A Review Of The Scarlet Letter
analytical Essay
1212 words
A Review of the Scarlet Letter
The novel opens with an explanation of how the romance of The Scarlet Letter came to be presented as a story in its existing form. Having always wanted to be a “literary man';, Nathaniel Hawthorne talks about his three-year stint as a Surveyor in the Salem Custom House. Mostly filled with older gentlemen, the workplace was a very political, Whig-influenced environment and charged with Puritan history. After brief character sketches of the personalities in the Custom House, Hawthorne then explains how he came upon a special package among the piles of papers. It contained a red cloth with the letter “A'; embroidered in gold thread and a manuscript by Jonathan Pue (the man who once held Hawthorne’s job). Finding the story extremely interesting, the author thus retells the story of Hester Prynne from Massachusetts’s Puritan history.
The first chapter begins with Hester being led to the scaffold where she is to be publicly shamed for having committed adultery. Hester is forced to wear the letter “A'; on her gown at all times as punishment for her crime. She has stitched a large scarlet “A'; onto her dress with gold thread, giving the letter an air of elegance. Hester carries Pearl, her daughter, with her. On the scaffold she is asked to reveal the name of Pearl’s father, but she refuses. In the crowd, Hester recognizes her husband from Amsterdam, Roger Chillingworth.
Chillingworth visits Hester after she is returned to the prison. He tells her that he will find out who the man was, and that he will read the truth on the man’s heart. He then forces her to promise never to reveal his own identity to anyone else.
Hester moves into a cottage bordering the woods. She and Pearl live there in relative solitude. Hester earns her money by doing stitchwork for local dignitaries, but often spends her time helping the poor and sick. Pearl grows up to be wild, in the sense that she refuses to obey her mother.
Roger Chillingworth earns a reputation as being a good physician. He uses his reputation to get transferred into the same home as Arthur Dimmesdale, an ailing minister. Chillingworth eventually discovers that Dimmesdale is the true father of Pearl, at which point he spends every moment trying to torment the minister.
One night Dimmesdale is so overcome with shame about hiding his secret that he walks to the scaffold where Hester was publicly humiliated.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne retells the story of hester prynne from massachusetts'amp;#8217;s puritan history.
- Analyzes how hester is forced to wear the letter “a' on her gown as punishment for her adultery. she carries pearl, her daughter, with her.
- Analyzes how chillingworth visits hester after she is returned to the prison. he tells her that he will find out who the man was, and read the truth on his heart.
- Narrates how hester and pearl live in relative solitude in a cottage bordering the woods, earning her money by doing stitchwork for local dignitaries, but often helping the poor and sick.
- Analyzes how roger chillingworth earns a reputation as being good physician and gets transferred to the same home as arthur dimmesdale, an ailing minister.
- Describes how dimmesdale is overcome with shame about hiding his secret that he walks to the scaffold where hester was publicly humiliated. he imagines the whole town watching him with a letter on his chest.
- Analyzes how a meteor illuminates the three people standing on the scaffold. hester realizes that chillingworth is slowly killing dimmesdale and that she has to help him.
- Narrates how hester sees chillingworth picking herbs in the woods and tells him that providence is now in charge of their fates.
- Analyzes how hester takes pearl into the woods where they wait for dimmesdale to arrive. he is surprised to see them, but confesses that he is desperate for a friend who knows his secret.
- Narrates how dimmesdale's encounter with hester and pearl revives his dreams of a better future together.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale arrives home and realizes his house looks strange and different. chillingsworth arrives at his door asking about his health.
- Analyzes how hester finds a ship that will carry all three of them to the old world, and it comes to pass that the ship is due to sail the day after dimmesdale gives his election sermon
- Analyzes how dimmesdale gives his election sermon, which receives the highest praise of any preaching he has ever performed. he then unexpectedly walks to the scaffold and stands on it, in full view of the gathered masses.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale tells the people that he is a sinner like hester and should have assumed his rightful place by her side over seven years earlier.
- Narrates how hester and pearl leave the town for awhile, and several years later, he returns. pearl is assumed to get married and have children in europe, but when she passes away, she is buried in the king's chapel.
Related
- analytical
- narrative
- Character Of Hester Prynneanalytical essayShe knows the severity of her sin, and therefore welcomes her punishment without rebellion. When she stands on the scaffold with Pearl, Hester accepts "that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, [so] she took the baby on her arm... 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" (Hawthorne 50). She humbles herself by proudly displaying both of the symbols of her disgrace: the scarlet letter A, and Pearl, her sin-born daughter. Not only does Hester display her shame, but gives back to her community. She shows compassion toward the poor and sick of the Puritan town. Hester delivers food to the poor and helps the ill. Many people of the community begin to alter how they interpret the scarlet letter that the poor Hester is forced to wear. The townspeople discuss her claiming "Its is our Hester,-the town 's own Hester, who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted!"(Hawthorne 147). The letter "A" that Hester bears on her chest begins to mean "able" instead of "adulterer." Even when Hester moves away, she refuses to stay away and returns to the town to serve her remaining punishment. The town is the home of her sin and the place of her penance. Hester isolates herself from the rest of the town and lives in solitude. Hester Prynne
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hester prynne's sin of adultery causes her to become the most hated woman in her community. she believes that her husband, roger chillingworth, is dead until he arrives at her public shaming.
- Analyzes how hester prynne's strength persists throughout the novel, even though the women and all the other citizens of the town constantly throw insults and shame at her, but she never breaks.
- Analyzes how hester prynne humbles herself by proudly displaying both of the symbols of her disgrace: the scarlet letter a, and pearl, her sin-born daughter.
- Analyzes how hester shows loyalty towards numerous characters in her community. she remains loyal to dimmesdale every time she is asked to reveal the name of her secret lover.
908 wordsRead More - The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorneanalytical essayFirst, Hester’s deception and secrecy lead to a destructive mark. Hester’s involvement with a man that was not her husband made her a symbol of women’s frailty and sinful passion. Hester’s mark is “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 . (50) Her creativity of making a symbol of sin appealing was not allowed by the grim Puritans . Hester decide to stay where her sin was committed , alienating her from the Puritan society making her even more of an outsider than she already was.” Lonely as was Hester’s situation, and without a friend on earth who dared to show himself, she, however, incurred no risk of want.’’ (75) Hester was lonely with only Pearl to share her life with. Hester at once beautiful had lost her beauty in the aftermath of her sin. “Even the attractiveness of her person had undergone a similar change.” (150)Hester decision to hide the fact that Chillingworth is her husband leads him to torture Dimmesdale.“ Your clutch is on his life , and you cause him to die daily a living death; and still he knows you not.” (156)
In this essay, the author
- Explains that american literature often focuses on the wrongs in human existence. the scarlet letter by nathaniel hawthorne is a great example of the asperity of sin.
- Analyzes how hester's deception and secrecy led to a destructive mark on her dress, which symbolized her frailty and sinful passion.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale's concealment of his guilt makes him deceive others and himself.
- Analyzes how chillingworth, a scholar, is hester's husband who makes it his goal in life to find his partner in the sin.
- Analyzes how the mysterious old roger chillingworth became the medical adviser of the reverend mr. dimmesdale. he developed himself to the constant analysis of a heart full of torture.
- Analyzes how the theme of deception and secrecy can be destructive was demonstrated through hester prynne, dimmesdale and chillingworth in the scarlet letter.
892 wordsRead More - Scarlet Letter Responsenarrative essayMeanwhile Hester is living alone in seclusion from the community and raising her little girl Pearl. After seven years of being alone and everyone always staring at the scarlet letter, she runs into Arthur Dinsdale, the minister, in the forest. Now after seven years of hiding his terrible secret old Author Dinsdale feels a huge amount of guilt and shame. He and Hester finally
In this essay, the author
- Narrates the story of hester prynne, forced to wear a scarlet letter a on her bosom because she committed adultery and became pregnant.
- Describes how arthur dinsdale reads hester's speech aloud to the audience at the parade. it was a beautiful speech that had everyone very emotional.
- Narrates how pearl spots hester in the middle of the circle and announces to everyone the secret that he had been hiding for so many years.
- Narrates how mr.dinsdale's death took a toll on him and he died that very day.
431 wordsRead More - The Scarlet Letteranalytical essayThe Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, portrays the adversities faced by Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale, and their struggles to overcome their sins of adultery. Hawthorne depicts the celestial Dimmesdale as a troubled minister with an uneasy conscience who struggles to cope with his wrongdoings. Dimmesdale is torn between whether to publically confess his wrongdoing with Hester and let the merciless Puritans decide his fate, or keep his secret hidden and let the guilt derived from his actions, along with the devil in Roger Chillingworth, destroy him both mentally and physically. Being divided between his love for Hester and his Puritan ideals, Dimmesdale’s advancement towards making amends for his sin of adultery is manifested in the three scaffold scenes throughout the novel.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne's the scarlet letter portrays the adversities faced by hester prynne and reverend dimmesdale and their struggles to overcome their sins of adultery.
- Analyzes how the scaffold scene depicts hester's public humiliation of her sin and dimmesdale’s lack of courage and troubled soul.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale, portrayed as the sufferer in the second scaffold scene, holds an extended vigil on the scaffold at night to try to free himself from the sin that has caused him a lot of distress and suffering.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale, who is still in a conflicted state, has not been able to openly reveal his sin, but has taken the first steps towards making amends for his wrongdoing.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale, who humbly regrets his actions, relieves himself from the guilt obtained through his transgression, and from roger chillingworth’s torment, while liberating pearl from her burden.
- Analyzes how the scaffold symbolizes dimmesdale's progression towards making amends for his actions, and obtaining salvation.
1368 wordsRead More - The Scarlet Letteranalytical essayIn The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne analyzes Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. In the story, Hester is the main character of the story and was called Mistress Prynne (Hawthorne 70). Dimmesdale, in the story was referred to as Reverend Dimmesdale (Hawthorne 90). Chillingworth was originally named, Roger Prynne but later in the story he changed his name to Roger Chillingworth. In the story, Hester committed adultery with Dimmesdale against Chillingworth and in the beginning she got punished and sent to prison and later she got to get out of prison but with the exception of having to wear the letter A on her breast every time she went out in to town.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hester prynne was forced to marry roger chillingworth, but she didn't love him, so she started seeing the priest arthur dimmesdale. the tragedy of the story is the final evolution of his personality.
- Analyzes hawthorne's analysis of hester, dimmesdale, and chillingworth in the scarlet letter.
- Analyzes how the scarlet letter a resists the sort of hermeneutic rigidity that naming entails.
- Cites abbott's review of 'the scarlet letter, a romance'; derrick, scott, and howells, w. d.
2428 wordsRead More - Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letteranalytical essayNathaniel Hawthorne’s “ The Scarlet Letter’’ is a classical story about sin, punishment and revenge. It all began with a young woman named Hester Prynne who has committed adultery, and gave birth to a child in a Puritan society. Through the eyes of the puritans Hester has gone against their religious ways. Hester must now wear the symbol of the letter “A” on her clothing for the rest of her life as act of shame. Hester Prynne faces a long journey ahead and her strength enables her to continue on.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne's "the scarlet letter" is a classical story about sin, punishment and revenge.
- Analyzes how the puritan society punishes hester for carrying a child with an antonymous father. she is told to speak up and name the father of her child, but she refuses.
- Analyzes how hester grows throughout the scarlet letter, despite the feeling of loneliness, she has remarkable strength withstand townspeople and the government.
- Analyzes how hester transforms the original meaning of the letter "a" (adultery) so that the judgmental community comes to see her stigmatized letter as a badge of honor.
- Opines that in all fiction one could hardly find a character more bold, more simply, and more quietly imagined. her transgression doesn't qualify her, as it never does unless it becomes habit.
- Analyzes how chillingworth became obsessed with the punishment of the "a" and did a devilish dance when he realized the powerful effect it had on dimmesdale.
719 wordsRead More - Sin of Adultery in Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letteranalytical essayHester decides to live alone as a repercussion of the sin she committed When Hester makes the decision to not go away she has to find a way to support herself. Knowing the town will not help her, Hester turns to needlework to help support herself and daughter, Pearl. The things she makes are very beautiful and delicately done. The families that held...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the scarlet letter shows the adverse consequences caused by adultery between reverend arthur dimmesdale and hester prynne.
- Analyzes how the scarlet letter is worn by hester as a repercussion of her adulterous sin to make known her crime of passion throughout the story.
- Analyzes how hester decides to live alone as a repercussion of the sin she committed. she turns to needlework to help support herself and daughter, pearl.
- Analyzes how pearl is a constant repercussion of the adultery hester took part in.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale longs to see hester and pearl, but as a repercussion of his sin, he can not publicly interact with them.
- Analyzes how a strange, sad man is he, with his hand always over his heart, in the dark nighttime.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale, despite his feelings for hester and pearl, acts like a stranger to them for the fear of the town finding out the truth.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale keeps his part in the twisted affair a secret. by keeping this secret, guilt and pain consume him, and he cannot take the excruciating downward pull of sin.
- Analyzes how hester's scarlet letter is only the shadow of what he bears on his breast.
- Analyzes how hester and dimmesdale's one sin, adultery, defined their existence, and how the sin empowered him and killed him.
1104 wordsRead More - The Scarlet Letter takes place in New England and begins with Hester Prynne's punishment for committing adultery. As punishment Hester must forevermore wear a red letter “A” upon her breast and stand at the scaffold for three hours while people watch her. While standing at the scaffold with her daughter, the clergy tells her to confess the name of the man who sinned with her, so the burden and guilt can be shared but Prynne refuses to reveal his name. Standing at the scaffold Prynne recognizes a man and seems shocked to see him. Even though Prynne stands in the center of town with people staring at her, she holds her head high and does not let the people see her shame.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the scarlet letter begins with hester prynne's punishment for committing adultery. the clergy tells her to confess the name of the man who sinned with her.
- Narrates how prynne and her daughter return to the jail to find a visitor inside to see them. they were married in england and in order to start their new life, they went to new england while chillingworth stayed behind.
- Describes how prynne leaves jail and lives in a cottage outside of the town. she uses her sewing skills to earn money, raises pearl by herself, helps poor people whenever she can, and gives advice to girl who come to her with questions.
- Analyzes how arthur dimmesdale, a pastor, is well-liked among the townspeople, but he's secret that chillingworth wants to discover.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale decides to take a walk to pacify his feeling of guilt. he walks around the town and stops at the scaffold, remembering prynne's punishment.
- Analyzes how prynne confronts chillingworth while he gathers his herbs and pearl refers to him as the black man, which means satan.
- Analyzes how prynne informs dimmesdale that chillingworth is her husband and that they should return to england for safety and start a new life together.
- Narrates how dimmesdale, on the election day, realizes the only way to resolve his guilt is to admit his sin to the public. he asks forgiveness from pearl and prynne.
822 wordsRead More - The Transformation Of Arthur Dimmesdale In 'The Scarlet Letter'analytical essayBy chapter 11 there is already a suspicion that Dimmesdale may be the father of Pearl, but in this chapter it is finally revealed. This being said, it also uncovers many things that he does to cope with this dark secret. He too has a mark like Hester's on his chest, however the story has yet to identify this mark. The pain Dimmesdale feels causes him to clutch his hand over his heart repeatedly throughout the novel. Dimmesdale also tortures himself. He whips himself, and doesn't eat or sleep for days at a time.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur dimmesdale changed drastically in chapters 11-20. he gas dealt with more guilt and suffering than i could bear.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale's sudden shame is due to hester coming up with ideas for them to flee from the town and leave all sorrow behind.
- Analyzes how hawthorne's theme contrasting hidden sin versus reaveled sin, provides evidence as to why there is a change in dimmesdale after he realizes that
- Analyzes how dimmesdale is trapped between two things in chapter 20 of "the minister in a maze." he can either stay home and keep his secret, or go with hester and start new life.
354 wordsRead More - The Scarlet Letter: Hester's Positive Parentinganalytical essayDue to her background Hester is able to teach Pearl lessons about life and society. She does so by not hiding the scarlet letter from the child and telling Pearl the truth about her “sin.” By Hester being open about the scarlet letter it promotes Pearl to develop in a nonjudgmental environment. The author shows that Pearl exhibits this in chapter four when he refers to Pearl as “a little imp” and “like a little elf.” Early on in the novel Hester reminiscences about her own parents with
In this essay, the author
- Evaluates how nathaniel hawthorne shows the readers hester's positive parenting skills in the scarlet letter.
- Analyzes how hester is able to teach pearl lessons about life and society by not hiding the scarlet letter from the child and telling pearl the truth about her "sin."
- Compares nathaniel hawthorn's character hester to modern-day single mothers, who are judged as having a non-traditional family due to the lack of co-parenting partners.
- Concludes that hester is an adequate mother and deserves custody of pearl. parenting styles come in many forms, today and in 1642.
343 wordsRead More