From Nathaniel Hawthorne's Epilogue To Scarlet

Human beings are a fascinating anomaly, for they are the only creatures that feel the need to give their existence a sense of purpose. Many often find this purpose in the form of religion as a way to explain their presence in this world as well as justify the actions of others. But when do the morals of religion and society cross the boundary into hypocrisy and blind intolerance? In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he discusses the shortcomings of the Puritan mindset and their potentially toxic effect on other human beings. In Puritan New England, Hester Prynne, a beautiful young seamstress, is forced to bear the shameful burden of a scarlet letter, a symbol of her adultery,

Is life and death such a good thing, is killing someone the right thing to do. People’s life’s are meaningless and should die without any thought what so ever.

In Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the theme of sin viewed through the prism of many colors is the essence of the novel. The protagonist, Hester, her child, Pearl, and the Reverend Dimmesdale all live in a Puritanical society in Boston, and are subject to the Puritans' strict religious beliefs and rigid attitudes. Exposed to sin and the temptation of its concealment in varying degrees, these characters evolve through the novel in different ways. Hawthorne brilliantly displays these differences by juxtaposing extreme and vivid colors—concealment is shown in dark, drab, and gloomy shades, while openness has a bright and colorful sheen. In this way, Hawthorne establishes a dichotomy between lack of color and color in order to show

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main characters have different kinds of burdens to carry depending on their level of ownership over their actions and identity. Dimmesdale has the worst burden to bear because he did not own up to his actions until the very end, Hester has to adjust to the punishment that the Puritans gave her, and Pearl has no burden because she is honest. Throughout the novel, they face different obstacles that contribute to their everyday lives that makes it hard to process everything at once. It’s also to show how the characters were able to face the problems and deal with them

Societal influence on people is a highly discussed topic today, and evidently was in the past, as Nathaniel Hawthorne makes comments on how society should affect people in The Scarlet Letter. This book is about a woman named Hester Prynne, who is condemned to wearing a scarlet letter A by the Puritan society, in which she lives. The symbol explored is Hawthorne’s use of nature. Nature is found everywhere, no matter where a person looks. It can be a display of beauty or a display of ugliness. It also contains many elements, such as leaves, stems, and roots. Nature is used in The Scarlet Letter to represent the characters of the novel. Hawthorne uses nature to point out how the actions of characters reveal their true nature in order to convey that by not living by one’s true identity, a person doesn’t live their life to the highest potential, and instead corrupts their natural character.

I will be talking about the theme of the book Scarlet. The theme that I think represents this book is determination. I think this is the theme because in the book it says “She sniffed, and vowed to herself that she would stay until morning. She would stay forever. She wouldn't abandon her. If her captors came back, they would find them togther—kill them together if they must.” ( found on page 376) This shows that scarlet is determined to stay with her grandmother.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s TheScarletLetter, and Suzan Lori-Parks In The Blood demonstrate how in society, woman are seen as sex objects, and are oppressed by gender inequality. In addition, Hawthorne and Parks’ illustrate the stereotype that women aren’t as powerful as men and are instead just objects rather than human beings to show that views men and woman hold in society. The Scarlet Letter introduces Hester as a woman who is a societal outcast that becomes accepted by the society . In The Blood uses Hester as a woman who doesn 't receive the same level of societal acceptance for being a woman, and doesn’t survive. In both novels The Scarlet Letter and In The Blood the authors display the role of women as powerless and inferior in order to demonstrate the society has not change.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s fictional work, The Scarlet Letter, is significantly influenced by his experience with transcendental beliefs and values. Transcendentalists believe they are at their best when they are self-reliant and independent. His wife, Sophia Peabody, practiced transcendentalism, but he spent a year living and working at Brook Farm in Massachusetts, which was a transcendental community. Influenced by Sophia’s interest in the transcendentalist movement, Hawthorne invested money in an experimental Utopian community. Transcendentalists believe social institutions such as organized religion, society, and political parties destroy the purity of the individual. Some of these elements of belief can be found throughout Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, especially in Hester Prynne. Hester has an inner battle with society and the nature of her child’s existents reflects transcendental beliefs and values, which shows the notable influence that the transcendentalist movement had on Hawthorne’s writing.

“Yes I know we can’t let them take them, we’ll have them hide in the closet for now” replied my father

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, takes place during the 17th century in Puritan Boston, where a woman, Hester Prynne, has committed adultery with the Reverend, Arthur Dimmesdale; she is then forced to eternally wear a scarlet letter on her bosom as punishment for that sin. While coming out of prison with the child that resulted from her infidelity. Hawthorne strategically employs nature in his novel for remarkable imagery, insight into characters, and an underlying theme within the book. In this novel, nature is used with both of its definitions, the natural forces and human nature itself. The theme of nature has allowed The Scarlet Letter to illustrate the dichotomies within the book. Also, in The Scarlet Letter, physiognomies and descriptions of nature around characters correspond with their own human nature and how it changes. Conclusively, nature plays a crucial role in The Scarlet Letter; it foreshadows action, recurs as an important theme that also indicates character, and reflects the changes in the characters ' behavior and beliefs.

“The happiness of the wicked passes away like a torrent!” This quote from Jean Baptiste Racin summarizes The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in one sentence. The novel’s main focus is on three main characters and how the sins they commit affect their lives in the strict Puritan town of Boston around the year 1642. Hawthorne was very knowledgeable of his Puritan ancestry and shows it by incorporating some important thoughts and traditions into this story about sin and confession. Throughout the novel, the physical, social, mental and emotional changes that result from sin in the lives of the characters are never positive and the outcome of their spiritual battles are not always good; but the author makes it perfectly clear to us that concealing sin is not wise.

Artemis said, " Well, what are waiting for hop to it." and nudged them towards the chest.

While Hawthorne was describing the custom-house he included the General. This old retired General, who is the collector in the custom-house, seems very stern, respectable, and intimidating. However, this is not actually how he acts. Contrary to his looks, he is very sweet and gentle. This paragraph describes the irony of the masculine general enjoying flowers. I do not believe that anything was omitted at all, if anything this is a bit too much information. Although it is quite amazing descriptive language, I do not believe that the “All merely graceful attributes are usually the most evanescent; nor does nature adorn the human ruin with blossoms of new beauty, that have their roots and proper nutriment only in the chinks and crevices of decay,

The novel, The Scarlet Letter, is an epitome of individuality during Puritan times. Each character in the novel represents the idea that internal evolution creates an inevitable outcome; life or death. Character development delineates changes in behavior, disposition, and mentality by reflection upon sin and the correction thereof. Therefore, there are numerous characters compared to the literary device, which include Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. In fact, on more than one occasion, Hawthorne refers back to a “moral blossom” which symbolizes lessons to be learned. Subsequently, while Hester and Dimmesdale flourish in the light of redemption, Chillingworth deviates from this path and decays in his aggrieved, petulant stubbornness.

Usually we infer from the word “bias” that the author is leaning towards his subject instead of against it. In this essay I will actually go against the current and state that Nathaniel Hawthorne, influenced by early childhood, his lineage and his inferring from his works is actually outlining a double standard/poking fun at the puritan religion in colonial American and up to his time. I will argue this through his life experiences, examples in the scarlet letter (his most acclaimed work), and his lineage and personality. By the end of this, you shall agree too.