at heart; for so confused was his remembrance, that he had almost brought himself to look at the events of the past night as visionary. “Yes, it seems to be my glove. Indeed!” ” (pg 164) They are referring to the sins of the people as the hand. If they have not done anything wrong, nothing will need to cover up for them because there is nothing to cover. But if a sin has been committed, they will do anything they need to hide it from other people. “But this had been a sin of passion, nor even purpose. Since that wretched epoch, he had watched, with morbid zeal and minuteness, not his acts, - for those it was easy to arrange, - but each breath of emotion, and his every thought.” (pg 209) People must go against their selfishness and confess to the sins that they have committed. Confession is also brought out in the book, The Crucible. The Scarlet Letterrefers to the letter if someone confesses and in The Crucible, they are sentence to imprisonment if they confess to being a witch or being part of the Devils doings. But they are sentenced to death if they do not confess to being a witch.

What would have happened to Pearl if Dimmesdale confessed to the sin when it happened?

Emma Gira
November 4

In response to Ruby's question:

If the town had known whose Pearl's father was all along, then I believe that Hester would have been hanged right away. Reverend Dimmesdale also would have either been banished and lost his job, or hanged along wiht Hester. Pearl would have probably been given to a different family to be raised, or looked at as an unpure, demon child and may have been killed with Hester. If Hester and Dimmesdale did die, they would have probably died happier, than they had in the novel because they would have died with the comfort of each other. Either way, if the father's identity had been revealed at the beginning of the novel, there would be no story.

Emma Gira
November 4

In the novel, a controlling idea which is displayed is the fact that when a person holds truths within themselves, it can physically and mentally destroy them. Throughout the story, Reverend Dimmesdale was very sickly. His depleting health was due to the strain that hiding the truth put on him. Once he told the truth, even just to Hester, life came back to his face immediately. "The excitement of Mr. Dimmesdale's feelings, as he returned from his interview with Hester, lent him unaccustomed physical energy" (225). When Dimmesdale confessed to the town, though, he died right after since his heart had been so weakened from having to bear his secret.
This idea can also be seen in Roger Chillingsworth. He had to hide the fact that he was really Hester's husband, and this secret, clearly, made him mentally unstable. "It may be. . . because I will not encounter the dishonor that besmirches the husband of a faithless woman. It may be for other reasons. Enough, it is my purpose to live and die unknown. Let, therefore, thy husband be to the world as one already dead, and to whom no tidings shall ever come. Recognize me not, by word, by sign, by look! Breathe not the secret, above all, to the man thou wottest of. Shouldst thou fail me in this, beware! His fame, his position, his life, will be in my hands. Beware!" (79-80). From this quote, it is evident that Chillingsworth is already going crazy. He threatens to kill the baby-daddy if his identity is ever revealed, and these secrets will ultimately lead to his demise.

Ruby Stettner
November 1
2AC

S: The Nature of Evil
T: Evil comes in innumerable forms. An evil soul thrives on the suffering of the inflicted. Often times, the worst of evils come from within.
A: Ironic, deceiving, selfish
A: Hawthorne is writing for anyone who is interested in puritan societies and the loose or strict associations of sin and evil.
R: Parallelism
S: "I, whom you behold in these black garments of the priesthood--I,
who ascend the sacred desk, and turn my pale face heavenward,
taking upon myself to hold communion in your behalf with the Most
High Omniscience--I, in whose daily life you discern the
sanctity of Enoch--I, whose footsteps, as you suppose, leave a
gleam along my earthly track, whereby the Pilgrims that shall
come after me may be guided to the regions of the blest--I, who
have laid the hand of baptism upon your children--I, who have
breathed the parting prayer over your dying friends, to whom the
Amen sounded faintly from a world which they had quitted--I,
your pastor, whom you so reverence and trust, am utterly a
pollution and a lie!" (Page 148)
“The angel and apostle of the coming
revelation must be a woman, indeed, but lofty, pure, and
beautiful, and wise; moreover, not through dusky grief, but the
ethereal medium of joy; and showing how sacred love should make
us happy, by the truest test of a life successful to such an end” (Page 274).

In the historical fiction book The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne a theme is that often times, the worst of evils come from within. Dimmesdale portrays this theme using parallelism in the following quote, "I, whom you behold in these black garments of the priesthood--I,
who ascend the sacred desk, and turn my pale face heavenward,
taking upon myself to hold communion in your behalf with the Most
High Omniscience--I, in whose daily life you discern the
sanctity of Enoch--I, whose footsteps, as you suppose, leave a
gleam along my earthly track, whereby the Pilgrims that shall
come after me may be guided to the regions of the blest--I, who
have laid the hand of baptism upon your children--I, who have
breathed the parting prayer over your dying friends, to whom the
Amen sounded faintly from a world which they had quitted--I,
your pastor, whom you so reverence and trust, am utterly a
pollution and a lie!" (Page 148)
The parallelism in this quote helps build suspense by creating an even pace for reading with frequent pauses. This repetitive parallel structure explodes into a confession at the end of the quote. Another book that shows the evil and torture that can come from within is The Crucible. Evil comes from within to torture Proctor after his affair with Abby leads to the demise of his wife.

How do you think the plot would have changed if Dimmesdale had confessed to having an affair with Hester from the start?

Emma Gira
If Arthur Dimmesdale was not originally on the board that decided Hester's punishment for her sin, do you think anything would have happened differently? And if it would change how so?

Emma Gira
October 31

STAARS written in TEARS format

In the historical fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter, the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses one major subject of confession. Nathaniel Hawthorne describes how the confession of sins, although hard to bear in the beginning, can ultimately save a person from a life of shame and depression. Confessing and displaying one's sin proudly and without embarrassment can cause others to eventually come to respect that person. In the novel confession is viewed as important, respectable and necesary. Hawthorne appears to be sending this message to any reader who may feel ashamed or eaten up inside due to an unconfessed sin. In the novel, Reverend Dimmesdale, appears to be sickly, but his apparent illness is due to the misery of hiding his secret for so many years and not confessing it with Hester. This is shown when the reverend meets Hester in the forest. "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 for seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what i am!" (200).

English III Honors at Brockport High School: Blog Instructions

David Steves
27 October 2012
2 AC
STAARS for The Crucible

S: Sin
T: Doing a wrong deed can alter someone’s life and turn it to a different path. After years of trying to fix the wrongs in life, the “weight” of those faults is still carried on the back of that person.
A: Dark, foreboding, Victorian
A: Anyone who historical fiction
R: Foreshadowing
S: “The mother’s impassioned state had been the medium through which were transmitted to the unborn infant the rays of its moral life; and, however white and clear originally, they had taken the deep stains of crimson and gold, the fiery luster, the black shadow, and the untempered light of the intervening substance” (Page 94).
“Nay,” rejoined the young minister, putting his hand to his heart, with a flush of pain flitting over his brow, “were I worthier to walk there, I could be better content to toil here” (Page 126).

The Victorian novel The Crucible by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a Historical Fiction about Puritan life in New England in the late 1600’s. Hawthorne uses foreshadowing throughout the book to give the reader a sense of what is to come in the story. An example of this rhetorical strategy is, “The mother’s impassioned state had been the medium through which were transmitted to the unborn infant the rays of its moral life; and, however white and clear originally, they had taken the deep stains of crimson and gold, the fiery luster, the black shadow, and the untempered light of the intervening substance” (Page 94). This sentence is foreshadowing about Hester Prynne’s child, and how even though the baby did not commit adultery like her mother she is still “stained” by her mother’s sin. Pearl, Hester’s baby, was conceived from adultery which meant that she was not pure like the other children in the village. After the reader has taken this quote in the are filled with a sense of melancholy towards the little girl. This passage hints that later in life Pearl will still be known as being the child of an adulterer, and that reputation will never subside, it will be with her the rest of her life. Another passage that uses the rhetorical strategy is, “Nay,” rejoined the young minister, putting his hand to his heart, with a flush of pain flitting over his brow, “were I worthier to walk there, I could be better content to toil here” (Page 126). In the quote where the minister says, “Nay, were I worthier to walk there, I could be better content to toil here.” He is talking about if he knew that he had a very good chance of getting into heaven then he would not succumb to his ailment, and carry on helping people on earth. With the second part of the quote, “...putting his hand on his heart, with a flush of pain flitting over his brow...” it makes this quote another piece of foreshadowing that Hawthorne uses in the book. When the minister puts his hand over his heart and feeling pain at the mention of being pure enough to be given a place in heaven it shows that he knows inside that he is not completely pure. This foreshadows that the minister is keeping a dark secret that “in God’s eyes” makes him not worthy of heaven because he has not confessed his sin, and if he does then he will become an outcast of the village. When reading this quote a reader can feel a sense of forlornness because they can see that the young minister doesn’t believe that he is worthy of Heaven and has a secret that continues to afflict him. The Scarlet Letter is very similar to The Saint by Dan Abnett due to the dark and religious views. Another reason why these two books are similar is because both the authors use foreshadowing throughout the book to give hints to their readers.


I believe that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses foreshadowing throughout the book to hint at what will happen to the characters. In the book, Hawthorne never just comes out and says something, he constantly hints about things and doesn’t beat around the bush. An example of this would be, “Nay,” rejoined the young minister, putting his hand to his heart, with a flush of pain flitting over his brow, “were I worthier to walk there, I could be better content to toil here” (Page 126). In this part, Roger Chillingworth and Reverend Dimmsdale are talking and Chillingworth mentions about the minister will walk with God in the New Jerusalem but Dimmsdale has committed a sin that he has not openly repented. The only thing is, Hawthorne doesn’t just come out and say that, he keeps giving subtle hints as to why Reverend Dimmsdale acts the way he does. One of these subtle hints is when Dimmsdale places his hand over his heart; this hints that he is trying to hide something that should be there, like the scarlet letter that Hester Prynne wears. This is just one of the many foreshadows that Hawthorne uses throughout the book.


Question: Throughout the book, what is Pearl referenced to and why is she described that way?

Blog Instructions

For each piece of literature that you are required to read and annotate independently, you will also be expected to post to this blog. Each post worth up to 50 points must include all of the following:

• A one-paragraph STAARS analysis of some portion of the text (30 points)
  
• A one-paragraph personal response through which you defend an original controlling idea or thesis using specific details cited from the text (15 points)
  
• A question for your peers that requires textual investigation to answer AND/OR a 3-5 sentence response to a peer's question that includes evidence from the text for support (5 points)

Please bear in mind that while these discussions are taking place outside of class via this technology, your participation is a part of your course work. This means that conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation) count and, while your tone can be informal and you may directly address your peers by name, you are expected to focus on the literature and refrain from making any personal comments about your peers and/or their posts.

At least one of us will be moderating the blog on a regular basis and we are always available to answer your questions so please don't hesitate to ask for assistance!

Thank You,
Mrs. Siragusa and Mrs. Schwarzott

Welcome!

Thank you for challenging yourself by enrolling in English III Honors for the 2010-2011 school year. While you will be responsible for the same knowledge and skills as your peers in the Regents course, you will be expected to do more of your reading outside of class so that more class time can be spent on discussion. Additionally, you will be responsible for independently reading and annotating one related piece of literature for each full-length work read in class, will be required to blog about your independent reading and will write literary analyses and research papers on the paired texts each quarter.

Our hope is that you've made the choice to take Honors English because of a love of literacy. If you are not enthusiastic about reading, writing and related discussion, we urge you to reconsider your choice and discuss your options with your school counselor prior to the add/drop due date. However, if you're committed, we're sure this will be a rewarding and exciting year for you in English class and we're excited to be your guides.

Thank You,
Mrs. Siragusa and Mrs. Schwarzott