Scarlet Letter

Wednesday, December 19

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Society in this novel is very judgemental and opionated. It is prominetly filled with prutian people ( these are people who take religon and faith very seriously, believe in jesus and the devil, and believe that there are those who are the devil or evil . This belief has a tendency for people in society to discriminate against others and treat them unequally. The protagonist of the novel Hester experiences this first hand. An example of this is when in the beginning of the novel Hester is released from prison to be viewed by all in the public square, carrying her small infant child in her arms, and the letter A on her bosom.

A group of ladies in the crowd on the way to the public square are slandering her and being malicious. Stating that she is sinful, evil, and should be put to death for comitting adultery. She is displayed in the public square to made an example of by all. This is telling the audience that she has comitted treason, is an outcast, and is sinful. The A that Hester wears on her bosom brands her in society, as a result she is looked down upon and considered a disgrace. While in the public square Hester is catechised by the presit, telling her to reveal who she had comitted adultery with forcefully in front of the public. Can one man assume the role of god because of his religous background, and tell hester she will be burden free if she reveals who she comitted adultery with.Hester has no friends or a companion to share her feelings with due to this segergation.

This can be related hand in hand to todays society. Just like the prutians, society and I judge others unfairly who are different or act abnormally. Society judges people on their hairstyle, weight, appearances, race, and many other aspects. In media just like the prutians, they believed that everyone was supposed to look a certain way or act a certain way ( for example: look skinny, or normal with no imperfections) In magazines for females they display half naked and skinny females, or in male magazines males are depicted with rippling abs and are muscular. This tells both sexes that this is what they should look like. As humans I think we are scared of what we don’t understand or what we don’t comprehend, this is why we are divided. The prutians judged others who were sick, contracted disease, or didn’t act in a certain matter, just like todays people do because we feel they are not normal or good enough to be apart of society.

Analysis of style and structure

The novel The Scarlet letter, is an interesting work of literature by Nataniel Hawthorne. It is based on true events in society that are also relevant today. I found it intriguing how the author observed what was happening in society and explored it in the novel. The theme in this story explores the issue of branding as well as creating division between ourselves in society. When we discriminate against one another, whether through race, religion, appearance, intelligence, etc. As well as how the victims act towards this. In this case it was adultery. Hester had been persecuted against , ejected, called evil, sinful, and also was told that she deserved to be killed, by society. Hester felt alone and surrounded by tormentors just like a bully victim would feel like with out any support.

The author used the symbolic letter A (which stood for adultery) as a focal point for Hester's occurring problems in society, which I strongly agreed with . By the use of this symbol, it was a sign of triumph and fall for the protagonist which he explored alot. On one perspective, by committing adultery Hester gained a companion or child named Pearl so she wouldn’t be alone in deal with society and its judgement. As well as remind her to smile and be happy at times, because it wouldn’t be all so bad if you had someone close to you to share you re feelings with. But on the other hand pearl is is a source of constant pain and anguish for Hester, because it reminds her of the mistake she made and the trouble it has caused her since ( being jailed, persecution, judgement, etc)

Finally the author used so much diction that I found my self looking in the dictionary countless times to search the meaning of each word. He also used vivid detail to describe characters which I fairly enjoyed most of the time. Such as: Throng, apprehension, pro curred, morbid, etc. The author used so much detail while writing, I felt that I could visualize the characters or setting he was illustrating through his writing . For example when the writer describes Pearl he says: The child had a native grace which does not invariably coexist with faultless beauty, its attire however simple, always impressed the beholder as it were the very garb that precisely became its best.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hot off the press!

The Scarlet letter

It is crAzy, unhumAn, rAw that Hester Prynne

is now the owner of a scarlet letter A on her

chest. She has committed on of the most hai-
ness crimes known to man and woman. Adultery
is the topic for today. That women who was church
only satin hiself could have possessed anyone
of our time to commit adultery like she has.
There is still one more missing puzzle piece and
that is who committed adultery with her bec-
ause she couldnt have concieved a child alone
so whoever know who this id please contact
(316-696-0879)

- Roxanne

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.

Analysis of setting

The setting of the classic novel The scarlet letter, takes place in the 1600s. The region in Massachusetts appears to be a small town, due to the fact that everyone knew the protagonist of the story had comitted adultery, ( which was considered evil and sinful) her name, and that she bore a small infant child. Massachusetts is colonized by the English which now in present day is a part of America. In this novel Massachusetts is purtian (controlled and populated with people who hold strong opinion and belief with god, faith, and religion as well as perceive hell and heaven in a literal sense) Puritans believe strongly in good and evil and that the devil has influence in others in some shape or form.

Wearing nice clothing or jewellery were perceived as evil. People with sickness ,mental issues, and deformities with no cure or help were seen as evil ,looked down upon, slandered, and even killed. I think people in society are scared of what they don’t understand and cannot explain so they discriminate others. When Hester prynne the main character was unconfined from the jail people in the crowd said she was evil, sinful, and should be put to death. An example of this would be a priest or a person of importance in a church. Hester Prynne was brought before the public square to be viewed by all . She was told by a priest to reveal who she committed adultery with, for it will lift her burden and evil spirits. As a result Hester wears the letter A on her bosom to distinguish her from society and gain the negative attention of others unwantingly.

Response to arige's questions

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?

1) Hester Prynne refuses to tell anyone who she committed adultery with because she is trying to protect the person from what she goes through on a daily basis. She is faced with exclusion and depression because how the society thinks of this kind of behavior. I also think that she doesnt want her daughter to have to deal with double the ashame because her mom and her dad are both not accepted into society.

4) She doesnt want to run away from her problems she wants to face them. I think she is afraid that if she leaves her problem will come with her aswell so there ids no point in running.

most memorable moment

    One of the moments that was really prominent and memorable for me in this novel is when Hester Prynne is released from jail, after being imprisoned for committing adultery. In this moment the sun illuminates and embraces her as if to display the letter A on her bosom vividly to all. She was feeling nervous and anxious due to the fact that she was finally going to be released into society to be amongst others but was afraid of the unknown. She knew that the A on her bosom would make her the attention pursuer of all, she would be the example known and used by all of what not to become, as well as a target for ridicule and mockery in society.

    Each day in its own would present a challenge for her to confront. Hester even thought of leaving her old life behind and taking on a new persona. In hope that she could start anew and turn a fresh page. Hester had not a friend in this world or anyone to turn to because she was an outcast. She had a child now and didn’t have a home for them both. She decided to inhabit a small cottage near the peninsula that was deserted. Hester prynne had no job but was skillful with the needle that she used to make apparel.

   This was my most memorable moment of the book because i asked myself how can  someone try to come back into society after being discriminated against, ejected out, and being the center of negative remarks as well a go through life.

Questioning and Critical Thinking

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.