The rising action begins while Hester Prynne is placed on the scaffold in Boston Massachusetts as punishment for committing adultery. As Hester gazes upon the crowd, she notices her husband looking back at her, as well as Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the man she committed the sin with. Hester’s husband creates an alias for himself as Roger Chillingworth, a doctor who is new to the area. Roger Chillingworth helps the Reverend who is sick in health and begins to question if he is in fact Pearl’s father. Then he seeks revenge upon both Hester and the father of her child. Once he confirms his suspicions that Dimmesdale is in fact Pearl’s dad, he begins to plot his vengeance. The climax occurs when Arthur Dimmesdale can no longer live with his sin. …show more content…
Pearl, Hester, and Dimmesdale join hands together forming an “electric chain” giving him comfort and warmth. Pearl points up to a meteor which the Reverend believes to be in the shape of an A. After Chillingworth’s death the falling action continues. Hester takes Pearl away, to give her a new and refreshing life. She later returns to Boston where she has found “The Scarlet Letter” had become a legend. Hester contributes many charitable acts to the community such as attending to the spiritual needs of the fellow townies. When she dies Hester is buried next to Dimmesdale. At Hester’s funeral her life is talked about not only her personal life but also her symbolic role as the woman who committed adultery. After her death the Scarlet Letter became known for other things than it had while Hester had worn it upon her chest. After preaching the best sermon of his life, the Reverend Dimmesdale manages to crawl up onto the scaffold, where he confesses and rips open his shirt to reveal that there's a mark on his chest, too. Only this one's in blood. And then he …show more content…
The Scarlet Letter takes place in Boston, Massachusetts during the 1640s. During this time period, Boston is composed of Puritans that escaped England and hoped to acquire religious freedom. This part of the setting is somewhat ironic because although the Puritans claimed to be purifying their religion, they acted and worshiped in much the same way as Christians in the old world did. The Puritans continued to have large ceremonies which they claimed in the beginning were sins and should not be allowed in any Christian society. The Puritan system made it so that the government could enforce the moral values of the Puritan church on the people of the community. For this reason, the setting is important because the society and government of the time and place where the story is set are very opposed to Hester's actions and to the idea of individual freedom of conscience in general. The characters are seen in and at places such as the scaffold in the market-place, Governor Billingham's home, Hester's home, the graveyard, Dimmesdale's home, and the forest. In the late 1600s, every town had a graveyard, prison, and a market-place. This relates to a true Puritan society, which is what Nathaniel Hawthorne based his beliefs and stories about. The significance of the different homes is their descriptions, which help show the true personalities of the
The first theme expressed in The Scarlet Letter is that even well meaning deceptions and secrets can lead to destruction. Dimmesdale is a prime example of this; he meant well by concealing his secret relationship with Hester, however, keeping it bound up was deteriorating his health. Over the course of the book this fact is made to stand out by Dimmesdale’s changing appearance. Over the course of the novel Dimmesdale becomes more pale, and emaciated. Hester prevents herself from suffer the same fate. She is open about her sin but stays loyal to her lover by not telling who is the father of Pearl. Hester matures in the book; becomes a stronger character.
There is nothing more pliable than the mind of a child, and because of the world that she lives in, Pearl has been forced into the deeper understanding of what eternally plasters her mother’s chest; this is even in infancy. “One day, as her mother stooped over the cradle, the infant’s eyes had been caught by the glimmering of the gold embroidery about the letter; and, putting up her little hand, she grasped it, smiling not doubtfully, but with a decided gleam that gave her face the look of a much older child” (Hawthorne 79-80). Though it terrifies Hester, the fact that Pearl is able to identify that the letter exists is only the gateway to the growth of her knowledge of it. This comes into effect more prominently in the following years when she finally begins to comprehend the scarlet letter’s importance. Pearl realizes that because her mother wears the letter, people treat her differently. She does not know why or how, but she knows that it is not right. One person in particular who treats Hester differently is Dimmesdale. Though at the time she does not know her father, Pearl understands that the scarlet letter controls his life just as much as it does Hester’s, but he is not treated differently. Even so, her innocence takes over and questions why he does not have the same burden as Hester. A quote on page 127 can support this: “Pearl
Pearl is a symbol of Hester’s transgressions and even has similar qualities as the sin which she represents. Pearl’s life and behavior directly reflects the unacceptable and abnormal nature of Hester’s adulterous sin. Hester is plagued with more than just a letter “A”; she is given a child from her affair who is just as much a reminder of her sin as the scarlet letter. Ultimately Hester overcomes the shame associated the scarlet letter and creates a sense of family for herself and Pearl. This relationship is integral to the theme of this novel and the development of its characters.
In this scene Hester and Dimmesdale plan on leaving Boston and going back to England. Hester also tears off her scarlet letter showing that she will no longer need to wear it when they leave. Doing this makes Pearl upset because she has never seen her mother without the scarlet letter on. This scene shows the reader that they both still love each other despite what they have been through. In this scene Hester tells Dimmesdale who Roger Chillingworth really is which is important because they can fight back as explained when this article says “This chapter is a turning point in the novel in several ways. Foremost, Hester Prynne and Mr. Dimmesdale are now both aware of Roger Chillingworth’s intentions and have a plan to counter him”. (Nishihara Chapter
Pearl is Hester’s daughter from her illegitimate relationship. In the beginning Pearl is just a sign of sin, Hester feels that she is the only thing that she has left. With the story continuing, we begin to see Pearl interact with her surroundings. She never shows any desire to be with the other people in town and shows an interest in the “A” on her mother’s chest immediately. As she continues to grow older, she also begins to become more curious, she seems to understand her mother’s situation and does not interact with others in the village. She begins poking and throwing things at the scarlet “A” on her mother’s chest. She begins to show her great understanding of the situation when interrogated by the reverend Wilson. When asked who her father is, she tells him she has no father, but was rather picked like a rose from a bush. As Pearl grows older she becomes naughtier. She seems to understand her mother’s pain when Pearl throws things at the scarlet letter, so she does it more. She points at it and constantly reminds Hester that it is in fact still there trying to burn its way into her soul. Hester begins to wonder if the village people were right when they said Pearl was a devil. However, when Hester would think this way, Pearl would do something really kind and nice, and make Hester feel alright again. In the end of the story Pearl refuses to give Dimmesdale a kiss until he recognizes them as family. When Arthur finally
In The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmsdale commits the sin of adultery with Hester Pryne. As a result of this sinful act she bares a child which she names Pearl, the living evidence of their sin. The first scene takes place while Pearl is still an infant. Hester is made to ...
Hester Prynne was a young woman living in a Puritan community in the "New World." Her husband, Roger Chillingworth was said to be lost at sea, and Hester assumed his death. Upon this basis, young Hester committed a crime of adultery with her fellow Minister Arthur Dimmesdale. The result of this extra marital affair was the birth of young Pearl, an "elf-like" child. When the townspeople become aware of what Hester has done, they forced her to wear an ultimate sign of punishment, the scarlet letter. This letter "A" for adultery had to be worn on Hester's bosom at all times.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, focuses on the Puritan society. The Puritan society molded itself and created a government based upon the Bible and implemented it with force. The crime of adultery committed by Hester generated rage, and was qualified for serious punishment according to Puritan beliefs. Ultimately the town of Boston became intensely involved with Hester's life and her crime of adultery, and saw to it that she be publicly punished and tortured. Based upon the religious, governmental, and social design of the Puritan society, Hester's entire existence revolved around her sin and the Puritan perception. Therefore it is evident within The Scarlet Letter that the Puritan community to some degree has constructed Hester's character.
The Scarlet Letter is a romance written by Nathaniel Hawthorne that takes place in the Puritan Community in Boston, Massachusetts during the 17th century. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, who commits the sin of adultery with the minister of the church, Reverend Dimmesdale, and conceives a baby girl, Pearl. Hester's husband, Roger Chillingworth, returns and seeks revenge. As Pearl grows up, her mother learns how to deal with the scarlet letter of shame and Dimmesdale feels guilt. When they decide to run away, Dimmesdale confesses his sin in public and he dies. The story end with the death of Chillingworth and all his belongings and property go to little Pearl. Pearl grows up and probably gets married and Hester becomes a mother for all women in need.
The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in the sixteen hundreds. Hester Prynne is accused of committing adultery in her small puritan settlement but little does the town know that the father is in fact Reverend Dismmesdale. Having sent his wife ahead of him two years before hand, Hester stops her husband in the crowd as she is standing accused on the scaffolding. Hester is given a punishment in the hopes of making her ashamed; however, she turns the mockery into amazement by making the scarlet A into a beautiful piece of patch work. Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, is on the hunt from at that point to find out the child’s father but not even Pearl herself knows. The Scarlet Letter showed how early Americans concentrated their beliefs of church and home in their daily lives. Nathaniel Hawthorne words reflect the flaws in American society during the Puritan settlement. This was also the era of the Salam Witch Trials which Hawthorne’s father played a part in. The central idea reflects that suffering comes from sinning. The Scarlet Letter was the stepping stones that paved future American novels to become so successful.
Hester realizes what is going on between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth and gains permission from her husband to reveal his true identity to the minister. Dimmesdale is devastated by the news and agrees to flee Boston with Hester and Pearl. He will do anything to escape the hold that Chillingworth has on him. In the end, however, Dimmesdale realizes that he can only be rid of his tormentor by publicly acknowledging his guilt. At the end of the novel, on Election Day, Dimmesdale climbs the scaffold with Hester and Pearl again. This third scaffold scene is in the light of day and before a crowd. With his family at his side, Dimmesdale finally confesses his sin and shows the scarlet "A" on his chest. He then dies peacefully.
The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, contains many profound characters. The townspeople intrigue the reader because they gradually evolve throughout the book, as would any solitary character. In the beginning of the novel, they are generally rigid and judgmental towards Hester, because she has committed adultery. Throughout the novel, they slowly allow Hester and her daughter into their community, but still look at them with suspicion and doubt. Finally, in the end of The Scarlet Letter, the town forgives her of her sin, and she cautiously finds her place in society. Hawthorne uses the strict Puritan townspeople as a criterion by which all societies can be measured. The townspeople, as with any individual character, possess a certain depth that develops with knowledge.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the story is set in New England during the colonial times, mainly the middle of the seventeenth century. As the plot of the novel progresses, the importance of setting is further aggrandized when the main character, Hester Prynne, is isolated in a strict Puritan society. To further elucidate Hester’s situation, Hawthorne utilizes two types of settings, physical and historical setting. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses the settings to expose the rigidness of the Puritan society of the time period and how its obstinate and judgmental nature impacted people within the society.
Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses plant imagery to symbolize both the negative and positive character traits and to set the mood of the novel. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place during the age of Puritanism in Boston where a young and attractive Puritan woman, Hester, commits adultery with the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, who had been captured by Indians, comes to town, but only Hester knows his true identity. Chillingworth vows to figure out who Hester’s lover is and he succeeds.
The Scarlet Letter is a fictional novel that begins with an introductory passage titled ‘The Custom-House’. This passage gives a historical background of the novel and conveys the narrator’s purpose for writing about the legend of Hester Prynne even though the narrator envisions his ancestors criticizing him and calling him a “degenerate” because his career was not “glorifying God”, which is very typical of the strict, moralistic Puritans. Also, although Hawthorne is a Romantic writer, he incorporates properties of Realism into his novel by not idealizing the characters and by representing them in a more authentic manner. He does this by using very formal dialogue common to the harsh Puritan society of the seventeenth century and reflecting their ideals through this dialogue. The Puritans held somewhat similar views as the Transcendentalists in that they believed in the unity of God and the world and saw signs and symbols in human events, such as when the citizens related the meteo...