Interpretive Essays : The Scaffold Scenes In The Scarlet Letter

The setting of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet letter” is crucial to the understanding of the event that takes place in the story. The setting of the story is in Salem, Massachusetts during the Puritan era. During the Puritan era, adultery was taken as a very serious sin, and this is what Hester and Dimmesdale committ with each other. Because of the sin, their lives change, Hester has to walk around in public with a Scarlet Letter “A” which stands for adultery, and she is constantly being tortured and is thought of as less than a person. Dimmesdale walks around with his sin kept as secret, because he never admits his sin, his mental state is changing, and the sin degrades his well-being. Chillingworth

In his essay “On the Scarlet Letter,” D.H. Lawrence criticizes Hester’s immoral behavior for her adulterous actions. Lawrence views her as a shameful member of Puritan society and centers his argument on her sin and its effects on the story’s plot. D.H. Lawrence’s use of different literary techniques strengthens his claim that Hester is not the heroine through his sarcastic tone, abrupt syntax, and biblical allusions.

Through day and night, the scaffold is a place of punishment, awaiting its next victim. People pass by wondering who the next victim is going to be. This public punishment causes many to change and work to preserve their reputation. Despite this, the scaffold turns into a constant place of punishment, in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester’s love for Dimmesdale and Dimmesdale’s cowardice hold significant meanings in the novel, which lead up to Dimmesdale gaining a more mature mindset.

In his book, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells of a story where a young woman has had an adulterous relationship with a respected priest in a Puritan community. Typical of Hawthorne's writings is the use of imagery and symbolism. In Chapter 12, The Minister's Vigil, there are several uses of imagery when Dimmesdale, the priest, is battling with confessing his sin, which has plagued him for seven years. Three evident techniques used to personify symbolism in this chapter are the use of darkness versus light, the use of inner guilt versus confession, and lastly the use of colors (black versus white).

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, the author uses three scaffold scenes to mark the development of Hester Prynne. The image of Hester atop the scaffolding is a metaphor for her forced solitude; for her banishment from society; and for the futility of her punishment. In the first scene, Hawthorne uses the scaffold to explain how Hester can not believe that the “A'; and the baby are real. In the second scaffold scene, Hawthorne tries to convey to the reader that Hester has fully repented for her sin, however this is not true. In the final scaffold scene, Hester does not yet fully repent for her sin because her love for Dimmesdale is still strong. Through Hester, Hawthorne is trying to communicate to the

The Scarlet Letter Introduction The Scarlet Letter is a classic tale of sin, punishment, and revenge. It was written in 1850 by the famous American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. It documents the lives of three tragic characters, each of whom suffer greatly because of his or her sins. Shot Plot The story begins with Hester Prynne, a resident of a small Puritan community, being led from the town jailhouse to a public scaffold where she must stand for three hours as punishment for adultery. She must also wear a scarlet A on her dress for the rest of her life as part of her punishment. As she is led to the scaffold, many of the women in the crowd complain that

In the Novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the three scaffold scenes bring together the major characters and help portray the most important themes. In each scene, all of the main characters are present but the major focus of each one is the scarlet letter ‘A’ on Hester Prynne’s bosom. Each scene illustrates the importance of the scaffold behind them with many similarities and differences. In the first scaffold scene Hester Prynne is described standing alone while clutching Pearl close to her chest.

In The Scarlet Letter a young woman named Hester is criticized and mocked for having a young girl from an adulterous act with a sneaky pastor. The young girl will be named Pearl (named Pearl for having cost a great price). Throughout the novel as the characters develop and change the plot of the story develops into a riveting climax and an end no one could have imagined. Within the novel there are five major scenes that build up to the dramatic ending of The Scarlet Letter. The scenes in order are the first time Heaster showed her face and stood on the scafell after she was released from prison, when Heaster and Pearl met with the main men of the village to discuss Pearls fate, when Dimmesdale (the young pastor) stands on the scaffold at

In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, we notice that action only happens in a few places, among which are the forest, the market place, the governor’s residence, and Dimmesdale’s house. Although all these locations are significant to the story, the most important symbol among them is certainly the scaffold in the market place, where the story begins and ends. The scaffold’s meaning changes throughout the story and has different values for different characters. It represents humiliation, then insight, and finally redemption for Hester and Dimmesdale, but for Chillingworth, it symbolizes birth of sin, growth of sin, and ultimately consummation by sin.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, symbolsim is constantly present in the actual scarlet letter “A” as it is viewed as a symbol of sin and the gradally changes its meanign, guilt is also a mejore symbol, and Pearl’s role in this novel is symbolic as well. The Scarlet Letter includes many profound and crucial symbols. these devices of symbolism are best portayed in the novel, most noticably through the letter “A” best exemplifies the changes in the symbolic meaning throughout the novel.

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author presents three symbols that all reinforce the main idea of the novel. The main idea that reoccurred throughout the novel is that people don’t have to let their mistakes or circumstances determine who they are or what they become; it’s all in how one interprets life. Many symbols may seem as just an ordinary character or coincidental object to some readers, but the symbols have a deeper, underlying meaning. Although there are many symbols in this book, there are three that really help support the main idea: Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter, the meteor, and Hester’s daughter Pearl.

In Nathaniel Hawethorne’s The Scarlet Letter, five scenes stand above the rest in the entirety of the book. Each of these scenes focusing on one of the main characters, Hester Prynne and her daughter, Pearl, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth, who’s real name has never been revealed. In order of occurrence, the scenes which have been deemed most important include, Hester on the scaffold holding Pearl as an infant, and Roger Chillingworth visiting Hester while she is still in the prison being two examples. Another being what many would consider the climax of story is when Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl in the darkness. The final two being Dimmesdale and Hester’s meeting in the forest, and the day upon which Arthur confesses his sins and passes on. Though these are all strictly opinion, they are key points in the novel.

Chapter 2- This chapter formally introduces our protagonist, Hester Prynne, and she is seen walking out of the prison in the first scene. She is wearing an elaborately embroidered “A” on her chest. We can deduce that the “A” stands for adulterer from her child and from her prison sentence. The Scarlet letter not only symbolizes adultery, but also we can foreshadow that the community will shun Hester and alienate her

The novel The Scarlet Letter is a world renown piece of literature. It’s plot and story line gives the reader a sense of being in that time period with the characters. Nathaniel Hawthorne does a extraordinary job at showing the significance of recurring events in this novel. The scaffold scenes are repeated to show the significance of the sin of Hester Prynne and Mr. Dimmesdale. This is significant in many ways, to show how Hester Prynne must suffer for the rest of her life because of having premarital sex and having a child. Nathaniel Hawthorne chose these scenes to show powerful similarities and differences. Each one that occurs, relates to each other. It's still the same pain and suffering. These scenes are also so significant because of how it brings the main characters together where they all eventually divide their attention to the scarlet letter on Hester Prynne’s bosom.

In the book “The Scarlet Letter” sin, is a main theme throughout the book. The entire story starts with one little sin, but sin when it is grown brings forth death. Guilt and punishment are also prominent and important themes. These two themes influence the main course of the story and shape the characters' lives and their actions. There are many symbols throughout the book, but I am only going to use three of them. The scarlet letter “A”, Hester’s daughter Pearl, and the scaffold will be the symbols used throughout this essay.