Lessons Learned from The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered by many to be a classic novel. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne provides his audience with a real sense of the consequences of unconfessed sin, isolation from society, and the presence of evil everywhere. Through his portrayal of the main characters, his choice of setting, and his implied moral lessons, he teaches lessons that must be learned for humans to continue living in harmony with one another.
The setting of The Scarlet Letter provides a powerful connection between fact and fiction. Events such as the Salem witch trials, which occurred not long after the events of The Scarlet Letter, establish credibility for Hawthorne in that recounting historical details such as fear of witches makes him seem like he actually knows what he is talking about. Hawthorne's writing style has made him "one of the most widely read nineteenth century authors" (Jacobson 4). He upholds Puritan values and concepts while employing the classic allegorical characters of romanticism. One such Puritan value is that the devil resides in the forest. Anytime characters in The Scarlet Letter enter the forest, it is certain that something terrible just happened, is happening, or will happen soon. One such example is when the governor's sister, who is suspected of witchcraft, enters the forest and invites Hester to go with her. It is this woman who represents the idea that evil exists everywhere, especially among those who refuse to acknowledge its existence. Salem is a particularly intriguing setting because of its witch infamy. The occurrence of the witch trials in Salem creates an atmosphere where the evil and the right...
... middle of paper ...
...
Hawthorne's allegorical approach at real life situations provides his readers with a sense of accomplishment: a sense that if they learn lessons from others, then they will not have to learn from first hand experience. Although on the surface it may seem like another tale of Puritanistic virtue, The Scarlet Letter is the embodiment of life itself. After reading this novel, one may find that many events in real life today can relate directly to events in The Scarlet Letter.
Works Cited and Consulted:
Chase, Richard (1996). "The Lessons of the Scarlet Letter." Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne (pp. 145-152). San Diego: Greenhaven.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: St. Martins, 1991.
Jacobson, Gary. The Critical Response to Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. New York: Greenwood, 1992.
Sewall, Richard B. "The Scarlet Letter: Criticism." Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 319-27.
February 15, 2002. Brown, Bryan D. "Reexamining Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter." http://www.usinternet.com/users/bdbournellonie.htm. March 1, 2002. Click on "Chuck III College Resources".
The Scarlet Letter, containing some of the most important metaphors and symbols pertaining to human nature, does not grab the reader’s attention with high impact drama, but instead, with the narrator's uniquely penetrating descriptions of his characters' thoughts, feelings and relationships. The plot is constantly interrupted with Hawthorne’s own thoughts, or other’s points of view. It’s tragically, yet realistically romantic, because it delves deep into the human heart and explores the character’s dedication to religion, one’s self and to others.
1 Geoff Childs Tibetan Diary From Birth to Death and Beyond in a Himalayan Valley of Nepal (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004) 41.
Panama is the southernmost country of Central America. It sits on the isthmus connecting north and South America. Panama remains bordered by Costa Rica to the west. Colombia is to the southeast. The Caribbean is to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Panama City is the capital of Panama. Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821.Panama has the third largest economy in Central America and it is the fastest growing economy and the largest per capita consumer in Central America. In 2013, Panama ranked fourth in Latin American countries in terms of the Human Development Index, and is ranked 59th in the world. Studies in 2010 show that Panama remains as the second most competitive economy in Latin America. Panama’s jungle is home to an abundance of tropical plants, animals, and birds and some of them found nowhere else in the world.
The culture and political structures of Panama as we know it today has evolved from an incredibly diverse and interesting history. Geographically, Panama lies on an isthmus, a strip of land that essentially connects the greater landmasses of North and South America. It is believed that volcanic activity in the late Pliocene era closed the former Central American Seaway that had separated the two continents. The climatic implications of this landform are incredible, allowing for the redistribution of oceanic currents and the formation of the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic of today.
James, Henry. “Flaws in The Scarlet Letter.” Readings on The Scarlet Letter. Ed. Bruno Leone.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. American Literature. Vol. 1. New York: Penguin Academics, 2004. 592-778. Print.
The Scarlet Letter is a well-known novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this novel Hawthorne wrote in depth about the Puritans’ reception to sin, in particular, adultery. He also includes brilliant visuals of the repercussions that occur when the town of Salem hears of Hester’s adultery. There are many relationships within the book, from a lover to a beautiful yet illegitimate daughter. Symbolism runs throughout, even a simple rose bush outside of a jail holds so much meaning. Hawthorne reveals themes all through the novel one in particular, was sin. Although sin does not occur often in the Puritan lifestyle Hawthorne shows the importance and change this one deceit makes for the town of Salem.
Home to vast tropical rainforests, an immense variety of animal and plant species and the seaway that connects the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, Panama relies heavily on all these resources for its economy. However, environmental challenges threaten the sustainability of these assets and therefore create a significant problem for the country. This paper will examine the effect of weather and climate change on Panama coupled with a specific focus on the Panama Canal. It concentrates largely on the effects of deforestation, coupled with the effect of El-Nino, and examines how this has had significant economic and social consequences.
Ø Boarders with Costa Rica to the West and Columbia to the East. Panama also borders with the Pacific Ocean to the South and Caribbean Sea to the North.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Scarlet Letter”. American Literature: Volume One. Ed. William E. Cain. New York: Pearson, 2004. 809-813. Print
The French chose Panama to build its canal because it was far narrower than Nicaragua, it’s closet competitor. They obtained permission from Columbia to lay the waterway. (Dolan 53) A private company was founded in 1879 to raise the needed capital to undertake the construction. Appointed president of the company was Ferdind de Lesseps, who had guided the construction of the Suez Canal. (Panama)
Panama is 75,517 km² big with 2210 km² of surface waters, which makes it a total of 78,200 km² big. As states before, Panama has 9 provinces which can be seen at the political part and can be found in Central America whereas Panama City is the capital city of the country. Environment of Panama has a lot to do with its economic success and stability. It is of course located at the thinnest part of the American continent and has built a canal to take advantage of their location. To further encourage foreign investment and economic development for the country, the government has also set up the Colon Free zone, right next to the Panama Canal.
In Nepal, I experienced both the progressive style of family living and the older medieval style where custom and tradition count first no matter what. More than 90% of the people in Nepal who were born between 1978 and 1998 (the Generation Y youth) still live in old medieval-style families where cultural rules govern everyday life. The people of Nepal are socially segmented along lines of caste, sub-caste and ethnicity, and values and traditions also differ from one caste to another.