responses to questions from Annon, Antonia and Micah

1.two questions from Antonia (section 2)
 3) How does Hester feel when Pearl touches or looks at the scarlet letter?
5) What is pearls most domenant character trait and why?

Answer:
3. Hester feels ashamed when Pearl looks at the scarlet letter or touches it because it is a permanent reminder of her sin and it is the way Pearl was brought into the earth.
5. Pearl is most domenant character trait is her brilliance. she is very smart.

2.Two questions from Annnon (section 4)
3.Where does this story take place?
5. What is the name of Hester Prynnes child. What does she reminder her mother of?
   
Answer:
3. the story takes place in the middle of the seventeenth century in the 1640s. In Boston, Massaschusetts.
5. Hester Prynnes child is names Pearl and she reminds her mother of the sin of her commiting adultery because that is how she brought Pearl in to the earth.

3. Two questions from Micah (section 3)

2) What does Hester’s letter “A” eventually come to represent to the townspeople?

1.) What does Pearl do when she first sees her mother without the scarlet letter?

 

Answer:

 2. the letter A represents adultery but eventually comes to represent Author  to the towns people because he is Pearl is father.
1. Pearl over reacts and makes a big deal because she is not use to seeing her mother without it.

Contemporary Relevance

                                                                

                                                        Shameful Times                                              May 1960

What a sin! how disappointing and so unexpected of our women! Hester Prynne has committed adultery. It is a crime to commit adultery and the punishment shall be death! The leaders of the Puritans expect their people to be just as religious. Hester Prynee will not be put to death but she has served her time in jail. Hester also had to stand in front of the public at the market place showing her red A to let the crowd know what she has done. The A represent adultery and its sown on to her dress. Hester has to wear it on her for ever as a reminder of her sin and to let everyone know.Since Boston is by ruled by religious leaders it is a crime to do anything that counts as a sin. Laws involve what counts as sin in the Christian faith because Puritans had power over the town. The Puritans are extremely religious and they have power to judge and punish.
                                                                                                                                -Arige Baddad 
                                                                                                     
The church today forgives and accepts and has commandments separate from the laws. Sin today is personal and optional because there is more then one faith and does not count as a crime. Sin today might not count as a sin in someone else is eyes. Crimes today are ruled by the government being broken and have nothing to do with whether you believe in a faith or not. Today a lot of governments do not even give death as a punishment for people who murdered.

Questioning and Critical Thinking

1. Why do you think Hester Prynne does not want to tell anyone who she commited adultery with?
2. When  Roger Chillingworth visited Hester with meddicine for her and Pearl what characteristics did he show?
3. What are your thoughts of the law in the 1640s, giving death as a punishment for commiting adultery?
4. Why did Hester stay in Boston knowing that she would be isolated and that the people will have a negative thought of her forever?
5. What are the things that Pearl looks at that makes her notice her life is different from the other kids in Boston?

Analysis of Style and Structure

Diction and Narrative Structure: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne has the diction of modern English back in the 1850 where it was first published in Boston. Though the setting took place in the 1640s in the time period of the middle of the seventeenth century. It took place in Boston, Massachusetts. When the narrator speaks its closer to modern English then when the characters speak. The book is written in a Omniscient point of view because the narrator knows what other characters think and say even when the protagonist is not included in the conversation. The protagonist is Hester Prynne and during section one of the novel I have seen a dynamic character in her. Hester Prynne is a dynamic character because she went from not showing any shame to the public to trying to make up for it after she was released from jail. The protagonist has both internal and external conflicts. Internal because she was not easy on her self after doing time in jail, Hester continued isolating her self  "Hester Prynne, therefore, did not flee. 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" (Hawthorne,55). Hester did not want to run from her problems and so she continued living with the red A on her chest because it is a part of what made her. Hester had external conflicts Roger Chillingworth because he wanted revenge.
Theme and Symbol: The major theme in the novel is sin and specifically the sin of committing adultery. It is connected with the main symbol in the novel because the Symbol is a red A which means sin of adultery. Other symbols would be the rosebush by the prison door which represents the towns grass plot before it became a prison.

Analysis of Setting

The Prison Door

The settings all took place in  Boston, Massachusetts in the 1640s. Historically the setting is where the religious group the Puritans settled. The Puritans had power over the town socially and economically which is what made Bostons history. The first physical setting in Boston that the novel The Scarlet Letter  by Nathaniel Hawthorne took place in was the first prison.  The prison was a grass plot before becoming the very first prison.

The Market Place

The market place is where Hester and her daughter Pearl stood for three hours with the letter A in red on her chest. Hester stood on a pillory in front of the public because of the sin of adultery that she committed. Instead of death as her punishment Hester has to expose her self to the public in front of the Puritans that are on the balcony. Then where the A on her chest forever. The A represent the sin of committing adultery.

Hesters chat with Roger Chillingwood

After Hester is humiliating moment in front of the public she went back to jail and had unexpected visit from her husband in her jail cell. This setting is important because it shows the readers Rogers values and goals.

After Hester was released Pearl and her lived just on the boarder line of Boston in a small comfy house and Hester sowed for living. Hester kept herself and Pearl isolated from the town because of all the gossip.

Most Memorable Moment

In section one of The Scarlet Letter  what was most memorable to me is in chapter 4 ( the interview). It is when Hester talks to her husband after so long and the narrator officially tells the readers that Roger Chillingworth is her husband. The interview chapter shows the readers more of the character Roger. The chapter before (three) gives me one characteristic of him which is curiosity, Chapter three also foreshadowed Roger being present in the story later on. When Roger did appear again it took place in Hester is jail cell. They were left alone to be able to say what ever they wanted so they did not have to hide Roger is identity. Roger came in the jail cell as a man who just came in to offer medicine. The jailer believed him and let him have his privacy with Hester (and pearl) because he promised to make her more amenable.

I chose this moment because it clarifies Roger is reason of visiting Hester. The memorable moment in the interview between Roger and Hester would be the part where Roger says " Dost thou know me so little, Hester Prynne? Are my purposes wont be so shallow? Even if i imagine a scheme of vengeance, what could i do better for my object than to let thee live, - than to give thee medicines against all harm and peril of life, - so that this burning shame may still blaze upon thy bosom?"  (Hawthorne, 50).  This quote shows me that  Hester does know Roger well since she believed him and drank the medicine after he said this. The quote also shows me that he wants to keep Hester healthy and alive to let the shame and guilt for cheating on him burn her for the rest of her life.

This moment can be connected to anyone being the better person in a conflict. For example if my best friend were to talk about me behind my back then ends up being in trouble and I know how to help I would help her because I am able to forgive. This would make the best friend in this situation feel more guilt because if I fought fire with fire it would only make both people more angrier.

Character Analysis- arige

 In section one (Chapters 1-6) of  The Scarlet Letter  by Nathaniel Hawthorne, three characters stood out. The three main characters are Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth and Pearl. In my opinion Hester is more of a modern type of woman because of  one, the care she lacks for how her clothing looks to the public. Two she came into Boston wanting to live on her own in tell her husband came showing that she is independent. The year the story took place did not accept women living on their own in that community. Three Hester is sin counted as a crime back then and she did time for it. The sin is very shocking especially from a married women. A women standing with the masters said "This women has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die" (Hawthorne,36). The people who stood by the Puritans believed in death is the punishment for adultery. Hester also shows that she is strong because of her smile towards the hating crowd and the shame she did not show on her face while she wore a red A on her chest. Hester values keeping the identity of the father of Pearl a secret. He sinned as well and it may be a sin just as big as Hester's sin if he is married as well. Hester does not tell who he is because she does not want Roger to have revenge on the unknown man and so the man can continue living his life even though he will feel guilt. I think what motivates Hester would be her daughter Pearl because she loves her and Hester is doing what is right after she was released from jail. Hester gives back to the community by being involved in charities and sows for Pearl and herself to survive. She provides food,clothing and a life for Pearl but Hester also does needlework for success and to feel pure again. Hester is interest is sowing because she is great at it and is successful in her clothing line, everyone buys it but for marriages it is considered shameful to wear a dress designed by Hester Prynne. Hester could have started off somewhere new and live without being isolated but she chose to live there because she wanted to face her guilt and live with it. Hester's clothing were still successful even though citizens in the town still looked down on her because of her sin of committing adultery.

 Roger Chillingworth is a physician and makes natural medicines for living. Roger was in town when Hester had her shameful moment in front of the town and was smart to act like he did not know her as he asked a citizen of her reason for being center of attention. Roger came in to town with an Indian man because he told her he would come. After knowing the story Roger left the scene not showing any emotions. This means that when Roger visited Hester in jail after, he truly did mean it when he said I want u to live to feel guilt so I am not poisoning u with this medicine. He also helped Pearl because he noticed her sickness and in infant shouldn't have to suffer even though it is not his daughter. His goal was to know who the father of Pearl was for revenge. Roger valued that Hester would not tell anyone he is her husband because Roger did not want to live with that shame.

Pearl is a girl born from sin and as she grew up noticed the isolation her mother and her had with the rest of  Boston. She was smart and curios as she always asked about the red A and says that she does not have a father.