The Changing of The “A”
“It is society which, fashioning us in its image, fills us with religious, political , and moral beliefs that control our actions” by Emile Durkheim. People in the present world do not even know their real self because of society; Society shapes us to be who we are. Not only does society shape us it also judges people by what they do. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the symbol of the letter “A” changes from adultery, to ability, to angel, then to the living persona of Pearl.
Puritans believed individuals who were found to have sex outside of marriage faced strict punishments. Hester had sexual relations with a man, which who was not her husband. The puritans punished her miserably by making
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Hester created the scarlet letter so beautifully that her work sprouted and eventually was seen on the governor, military men, the minister, babies, and even the dead. “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." (Hawthorne pg 148). Hester was such a strong and independent woman. Not only did Hester not have a man to help her raise pearl, she possessed an art that would supply food for her child and herself. Hester was able to do many things by herself and for …show more content…
1:14). Hester has been compared to an angel, but is not literally an angel. Instead, her actions led her to be known as the angel of mercy. "...which we interpret to stand for Angel. For as our good Governor Winthrop was made an angel this past night, it was doubtless held fit that there should be some notice thereof." (Hawthorne pg 145). Ms. Prynne did something not many individuals back in the puritans society would have not done, in which, she gave to the poor and desperate. Hester made such positive actions, consequently, the symbolic meaning of the “A” was changed to the public view as an angel.
Many readers would conclude that Pearl is the spawn of Satan. Pearl was a wild child; she was her mother's daughter. “...Above all, the warfare of Hester's spirit, at that epoch, was perpetuated in Pearl." (Hawthorne 83. Basically, each time Hester lays eyes upon Pearl she is reminded of her sin and adultery. Since the majority viewed Pearl as the spawn of satan and reminds Hester of her negative actions; pearl is the living
From the moment she is born in the cold, heartless prison, Pearl is placed under scrutiny. The townspeople see her as a visible reminder of sin, and it isn't long until even her own mother searches for evil in her. The girl is described as "the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life!"(Hawthorne 103). With her fascination from an early age with the scarlet letter, Hester believes that Pearl's very reason for existence is to torment her mother. Hester fails to realize that the letter is just something bright and significant to which Pearl reacts; instead, she sees every glance, every word aimed at the letter, every touch of Pearl's tiny fingers to her bosom as an added torture resulting from her adultery. Hester, considering Pearl's very existence, goes so far as to question if the impish child is even her own. "Thou art not my child! Thou art no Pearl of mine!"(Hawthorne 99) she tells Pearl, only half-jokingly. In her own way, she wonders whether Pearl was sent to her by God or by a demon wishing to cause her pain. She is not alone in this speculation; many of the town's citizens believe there is something of the Devil in Pearl.
Evil. Pearl was the baby that was born into darkness and is now a devil baby. The name Pearl was a very unique name and the meaning is very unique as well. The name Pearl is very unique in it’s own way already, but Hawthorne makes it even more unique. “But she named the infant Pearl, as of being of great price, -purchased with all she had, -her mother’s only treasure.” (Hawthorne 81) Hawthorne says that because no matter how evil Pearl is, she happens to be the only thing that keeps Hester sane. Pearl is a very devious child and I think it’s because Hester created her out of sin. “Pearl would grow up positively terrible in her puny wrath, snatching up stones to fling at them, with shrill, incoherent exclamations” (Hawthorne 86) Hawthorne explains that Pearl is always doing bad things but she doesn’t know any better because that’s how she was
He defies the system of education by leaving the institution and starting his own school. He did this because he believed following a set system with rules would hurt his integrity. This similar act plays out in the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the novel, main character Hester Prynne cares for her child despite what others think. She puts little importance to the townspeople's ridicule and judgement and continues to walk through the marketplace with her head held high. Hester keeps her integrity and continues to focus on her most important goal, which is to look after her daughter Pearl and give her all the love she deserves. Like Henry, Hester showed strength through her determination of keeping her strong moral principles and making her own decisions. Despite being judged and hated, Hester stayed sane and together because she had her integrity and knew the importance of defying against all external forces to be able to stick to what she believed
The Scarlet Letter involves many characters that go through several changes during the course of the story. In particular, the young minister Dimmesdale, who commits adultery with Hester, greatly changes. He is the moral blossom of the book, the character that makes the most progress for the better. It is true that Dimmesdale, being a minister, should be the role model of the townspeople. He is the last person who should commit such an awful crime and lie about it, but in the end, he confesses to the town. Besides, everybody, including ministers, sin, and the fact that he confesses illustrates his courage and morality.
Present day churches can be filled with hypocrites. Some members and religious leaders go to church to look nice and appealing to someone else. They present themselves as holy and perfect and incapable of doing wrong, but they know they are far from that. As hard as they may try to look and act like the perfect being, the truth of their imperfect ways will be revealed for all to know. This is the case with the character or Arthur Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter. Dimmesdale appears incorruptible, revered and strong, but in reality he was corrupt, dishonest, and weak.
It is impossible to understand how the meaning of the scarlet letter transforms as the novel progress without first understanding its literal meaning and how it affects Hester. At the beginning of the novel Hester is depicted to be standing on the scaffold with the scarlet letter as bright as ever glinting on her chest. In the Puritan faith adultery was considered to be the most ignominious offence and the punishment was public humiliation and the burden of the scarlet letter, and its ubiquitous wrath haunting your every move. The disheartening insults that Hester was bombarded with at every corner inevitably made her stronger, “Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers, —stern and wild ones, —they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss (Hawthorn 209). Through the powers of time this strength was what forged new meanings for the scarlet letter.
In his piece, The Scarlet Letter and Revolutions Abroad, Larry J. Reynolds aims to link Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, to historical revolutions both past and present. He explains that one can draw parallels between the story and revolutions by examining the structure, themes, setting, language, as well as characterization within the story. As to why these parallels are present, Reynolds doesn’t give much explanation but justifies his claim by saying the revolutions and disrupts abroad were constantly on Hawthorne’s mind.
To begin with, there are various symbols present in The Scarlet Letter which serve to juxtapose Hester Prynne’s and the Puritan society’s distinctive perspectives concerning who she is, therefore exposing her personal sense of identity. The most prominent symbol is perhaps the eponymous scarlet letter which Hester is condemned to wear on her bosom. In the beginning of the story, the letter stands for “adulterer”, which reflects how Hester is seen as a sinner and immoral woman by both the society and herself. As the story progresses, this shared view evolves. Hester’s strength, labor and devotion for the underprivileged cause people to view the letter as signifying the word “able” as opposed to its original meaning. Meanwhile, to the unknowing Native Americans, the letter makes Hester seem like “a personage of high dignity among her people.” To Hester, however, the object which initially reminds her of her wrongdoing gradually becomes a part of her identity. Upon hearing that the council is considering to let her remove the letter, Hester expresses...
Many different literary works contain complex representations that can be interpreted in many different ways. Authors portray these representations through the use of characters, objects, the setting, and much more. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the forest around the society represents different things, depending on who is there. It is an open place where anything can happen. It is filled with wild animals, Native Americans, and other wild threats to the townspeople. The forest gives off a different meaning to the people of the town. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne exhibits these meanings in many scenarios.
Chapter 15- After Chillingworth left the meeting with Hester, Hester for the first time realized that she hated him. This change occurred very rapidly as she went from pity to hatred after realizing all the pain that he has caused not only her but everyone that he has been in contact with. We also get another example of a juxtaposition that Hawthorne has created between the relationship Hester has with Chillingworth and Dimmesdale respectively. Hester’s relationship with Chillingworth is a hate filled one with no love, while her relationship with Dimmesdale is a forbidden one that is filled with love. Hawthorne has an obvious motive in writing this chapter, and that is to demonstrate to reader the effects of being consumed into something. Chillingworth
...le 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" (156). She was "Able" to deal with a town that hated her, and then a town that accepted her for her good works. The society was able to look past their hatred for Hester Prynne and see that in fact they needed her. And finally she was able to stay, where she wanted to be. Over time the fact that Hester didn't crumble and in fact stood taller despite her exclusion, the Puritan society opened their eyes to see that good can survive even in the heart of a sinner. Despite everything they tried to do, out of their fear of losing their values, individuals would still make mistakes and cause differences in the community. Thus saying that within a community there will always be individuals to test the limits of society.
For example, they believe that love can only manifest itself in a marital relationship, even though Hester and Dimmesdale’s love belies this. Additionally, their tendency to administer harsh punishment for insignificant crimes pushes the multitude to camouflage their sins, in spite of their instincts to confess. The Puritans also refuse to acknowledge the parts of their natures that may be flawed, such as their craving for lavishness. Consequently, members of their society face unnecessary guilt and
As a living reminder of Hester’s extreme sin, Pearl is her constant companion. From the beginning Pearl has always been considered as an evil child. For Hester to take care of such a demanding child, put lots of stress onto her life. Hester at times was in a state of uncontrollable pressure. “Gazing at Pearl, Hester Prynne often dropped her work upon her knees, and cried out with an agony which she would fain have hidden, but which made utterance for itself, betwixt speech and a groan, ‘O Father in heaven- if Thou art still my Father- what is this being which I have brought into the world!’” (Hawthorne, 77).
The purpose of the scarlet letter is not fulfilled according to the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was put upon Hester’s bosom to claim her unholiness but instead the "punishment" served as a way for Hester to grow stronger. The townspeople were the first to see first introduction of Hester. She was looked down on since the branding of the letter “A” upon her bosom. She was a "figure of perfect elegance" compared to the Puritan women of "brief beauty" (Hawthorne pg.: 55, 57). Right from the start, Hester appears to be different from those around her, suggesting a rebellious attitude to the traditions and customs of the time where church and state were still considered to be the central government at the time. She was different from others due to her nature of her being. Hester wasn’t like all other women. If another woman were to be branded an adulteress, that woman would have probably try to keep her sin away from the townspeople and forever keep their peace. Hester on the other hand, had the bravery and boldness in her that did not frighten her to show off what she did wrong. She may have had the intention that...
Emotions instigate actions throughout a person’s life. Whether a person chooses to act upon their feelings reflects their true character. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne explains the qualities of human emotions through his characters. Each of his characters represents a moral quality in which people can relate to through their own lives. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne reveals his character's conflicting emotions and hearts.