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
Julie Ryan
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English Honors 4AC
29 October 2010
S-subject: Transgression
T-theme: Something that you do wrong can start out small, but cause huge consequences and get blown out of proportion.
A-attitude: distraught, resentful, agitated
A-Audience: Anyone
R-rhetorical: Symbolism
S-strategies:
“They averred, that the symbol was not mere scarlet cloth, tinged in an earthly dye-pot, but was red-hot with infernal fire”(pg91) “The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom.”(pg 191)
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates examples of symbolism throughout his book in order to enhance the meaning of transgression. The scarlet letter represents numerous things, from abominable wrong doings to impurity. “The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom”(pg 191). Because of the scarlet letter, even the sun wont acknowledge Hester Prynne. The blood-red letter makes people avoid her, even if they do not know the true meaning of why she has to wear it. Hawthorne uses the sun not shining to represent the way the scarlet letter affected Hester’s life. She was disregarded, and because of this she was respected by no one and had no one but her daughter. Everyone thought that she was a mystical being that should be feared, when in reality she just went against society’s morals. This makes the reader think that Hester did something worse then what she actually did. It shows the reader one way that the people reacted to Hester wearing the scarlet letter. The letter also symbolized a mark of impurity that would last for eternity because she would always have to wear it. “They averred, that the symbol was not mere scarlet cloth, tinged in an earthly dye-pot, but was red-hot with infernal fire”(pg91). Many people thought that the scarlet letter was a symbol of the devil and that wearing it made Hester impure or a witch. Because of this, her daughter Pearl was said to be a demon or non-human. This also shows the reader another way that transgression effected the people surrounded Hester Prynne, and how they were effected by it. Hawthorne uses symbolism to express the many different meanings of the scarlet letter and how a simple letter such as A can influence people and how they think of it . Instead of having a singular meaning, symbolism showed the multiple perspectives of Hawthorn‘s The Scarlet Letter.
Julie Ryan
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English Honors 4AC
29 October 2010
In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a crucial lesson conveyed is that it is better to tell others what you did wrong than to keep it a secret. If you keep a secret, the guilt always is on your mind but if you tell people, they will have a chance to forgive you so you can move on. In The Scarlet Letter, everyone knows that Hester had a child with a man other then her husband. Even though she is ignored for a long period of time, people eventually forgive her and see her as a good person. “They had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of that one sin, for which she has borne so long and dreary penance, but of her many good deeds since”(pg169). People eventually began to recognize the good deeds that Hester did, and start to accept her for who she is. Unlike Hester, the father of her child, Dimmesdale, did not confess and had to bear his secret. He had to watch people only avoid Hester, and let her take the blame. “By giving me this burning torture to bear upon my breast! By sending yonder dark and terrible old man, to keep the torture always at red-heat!”(pg267). The guilt of what Dimmesdale had done was always on his mind and always dragging him down. It changed his personality from happy, to depressed and full of regret. Instead of moving on like Hester, keeping a secret eventually led to his death after finally confessing to everyone. If Dimmesdale had told people of his secret earlier on, he could have cleared his conscience and started over. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was able to advance in her life because she did not keep her secret. Dimmesdale, who kept his secret, could not advance, and his secret consumed as well as destroyed his life.
Why does Pearl think her mom wears the scarlet letter? Use details from the text.
ReplyDeleteSubject: Freedom
ReplyDeleteTheme: Freedoms are lost when there is a harsh society with rules that need to be followed.
Attitude: Peaceful, knowledgeable, and natural
Audience: Everyone
Rhetorical: Symbolism to the forest
Strategies: “This hemmed it in so narrowly, and stood so black and dense on either side, disclosed such imperfect glimpses of the sky above, that, to Hester’s mind, it imaged not amiss the moral wilderness in which she had so long been wandering.” (191) “But there was Hester, clad in her gray robe, still standing beside the tree-trunk, which some blast had overthrown a long antiquity ago, and which time had ever since been covering with moss, so that these two fated ones, with earth’s heaviest burden on them, might there sit down together, and find a single hour’s rest and solace.” (223) “It was the same town as heretofore; but the same minister returned not from the forest.” (226)
The subject is freedom from the Puritan society. Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses how the forest serves as a place where all of the rules can be broken because it is where the witches and the Black Man run around and religion is ignored. Hester is able to reveal Chillingworth’s true identity here to Dimmesdale and they can both be themselves because sin is unheard of in the forest. Also she lives in a cottage on the outskirts of town with Pearl which shows that the outcasts can be free in the forest without anybody bothering them. Hawthorne feels it is necessary to write about the freedom of the forest because he is comparing it to the harsh rules of a human society that does not allow individuality. People have a hard time forgiving people for sins or when they have done something that society thinks is bad. Because of this, it can ruin peoples’ reputations and it does not allow them to be themselves, but if the society was not as harsh then people would actually have freedom. Hawthorne feels that the forest gives people peace from the strict rules of civilization of the town. He feels it is a knowledgeable place because it shows how messed up the society has become especially since the Puritans created the same exact society that they were trying to escape from to get religious freedoms. He also feels that the forest is a natural place because it accepts all types of people like the Indians, the sailors, the witches, and the outcasts because nature does not judge people and their own individualities. Hawthorne is writing to everyone to show what the outcomes are when a society has strict rules that have to be followed. He uses the forest to show freedom so the writing technique that he uses is symbolism. Hawthorne states, “This hemmed it in so narrowly, and stood so black and dense on either side, disclosed such imperfect glimpses of the sky above, that, to Hester’s mind, it imaged not amiss the moral wilderness in which she had so long been wandering.” (191) This sentence describes how the forest is a free place from society and it is almost protecting Hester in a sense when the trees are described as all around her. The author shows how Hester and Dimmesdale were able to show affection and be themselves in a peaceful setting when he writes, “But there was Hester, clad in her gray robe, still standing beside the tree-trunk, which some blast had overthrown a long antiquity ago, and which time had ever since been covering with moss, so that these two fated ones, with earth’s heaviest burden on them, might there sit down together, and find a single hour’s rest and solace.” (223) Hawthorne is able to show how the forest is knowledgeable when he talks about how Dimmesdale learns how awful the Puritan society is when he talks with Hester in the forest. “It was the same town as heretofore; but the same minister returned not from the forest.” (226) This sentence shows how he has changed because of the freedoms of the forest let him think on his own.
Hester and Dimmesdale had to struggle with the theme of identity throughout The Scarlet Letter because of the Puritan society that they lived in. Hester could not hide the fact that she committed adultery because she became pregnant with Pearl. She was forced to have her identity decided for her when she had to wear the scarlet letter as a punishment. All Puritans judged her and never saw her true individuality. Instead they saw her to be what they wanted to see her be, which was a sinful woman so their sins would not look as bad as her sin. The people did this to everyone and everything throughout the novel. When they saw the A in the sky after Governor Winthrop died they saw it to mean angel while Dimmesdale saw it to mean the scarlet letter on Hester’s chest when he was in the scaffold with Hester and Pearl. A sexton in the story the next morning told the minister, “--a great letter in the sky,--the letter A, which we interpret to stand for Angel.”(164) This event happened when the sexton was returning Dimmesdale’s glove where he chose not to believe that Dimmesdale was in the scaffold last night, which gave Dimmesdale a loss of his true identity. He was trying to hide his identity which was exactly what the Puritans wanted because no one wanted to have a sinful minister even though he was teaching and preaching them the best sermons because of his sin and his true identity. Hester was able to understand identity because she did not believe in the Puritan society yet it was the only one she really knew. “The world’s law was no law for her mind.” (170) This realization gave her the power to think on her own and to find her true identity. Hester never took the letter off because she tried to keep her identity even though she was ashamed of it. The letter was a part of her past and she did not want to forget about it because it was a part of who she was. Because Hester’s secret was known she was able to personally try to hold on to her identity even when the society was not allowing her to do so. The way society defined her was different from the way Hester defined herself. Hester learned not to care about this and to keep living because she had to for Pearl even though she did not believe in the Puritan ways. Pearl and the scarlet letter took away her individuality, but she was able to embrace it and admit to herself her real identity. Pearl did not follow the rules of the Puritan society which allowed her to be humane. “The child could not be made amendable to rules.” (94) This explained why Pearl was so intelligent and understood life better than most Puritans. Since she was born illegally it gave her the right to not follow the rules and to have an identity. Dimmesdale was forced to hide his identity which caused him to go along with the peer pressure. He was seen as a Holy man that could do no wrong. Because he had to keep it in, he had a hard life of guilt and he eventually died from it even after he expressed the truth because he did not actually learn the theme of identity. He was not able to accept that he sinned the way Hester was able to. Even after he died people did not learn what Hester was able to learn because they still wanted to believe that Dimmesdale was a holy man so he never was able to have a true identity even after he died. Chillingworth willingly came up with his own identity to get revenge on Dimmesdale, but it failed because he lied about it and he sinned as badly as Hester and Dimmesdale, but the society accepted that he was a doctor and a good man because that was what they chose to believe. When the Puritan society decides to give people their real identity then that will be the day that the society will become free, but until that day identity and symbolism will have confusing definitions and the Puritans won’t be able to have their religious freedoms that they wanted when they came to America.
ReplyDeleteAfter Hester was released from jail she was allowed to leave the Massachusetts Bay colony where she could have taken the scarlet letter off. Instead she decided to stay in the Puritan town in a nice cottage on the outskirts of town. Why didn’t she decide to leave when she had the chance to start a new life with Pearl without anyone knowing of her sin?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Mya's question, at the end of chapter 5 Hester does not leave even though she was allowed to. She decides not to leave because in a way she wants to punish herself for the sin she has committed. By staying in Massachusetts, she is preventing herself from any joy she could possibly get out of life. She even lives in the cottage outside of town to isolate herself from everyone, since they disowned her for her sin anyway. As stated in the book, "What she compelled herself to believe - what, finally, she responded upon, as her motive for continuing a resident of New England - was half a truth, and half a self-delusion. Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint-like, because the result of martyrdom." (Page 83-84) So the text supports the fact that she stays to live out the consequences of her wrong doings.
ReplyDeleteHaydee Espada
ReplyDeleteSTAARS
Subject: Acceptance
Theme: Sometimes when a person is withholding a secret or even done something that was wrong, it can either eat away at them until they have nothing left, or make them a overall stronger willed human being.
Attitude: Non self pity, discipline, responsibility
Audience: Anyone
Rhetorical: Symbolism
Strategies: "Such helpfulness was found in her - so much power to do, and power to sympathize, - that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." (Page 168)
In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the idea of symbolism to push forward the overall idea of acceptance. This message isn't for any specific group of people. It can be for anyone. Hester committed adultery, hence the A on her bosom, but she learned to accept the mistake she made and moved on with her life. Of course not forgetting the sin she committed, but accepting it as a part of herself. In the beginning, Hester punished herself for committing such a horrible sin, but throughout the novel, there is a slight but noticeable change in Hester. Hester eventually learns how to accept the past, and this makes her an overall stronger person. She learns how to take responsibility for her actions and she has no pity for herself. Although it is obvious the Scarlet Letter "A" represents an adulterer, there is far more behind its meaning. The "A" also symbolizes shame. Its clear to anyone that in the beginning of the novel, Hester has a lot of resentment for Pearl's existence and how she came to be, but as the novel goes on, the "A" becomes Hester's identity and it becomes a part of her. In the eyes of the puritans, she changes the meaning of the "A" from adulterer, to able. The puritans no longer see Hester as a woman of sin, but rather as a woman of capability. Some of the puritans also believed that the Scarlet Letter helped people who inhabited it gain a sense of holiness and well-being after letting it be a part of them for such a long time. As said in the text, "Such helpfulness was found in her - so much power to do, and power to sympathize, - that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength."(Page 168), proves that the Puritans changed their view of Hester as time went on and the Scarlet Letter became her identity in a positive nature. Nathaniel Hawthorne is very diverse in the way he uses the "A" in the novel. It has more than 1 meaning, but also changes meaning throughout the book from a negative to positive way based on the opinions of the people around her.
As the novel The Scarlet Letter unfolds, it is noticed that the guilt really eats away at Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. He struggles with guilt because Hester has to deal with all the punishment from both of their sin. Although he feels he should share the punishment with Hester, he cannot bring himself to tell society because he is in such a high place in society that everyone would lose all respect for him. It affects Dimmesdale so much that he actually becomes ill with a heart problem. He tortures himself mentally and physically because of the guilt he feels. On page 181, it talks about the fact that the Puritans believed that no amount of good deeds can excuse a sinner. This probably also was a supporting factor in the reason the Rev kept his secret from everyone. Although he doesn't physically have a "A" on his bosom like Hester does, he feels the pain and often clutches his hand over his heart as a sign of remorse for his sins. Dimmesdale also felt like a hypocrite because he is a Reverend who is preaching sermons but yet he is a sinner himself. This brings him to confess his wrongful deed to the public, with Hester and Pearl standing by his side. This novel is a sad love story between 2 people who cannot be together because of a secret that needs to be kept from society. Even when Hester dies, she is buried next to Dimmesdale, but they are spaced far enough apart to show that although they were secret lovers, it was still wrong for them to be together in the manner in which they went about it. "It was near that old and sunken grave, yet with a space between, as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle." (Pg 274) They also share a tombstone with the letter "A" on it. This sums up the whole novel's purpose that no sin as serious as adultery shall ever be made holy, no matter how much right is done throughout a persons life. A persons sins are taken to the grave, literally in this case.
ReplyDeleteAbigail Baker
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English Honors 4AC
29 October 2010
Subject- Guilt
Theme- The guilt that someone feels does not need to be from the comments and observations of others or shown openly. It can also be felt in just as much magnitude, if not more, by only one person who keeps their own guilt hidden. People can also feel guilty of what they never did.
Attitude- shameful, sadness, regretful, afraid
Audience- Anyone
Rhetoric- Symbolism
Strategies-“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 the lines of dull red light.”
“And now, through the chamber which these spectral thoughts had made so ghastly, glided Hester Prynne, leading along little Pearl, in her scarlet garb, and pointing her forefinger, first at the scarlet letter on her own bosom, and then at the clergyman’s own breast.”
In The Scarlet Letter, shame was shown in the form of the badge Hester Prynne was forced to wear. This displayed her shame and guilt for all to see and all to comment on. However, for several years after she was made to don the scarlet letter, Reverend Dimmesdale struggled through his own guilt. He did not come forward when they tried to find the one whom Hester had committed adultery with, and she never told anyone to protect him. The entire time, the shame and guilt had begun to eat away at him however, until it started to affect his health so much that he became very sickly. He had felt guilt toward more than one thing, the first being that he even committed such a sin. The second was that he kept it buried within him all those years instead of coming forward and confessing, which would have been the right thing to do. He had begun to keep a hand over his chest constantly, as if hiding a scarlet letter of his own, even though there was no visible badge. The guilt in the fact that such a holy man had fallen so low was kept secret for all those years, causing his health to spiral downward. “And now, through the chamber which these spectral thoughts had made so ghastly, glided Hester Prynne, leading along little Pearl, in her scarlet garb, and pointing her forefinger, first at the scarlet letter on her own bosom, and then at the clergyman’s own breast.” (151) Dimmesdale was reminded every day of what he had done when he saw Hester and Pearl, and also of what he hadn’t done. He had no letter to show on his chest to mark his shame, but it was there, eating away at his very life. He felt like he was lying to everyone. That he was no rightful pastor because he had committed such an awful sin. “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 the lines of the dull red light.” (161) Reverend Dimmesdale did not need to be shamed by the public to feel the weight of his guilt. The years he had kept it buried had done more damage than they ever could have. Seeing the letter marked in the sky, and his vision of Pearl pointing to his chest proves that his guilt never left him and he thought about it constantly. It is not good to linger on it for so long, as it stays with someone for a long time. Instead of bottling the guilt up, it would be better to confess and to be able to move on. Eventually, the guilt that Dimmesdale felt was so great that it killed him, not able to live with it ailing him any longer. Had he confessed sooner than just before his death, he would have been able to live with less guilt than just keeping it locked away from everyone.
Guilt is a horrible feeling that stays with a person long after they have done something. It always lingers in the back of their head and makes them feel awful about what they have done. It is even worse if they did not tell what they had done. People can make a person feel guilty, but someone can keep that guilt hidden, constantly reminding themselves unwillingly of what created that guilt. It does not subside, and sometimes is only lifted once a person confesses to the felony they had committed. “…ye, that have loved me!-ye, that have deemed me holy! Behold me here, the one sinner of the world! At last!-at last!-I stand upon the spot where, seven years since, I should have stood; here, with this woman, whose arm, more than the little strength wherewith I have crept hitherward. Sustains me, at this dreadful moment, from groveling down upon my face. Lo, the scarlet letter which Hester wears! Ye have all shuddered at it! Wherever her walk hath been,-wherever, so miserably burdened, she may have hoped to find repose,-it hath cast a lurid gleam of awe and repugnance round about her. But there stood one in the midst of you, at whose brand of sin and infamy ye have not shuddered!” Reverend Dimmesdale knew he was dying, and decided to finally confess to his crime. The guilt in the first place was what had reduced him to such an unhealthy state. Guilt can indeed make someone’s health spiral down if it weighs heavily upon their conscience. Not telling anyone makes it worse, in the example that Dimmesdale became very sick after the events that had transpired several years ago. He was reminded of his guilt every day by multiple things: The scaffold, Hester and Pearl, and even his job as a pastor. He felt so low that he did not think he deserved to be a pastor anymore. He covered up his guilt for so long, pretending he was an innocent man, but he could not hide the effect the overwhelming guilt had on him on the outside. Choosing to talk about what made someone feel so full of guilt is much better than not telling at all. It gives the person a chance to get it off of their chest and to work things out.
ReplyDeleteWhy did Reverend Dimmesdale not step forward the day Hester was released from the jail and stand on the platform with her? How might things have been different if he had stepped up that day?
ReplyDeleteCody DeToy Blog
ReplyDelete10-27-10 English Honors
STAARS
Subject: Hope
Theme: Even though life may not be going smoothly, in the end something may come along to bring back optimism.
Attitude: Dark, unfaithful, doubtful, optimistic, and hopeful
Audience: Anyone that is reading the book
Rhetorical: Symbolism
Strategies
“A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments, and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.” Page 49
“But, 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.” Page 50
In The Scarlett Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the idea of a rosebush to the side of the prison as a sign of kindness from Nature and from the Puritans, the major religion of the time of the Salem Witch Trials. This shows that since a prisoner is on trial and convicted for a crime, they look to the rosebush as a sign of forgiveness and strength. In the second quotation, the term “portal” is expressed towards the prison doors as a portal to the next world after their death. “A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments, and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded….,” could represent the judge, the jury, and the executioner. As the prisoner is exiting the “portal” to the next world, they look to the rose bush as a sign of forgiveness, and compassion.
A question for my peers: If you were tried and convicted of witchcraft and were sentenced to die, would you in some way seek forgiveness in nature? If so, what and why?
Yelena Odeychuk
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English Honors 4AC
27 October 2010
Subject: Shame
Theme: When someone sins or breaks the law, they feel shame when people find out.
Attitude: Sorrowful, empathetic, and outraged
Audience: Anyone
Rhetorical: Symbolism
Strategies:
“In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbors” (page 55).
“A blessing on the righteous Colony of the Massachusetts, where iniquity is dragged out into the sunshine! Come along, Madam Hester, and show your scarlet letter in the market-place” (page 57).
In the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author talks about shame by using symbolism. During this time in history, if you did something that was considered evil and a sin, you were publicly humiliated. When Hester Prynne commits adultery, she must stand on a scaffold for three hours in front of all the people in her town. The purpose of this was for the convicted person to feel bad about themselves and to never do anything wrong again. The people watching this would not want to sin because they wouldn’t want to be standing there, feeling ashamed. Hawthorne says, “A blessing on the righteous Colony of the Massachusetts, where iniquity is dragged out into the sunshine! Come along, Madam Hester, and show your scarlet letter in the market-place” (page 57). In addition to standing on the scaffold, Hester had to wear a scarlet letter on her dress for as long as she lived for everyone to see it and be reminded of her sin. Whenever anyone saw Hester they would laugh at her or feel sorry for her. Everyone in town would also ignore her and not talk to her. Hester and her daughter both felt like they didn’t belong to society and were ostracized. The author says, “In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbors” (page 55). Along with the scarlet letter, Pearl is Hester’s other sign of shame. By looking at Pearl, Hester will always be reminded of her adultery. Hester eventually learns to deal with the scarlet letter and Pearl becomes her best friend. Pearl also keeps Hester from getting into any additional trouble, such as being a witch. The scarlet letter also starts to represent able and not adulterer. Using these symbols, the author is able to show us how Hester deals with sin.
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a main idea that book shares is that it is better for your sin to be known than to be kept in secret. Everyone knew about Hester’s sin and that is why she had to wear the scarlet letter. Even though people made fun of her and ignored her, she never felt any physical pain. Later in the book, people even forgot about her sin and forgave her. They even changed the meaning of the scarlet letter from adulterer to able. On the other hand, Arthur Dimmesdale never tells anyone about his sin and has to suffer on the inside. “And thus, while standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart” (page 153). Even though he didn’t have a real scarlet letter, he had his hand over his heart most of the time and had a red scare on his chest. He even tortures himself and doesn’t sleep at night. He is afraid people will find him on the scaffold at night and doesn’t hang out with Hester and Pearl in town so people will see them together. Arthur says, “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret” (page 200). He knows that it is better to reveal your sin and he does this at the end of the book. One of the reasons Arthur doesn’t want to reveal his sin is because he is a minister and people look up to him. He continues giving sermons in church which only makes him feel worse. If he would have confessed his sin earlier like Hester did, then he would probably still be alive.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Hester name her daughter Pearl? Use evidence from the book.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBrittany Keyes
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English Honors 4AC
27 October 2010
Subject: Isolation
Theme: The consequence of sin is alienation.
Attitude: Overwrought, raw, bitter, and distressed.
Audience: This novel was written towards the general audience of 1850.
Rhetorical:Symbolism towards the letter A
Strategies:
"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."(pg. 161) "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."(pg.55)"Her mother, with the scarlet letter on her breast, glittering in its fantastic embroidery, had long been a familiar object to the townspeople" (pg.166) "-so much power to do and power to sympatize,-that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." (pg.168) "The scarlet letter had not done its office." (pg.173) "Thus, we seem to see that, as regarded Hester Prynne, the whole seven years of outlaw and ignominy had been little other than a preparation for this very hour." (pg 209)
Throughout the novel, Nathaniel Hawthrone uses the symbol of the letter A repeatedly. In the Second chapter of the novel, Hester walks out of the prison with a scarlet letter 'A'. "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."(pg.55)For the first few years of Hester's punishment, the letter is to remind her daily of her adulterour sin. As the story unfolds, the letter begins to unravel and have several definitions. Instead of torturing Hester, The letter becomes a symbol of able. "-so much power to do and power to sympatize,-that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." (pg.168) Several pages later, Hawthorn writes "The scarlet letter had not done its office." (pg.173) The letter was meant to punish her, yet she finds strength in it; the punishmeant had not worked. Then, in chapter 18, Hawthorne writes, "Thus, we seem to see that, as regarded Hester Prynne, the whole seven years of outlaw and ignominy had been little other than a preparation for this very hour." (pg209) Although the scarlet letter does bring some shame to Hester, as Hawthorne writes, it has not performed its duty. Hester plans to skip town and go back to Europe with Dimmesdale. Had she learned her lesson from the letter, she would have seen the wrong in running away with a man who was not her husband.
The theme of Nathaniel Hawthorn's book "The Scarlet Letter" is that the consequence of sin is alienation. The alienation was iether emotional, physical, or spiritual. This theme is viewed in three of the main characters, Hester Prynne, Reverand Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. The way that each character reacted to their sin varied; therefore, the alienation was different for each individual. Hester's alienation is purely physical, Dimmesdale's alienation is emotional and spiritual, while Chillingworth's alienation is both physical and emotional. Hester Prynne, our herione is completely alienated after the town discovers her sin of adultery. She is sent out of the puritan society for having a child with a man who was not her husband, and had to live for many years in isolation. Hester was forced to hold a red A on her chest which Hawthorne explains as, "From the intense consciousness of being the object of severe and universal observation, the wearer of the scarlet letter was at length relieved, by discerning on the outskirts of the crowd a figure which irresistibly took possession of her thoughts." (pg.62) Hester had been sent away from the center of Boston to the outskirts. There she lived in near complete isolation. "On the outskirts of town, within the verge of the peninsula, but not in close vicinity to any other habitation, there was a small thatched cottage. It had been built by an earlier settler, and abandoned because the soil about it was too sterile for cultivation, while its comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that social activity which already marked the habits of the emigrants. It stood on the shore, looking across a basin of the sea at the forest-covered hills toward the west." (pg.84) Hester was not an unintelligent woman. She was a great seamstress, and knew whole heartedly how much the village despised her. " In this manner, Hester Prynne came to have a part to perform in the world. With her native energy of character and rare capacity, it could not entirely cast her off, although it had set a mark upon her more intolerable to a woman’s heart than that which branded the brow of Cain. In all her intercourse with society, however, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came in contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she had inhabited another sphere, or communicated with the common nature by other organs than the rest of human kind." (pg.87/88) The forest ends up being Hester's secluded sanctuary where she can all at once escape the glares of humanity and seek the truth. All whilst being downhearted and isolated.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: On what basis was Hester convicted of Adultery?
Trevor Brudz
ReplyDelete10/29/10
S Subject: Forgiveness
T Theme: In life, many people are offended or wronged because of their appearances or actions. Those who forgive, show signs of maturity and without forgiveness, our world would be ridden with loathsome individuals.
A Attitude: valuable, sensible, prudent, and mature
A Audience: Anyone
R Rhetorical: Symbolism
S Strategies: “Behold, verily, there is the woman of the scarlet letter…Come, therefore, and let us fling mud at them” (105).
“It was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life! The mother herself – as if the red ignominy were so deeply scorched into her brain that all her conceptions assumed its form – had carefully wrought out the similitude; lavishing many hours of morbid ingenuity, to create an analogy between the object of her affection and the emblem of guilt and torture” (105).
“But…the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world’s scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and look upon with awe, yet with reverence, too” (273).
Symbolism is one of the many tools that writers often use to help make the situation more comprehendible to the reader. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author uses symbolism to further express the subject of forgiveness. In the beginning of the novel, Hester Prynne is laughed at and publicly humiliated due to the “A” on her chest, which represents adultery. Shamefully, she is put on the scaffolds and disgraced. “Behold, verily, there is the woman of the scarlet letter…Come, therefore, and let us fling mud at them” (105). Even after this public event she is still mocked and made fun of throughout the town. In the beginning of the novel, people thought of her as a leper and people were disgusted at the sight of her. “It was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life! The mother herself – as if the red ignominy were so deeply scorched into her brain that all her conceptions assumed its form – had carefully wrought out the similitude; lavishing many hours of morbid ingenuity, to create an analogy between the object of her affection and the emblem of guilt and torture” (105). In this passage it says that Pearl is symbolic of the scarlet letter. The object of her affection is referring to Pearl and the emblem of guilt and torture is the scarlet letter.
Throughout the world, forgiveness is a vital component in human companionship and relations between one another. Those who don’t forgive, often leads their status as dislike or hatred for one another. If you forgive, you show signs of maturity and forgiveness can lead to the lessening of loathsome feelings. “Of an impulsive and passionate nature, she had fortified herself to encounter the stings of venomous stabs of public contumely, wreaking itself in each variety of insult…” (59). Hester Prynne was mocked and it angered her. She heard laughter directed at her and yet she endured this pain. Her society condemned her but as time went on, she wore it with out caring of what other people thought. She would eventually be respected by society. “But…the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world’s scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and look upon with awe, yet with reverence, too” (273). Unknowingly, the Native Americans even thought it was a symbol of high respect. Although she did not specifically say that she forgave the townspeople, the reader can infer that because if she had not forgiven them, she would still be angry with them. It mentions in the novel that people had brought their “sorrows” and “perplexities” amongst her. This further expresses the fact that she forgave them because she was not loathsome. Another example in the novel occurs in chapter 17 when Hester Prynne was in the woods with Arthur Dimmesdale. Here, Arthur Dimmesdale would eventually forgive Hester Prynne because of here adulterous and wrongful actions. But after Hester Prynne had pleaded to the minister. Through it all, forgiveness gave stability throughout the society. Hester even became a high member of society because of forgiving those who wronged her. The town, especially women, came to her for advice and input. Forgiveness is what reconciles people and is necessary in all human societies throughout the world.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Yelena’s question: Hester names her daughter pearl because she feels that her daughter is her most valuable possession. “But she named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price – purchased with all she had, - her mother’s only treasure!” (92). Even though Hester said that she was her Pearl, the novel mentions that her name was not “expressive of her aspect,” and had “white unimpassioned luster.” Though the only reason for this selection was due to the fact that Pearl meant the world to Hester and that she was her prized possession or her treasure.
ReplyDeleteEric Brawn
ReplyDelete10/30/10
Subject: Growing Up
Theme: In life, people grow as a person as they gain expierence, and learn about consequences. People also learn that some things in life are worth the risk of those consequences, and as they discover what is worth fighting for, they grow as a person.
Attitude: connected, caring, understanding and empowered.
Audience: Anyone
Rhetorical: Symbolism
Strategies:
"It was a ghastly look with which he regarded them; but there was something at one tender and strangely triumphant in it. The child, with the bird like motion which was one of her characteristics, flew to him, and clasped her arms about his knees. Hester Prynne--slowly, as if impelled by inevitable fate, and against her strongest will--like wise drew near, but paused before she reached him." (Pg. 262-263)
"Ha, tempter! Methinks thou art too late!" answered the minister, encountering his eye, fearfully, but firmly. "Thy power is not what it was! With God's help, I shall escape thee now!" (Pg. 263)
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne used symbolism through out the book about learning what consequences are worth taking for the rewards. He shows that as someone grows up they learn more and more that love of all kinds is woth fighting for. Dimmesdale shows in the second quote that he does not care about the consequences that he may get, he just wants to be with Hester and his daughter, Pearl. In the first quote, it tells how Pearl runs up to the scaffold and hugs Dimmesdale at his legs. Through out The Scarlet Letter, Peral has not cared about what people think of her and she often made up her own enemies. In the first quote it shows, when she runs up and hugs Dimmesdale on the scaffold in front of everyone. Earlier on in the book though, Dimmesdale kissed Peral, and Pearl proceeded to wash it off in the creek in the forest. By the last chapters Peral has grown to love Dimmesdale and does not care about the consequences. Hester also, alomst uncontrollably, makes her way up to the scaffold becuase she loves Dimmesdale and does not care about the consequences, but stops becuase her expierences in her life has made her grow as a person that fears any consequences. Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the positive and negative sides og growing up in his novel, The Scarlet Letter.
Ryan Joyce
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English Honors 4AC
31 October 2010
Part 1
One of the subjects used in The Scarlet Letter is sin and its effects. Sinners during the Puritan era underwent feelings of torment, shame and guilt. With religion being the centerpiece of most New Englanders lives, those who sinned were generally looked down upon by society. While the book presented a dark and bitter vibe, it also showed sympathy, optimism, and hope. While the novel is mainly for reader at a high school level and above, the message of the book can be used by everyone. A rhetorical strategy used by the author is the symbolism of the letter A on Hester’s bosom. An example of this strategy can be found on page 208 and 209 of the novel. It reads: "She had wandered, without rule or guidance, into a moral wilderness. Her intellect and heart had their home, as it were, in desert places, where she roamed as freely as the wild Indian in his woods. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers - stern and wild ones - and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss." (Pg. 208-209)
Part 2
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the novel in order to show the themes he presents, such as sin. The scarlet letter represented Hester’s past sins. In this case, that sin was her affair with Arthur Dimmesdale, which produced a child, Pearl. On pages 149 and 150, there is a passage that gives an example of the symbolism used. It reads, "All the light and graceful foliage of her character had been withered up by this red-hot brand, and had long ago fallen away, leaving a bare and harsh outline, which might have been repulsive, had she possessed friends or companions to be repelled by it." (Pg. 149-50) This tells of what the effects of sin can truly due to those living in puritan New England. Before, Hester Prynne may have been a normal, holy woman among society. Now, she is forever branded because of her sins and will forever be viewed in a different way. Another quote states that "Many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." (pg. 148) While Hester is branded for life, it is up to those around her what to think of it. Because of her good work, others are able to ignore her sinful past and recognize her character as a good person. The quote shows clearly that the A is viewed as a symbol. The symbolism used by Hawthorne throughout the novel is able to give a much more rich meaning to the story. Without the symbolism, the scarlet letter would simply stand for Adultery and display to society what Hester did. Hawthorne is able to go deeper into the meaning, and describes it as her own guilt and shame. The letter can be viewed as a sort of barricade from society for Hester. With it, Hester and Pearl are unable to make acquaintances with others, as they do not wish to associate themselves with those who they believe are not of God. Hawthorne used symbolism in order to give a deeper meaning to the novel.
Do you believe the punishment for Hester's act of aldutery was fair? Explain. If not, what punishment could have been used instead?
ReplyDeleteSubject: Responsibility
ReplyDeleteTheme: The only way to grow as a person is to take responsibility for your actions. If you commit a crime, you are responsible for the punishment.
Attitude: Supportive,Understanding and Strict
Audience: Anyone
Rhetorical: Symbolism
Strategies:
"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." (pg 73)
"She turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame was real." (pg 81)
Symbolism is using an object or word that represents something else by association or resemblance. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the letter 'A' to symbolize your conscience. Every time Hester looks down at her letter, she is forced to remember her past and the crime she committed. The letter is a constant reminder to Hester of her past, almost as if it is her conscience. Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to help the reader understand that people can't escape their past. They can run and hide, but at the end of the day, you are still wearing the 'Scarlet Letter'.
Responding to Ryan's Question: I believe that the punishment received by Hester was completely fair. This book was based in the 1600's, when punishment for crimes was much worse than today. Hester was aware of the consequences awaiting her when she committed adultery, however, she still chose to proceed with the crime.
ReplyDeletePersonal Response:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading The Scarlet Letter, i noticed several controlling ideas. The most prominent idea however, was the idea that people must be punished for life because of criminal activity. Does someone deserve to be punished for life because of one mistake in their life? Hester was punished for life because of having an affair with Dimmesdale. She was shunned and exiled from her community for life. Was this punishment appropriate? Did she deserve a second chance? Most people in the 1600's would argue that she didn't deserve a second chance. Most people today however, would argue that people do deserve a second chance. How can you ever learn from your mistakes if you are punished for life? Hester made one mistake in her life, which subsequently caused her free life to end. I feel that this controlling idea is outdated. I believe that people deserve a second chance in life.
In what ways does Chillingworth torment and play mind-games with Dimmesdale? Explain using evidence from the book.
ReplyDeleteSTAARS
ReplyDeleteSubject:Prejudice
Theme: You have to learn to be true to yourself and not let others tell you how to live your life.
Attitude:ashamed,regretful,resentful
Audience:Everyone, helps people to be true to themselves.
Rhetorical: Symbolism
Strategies:
" She turned her eyes downward at the Scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real." (page 61)
" 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." (page 55)
In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthrone uses the rhetorical strategy of symbolism. He uses symbolism to help us understand the theme on the novel. Hawthrone uses the scarlet letter to help Hester to remember her sin that she has committed. Hester is reminded everyday of her sin."She turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real."(page 61) In the beginning of the novel Hester has to walk out on the platform in front of the whole town and as she walks out she appears with the letter A on her bosom. "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."(page 55) As you read more you find out that the meaning of the scarlet letter changes. The meaning of the letter turns out to mean Able. In the beginning of the novel the scarlet letter was to show Hester the sin she has made. Everytime Hester looks down at the letter "A", the town wants Hester to be reminded of her sin. By the end Hester ends up making the symbol apart of her. Hester was not ashamed of the letter because she felt as if she did nothing to deserve to wear the A. She doesn't let the symbol effect her and the way she lives her life. Symbolism helps us understand things while using symbols.
Using evidence from the novel, based on the reaction of the people towards Hester, do you think she made the right decision to hide Dimmesdale as the father of Pearl?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteS Guilty
ReplyDeleteT It is easier to be honest and tell the truth and deal with the consequences, than it is to have the guilt eating inside.
A Anxious, Fearful, Disappointed, Lonely
A Anyone
R symbolism
S
“Poor, miserable man! What right had infirmity like his to burden itself with crime? Crime is for the iron-nerved, who have their choice either to endure it, or, if it press too hard, to exert their fierce and savage strength for a good purpose, and fling it off at once!” (PG 153)
“’Behold! Behold a dreadful witness of it!’ With a compulsive motion, he tore away the ministerial band from his breast. It was revealed.” (PG 266)
In the novel the Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the rhetorical strategy of symbolism is used to portray guilt. During the 17th Century in Boston, there were strict rules of society that people were to live by. If any member of the community were to break these rules, they were to be scorned and mocked, in order to scare the other villagers from breaking the rules. For example, Hester was put on the town scaffold and harassed and a red ‘A’ was attached on her chest. This was because she committed adultery and had an illegitimate child with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The townspeople did not know he was the father however, so Dimmesdale was faced with extreme guilt. He was disappointed that he would be so weak, and was always anxious and worried that community residents would find out his secret. He was so afraid of telling the truth because he saw what terrible things happened to Hester. Dimmesdale would hold his chest in agony, which was a symbol of the painful guilt he held. Hawthorne states, “Poor, miserable man! What right had infirmity like his to burden itself with crime? Crime is for the iron-nerved, who have their choice either to endure it, or, if it press too hard, to exert their fierce and savage strength for a good purpose, and fling it off at once!” (PG 153) This quote illustrates how difficult it was for Dimmesdale to deal with this shame, and how he would truly love for the weight of guilt to be lifted off his shoulders. Right before Dimmesdale passed away he confessed all of his sins and made a final speech. As said in the text, “’Behold! Behold a dreadful witness of it!’ With a compulsive motion, he tore away the ministerial band from his breast. It was revealed.”(PG 266) This quote explains that the self-inflicted mark on Dimmesdale’s chest symbolizes the years of lonely guilt he felt. In conclusion, Hawthorne uses the literary strategy of symbolism to portray Hawthorne’s guilt.
Molly Lomondo
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English Honors 2AC
29 October 2010
S Subject: Strength
T Theme: Throughout life, people face many challenges and obstacles they must overcome in order to move forward in the world. To overcome these problems people must openly display a great deal of courage and strength.
A Attitude: Important, respectful, significant.
A Audience: This novel was written for a general audience.(anyone)
R Rhetorical: Symbolism
S Strategies:
"Day after day, she looked fearfully into the child's expanding nature, ever dreading to detect some dark and wild peculiarity, that should correspond with the guiltiness to which she owed her being." (page 93)
"In giving her existence, a great law had been broken; and the result was a being whose elements were perhaps beautiful and brilliant, but all in disorder; or with an order peculiar to themselves, amidst which the point of variety and arrangement was difficult or impossible to be discovered." (page 94)
Throughout life, people are faced with many challenges and obstacles they must overcome in order to move forward in the world. To overcome these problems people must openly display a great deal of courage and strength. Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses this idea in his historical fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter, by highlighting on the subject of strength. Within The Scarlet Letter, the main character, Hester Prynne has shown repeated examples of situations where she needed emotional strength to push forward and make it through the day. "Day after day, she looked fearfully into the child's expanding nature, ever dreading to detect some dark and wild peculiarity, that should correspond with the guiltiness to which she owed her being." (page 93) This quote displays Hester’s undeniable strength. Hester must overcome her fears of living with this constant reminder of the sin she has committed. It is important that she puts her fears behind her to make certain that the well being of her child, Pearl, comes first. "In giving her existence, a great law had been broken; and the result was a being whose elements were perhaps beautiful and brilliant, but all in disorder; or with an order peculiar to themselves, amidst which the point of variety and arrangement was difficult or impossible to be discovered." (page 94) This passage expands on the indisputable significance of strength in Hester’s life. Hester uses her active vigor to look past her wrong doings, represented by Pearl, and see the beauty and exquisiteness that came from this wonderful child. It takes strength to look at what most people see as a symbol of wickedness and sinfulness, and see the true beauty in it. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester’s daughter, Pearl, symbolizes the sinful crime Hester has committed. However it shows a great deal of strength to overcome that symbolism and see that Pearl may also represent a very positive attribute to the unfortunate situation as done by Hester. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, several women are convicted of witchcraft, on the other hand, some people believe that there is good in these women rather than evil and that they weren’t doing the work of the devil, but the work of God. This is similar to The Scarlet Letter in that it takes strength in seeing the good in something while others just see evil.
TEAR
ReplyDeleteThe literary device of symbolism is used to portray the theme that it is easier to be honest and tell the truth, and deal with the consequences, than it is to have the guilt eating inside. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a symbolic, romantic novel in the historical fiction genre. The quotes used containing the rhetorical strategies enhance the meaning of the passage because they show how guilt can completely disturb a person. In the novel, Dimmesdale feels so guilty for the sin he has committed by impregnating Hester that he causes himself physical harm. This novel is similar to novel The Crucible in the way that John Proctor feels regret and guilt for having an affair with Abigail, and putting Elizabeth in danger. Dimmesdale feels guilty for having an affair with Hester and getting her in trouble with the community.
Subject-Commitment
ReplyDeleteTheme-If a commitment is broken hen 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 times. Many themes are presented through the use of symbolism. Many themes are presented using the 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 of the innocent 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.
Do you believe that it can be justified s 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?
ReplyDeleteGabrielle Zaccour
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English III 4AC
1 November 2010
Subject- Acceptance
Theme- When given a punishment, you can either become angry with society or become a greater person through endeavoring the punishment given to you.
Attitude- Discipline, Forgiveness, Regretful
Audience- Anyone
Rhetorical
Strategy- Symbolism
Textual Evidence-
“She bore on her breast, in the curiously embroidered letter, a specimen of her delicate and imaginative skill of which the dames of a court might gladly have availed themselves, to add the richer and more spiritual adornment of human ingenuity to their fabrics of silk and gold.”(85).
“Her Pearl! −For so had Hester called her; not as a name expressive of her aspect, which had nothing of the calm, white unimpassioned lustre that would be indicated by the comparison. But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price, −purchased with all she had,−her mother’s only treasure.”(92)
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the book to express the meaning of acceptance. In the book Hester Prynne learns to accept her punishment for committing adultery. Hawthorne uses symbolism to show Hester’s acceptance of the scarlet “A”. An example of Hawthorne using symbolism is, “She bore on her breast, in the curiously embroidered letter, a specimen of her delicate and imaginative skill of which the dames of a court might gladly have availed themselves, to add the richer and more spiritual adornment of human ingenuity to their fabrics of silk and gold.”(85) Hester using silk and embroidering it with gold thread is symbolic. Silk and gold have luxurious and rich qualities. Her spending so much time and handiwork on it shows she wants it to stand out and that it isn’t just a punishment to her. “Her Pearl! −For so had Hester called her; not as a name expressive of her aspect, which had nothing of the calm, white unimpassioned lustre that would be indicated by the comparison. But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price, −purchased with all she had,−her mother’s only treasure.”(92) is also symbolic. Hester naming her daughter Pearl is symbolic because Pearl cost a lot. She did not pay for Pearl in the sense of money but she risked a lot having her. She accepts her punishment and part of her punishment is having her child through wedlock. Hawthorne uses symbolism many times throughout the book to show Hester’s acceptance of the scarlet letter and how their society begins to accept her after all the times she helped out the poor. He also used symbolism in many other ways than through her acceptance. When given a punishment, you can either become angry with society or become a greater person through endeavoring the punishment given to you.
In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne had committed adultery which is a sin that is looked past in today’s society. Back in Puritan times it was greatly frowned upon. The name of the father of her wedlock child had been kept a secret throughout most of the book, it was later revealed to be Reverend Dimmesdale. He suffered from anxiety and regretted not telling he was the father and didn’t share the punishment of wearing the “A” along with Hester. “’Do I feel joy again?’ cried he, wondering at himself. ‘Methought the germ of it was dead in me! O Hester, thou art my better angel! I seem to have flung myself—sick, sin-stained, and sorrow-blackened—down upon these forest-leaves, and to have risen up all made anew, and with new powers to glorify Him that hath been merciful! This is already the better life!’”(211). This is when Hester and Dimmesdale were talking and all the stress lifted off his shoulders. Him and Hester decided to leave New England because Chillingworth was trying to get vengeance toward Dimmesdale because Chillingworth was Hester’s previous husband. When they were planned on leaving, Chillingworth had asked the ships commander to go with them and he had agreed. Dimmesdale had gotten up on the pedestal with Hester and Pearl and confessed he had committed adultery with Hester. Hester and Dimmesdale learned that keeping the secret for all those years had caused emotional distress. Sometimes it is better to tell a secret than let it eat away at you for a long time.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen Mistress Hibbins and Hester are talking on Election Day in the market-place, who does Mistress Hibbins say Pearl is descended from?
ReplyDeleteS Guilty
ReplyDeleteT It is easier to be honest and tell the truth and deal with the consequences, than it is to have the guilt eating inside.
A Anxious, Fearful, Disappointed, Lonely
A Anyone
R symbolism
S
“Poor, miserable man! What right had infirmity like his to burden itself with crime? Crime is for the iron-nerved, who have their choice either to endure it, or, if it press too hard, to exert their fierce and savage strength for a good purpose, and fling it off at once!” (PG 153)
“’Behold! Behold a dreadful witness of it!’ With a compulsive motion, he tore away the ministerial band from his breast. It was revealed.” (PG 266)
In the novel the Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the rhetorical strategy of symbolism is used to portray guilt. During the 17th Century in Boston, there were strict rules of society that people were to live by. If any member of the community were to break these rules, they were to be scorned and mocked, in order to scare the other villagers from breaking the rules. For example, Hester was put on the town scaffold and harassed and a red ‘A’ was attached on her chest. This was because she committed adultery and had an illegitimate child with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The townspeople did not know he was the father however, so Dimmesdale was faced with extreme guilt. He was disappointed that he would be so weak, and was always anxious and worried that community residents would find out his secret. He was so afraid of telling the truth because he saw what terrible things happened to Hester. Dimmesdale would hold his chest in agony, which was a symbol of the painful guilt he held. Hawthorne states, “Poor, miserable man! What right had infirmity like his to burden itself with crime? Crime is for the iron-nerved, who have their choice either to endure it, or, if it press too hard, to exert their fierce and savage strength for a good purpose, and fling it off at once!” (PG 153) This quote illustrates how difficult it was for Dimmesdale to deal with this shame, and how he would truly love for the weight of guilt to be lifted off his shoulders. Right before Dimmesdale passed away he confessed all of his sins and made a final speech. As said in the text, “’Behold! Behold a dreadful witness of it!’ With a compulsive motion, he tore away the ministerial band from his breast. It was revealed.”(PG 266) This quote explains that the self-inflicted mark on Dimmesdale’s chest symbolizes the years of lonely guilt he felt. In conclusion, Hawthorne uses the literary strategy of symbolism to portray Hawthorne’s guilt.
TEAR
The literary device of symbolism is used to portray the theme that it is easier to be honest and tell the truth, and deal with the consequences, than it is to have the guilt eating inside. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a symbolic, romantic novel in the historical fiction genre. The quotes used containing the rhetorical strategies enhance the meaning of the passage because they show how guilt can completely disturb a person. In the novel, Dimmesdale feels so guilty for the sin he has committed by impregnating Hester that he causes himself physical harm. This novel is similar to novel The Crucible in the way that John Proctor feels regret and guilt for having an affair with Abigail, and putting Elizabeth in danger. Dimmesdale feels guilty for having an affair with Hester and getting her in trouble with the community.