Rhetorical Analysis Of The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his bold novel, The Scarlet Letter tackles a variety of themes that include: sin, guilt, redemption, postfeminism, and organized religion's abuse of power. Hawthorne spoke in a somber and grim tone, designed to arouse a sense of suspense for his readers. The audience in which he was addressing would have been conservative Christians and women suffragettes, all of whom reflected the ideologies during this time period. By instilling clever diction, Hawthorne exposes hypocrisy in Puritanism and objects against the religion's superfluous punishments; which force individuals to endure unnecessary and extreme suffering.

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).

Hester Prynne is kind of a role model, almost. I admire her ability to admit to sin and be willing to take the consequences. Surely she was not the only one during Puritan times who had an affair, or even sinned. Everyone sins every day, and so technically everyone should have a scarlet letter of some sort. In my opinion, this makes Hester above everyone else.

Born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote many novels and short stories. Hawthorne’s best novel, The Scarlet Letter, overtook the role of the first truly, American novel. His use of rhetorical devices, especially symbolism, established him as one of the most studied authors of all time. In order to convey meaning or to persuade, Hawthorne utilized numerous rhetorical devices. Rhetorical devices in The Scarlet Letter evoked emotions of the audience. In Hawthorne’s work, the devices helped the audience elaborate on the novel. Hawthorne used rhetorical devices to show his character's turmoil. He did this through the character of Hester Prynne, a social outcast bound to isolation by her sins. In novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne depicts Hester’s inner turmoil through the portrayal of the sinful nature of human beings utilizing rhetorical devices.

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

19. This quote is referring to “the Garden” often mentioned throughout the text, whereby it was set up by Wills’ mother in order to fulfil the previous aspirations of creating a veggie patch created by Will’s Deceased Father and herself. However, this initial idea gradually transforms into a setting which serves as a connection between Will and his Mother. In correlation strengthening their relationship and also creating a source of relief when dealing with grief, in order to better bond with their selves. Therefore, the Author symbolises “the Garden” as a place of healing and growth which can also be correlated to the idea of growth in a plants life seen in the Veggie

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.

During the 17th century, a Puritan commonwealth presided over Boston and was known for its strict adherence to religious, moral and social codes. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes rhetorical strategies in order to denounce the Puritan system of beliefs and bring to light the hypocrisy of the Puritan community as he tells the agonizing story of a young woman who was condemned by society.

He uses the rhetorical device catachresis, or a hyperbolic metaphor and consonant blends when describing his ancestors to stress his already made emphasis on his views of them. There can be little doubt of Hawthorne's disdain for the stern morality and rigidity of the Puritans, and he imagines his predecessors' disdainful view of him: unsuccessful in their eyes, worthless and disgraceful. "A writer of story books!" But even as he disagrees with his ancestor's viewpoint, he also feels an instinctive connection to them and, more importantly, a "sense of place" in Salem. Their blood remains in his veins, but their intolerance and lack of humanity become the subject of his novel.

We also know that they are probably quite poor, as this wasn't uncommon at this time. Walker begins to introduce naturalistic images into the text, " Around the spring, silver ferns and wild flowers grew" These images create a calming effect on the passage. Walker also introduces a racial reference in to the text. "They tiny white bubbles disrupt the thin black scale of soil". A post-colonial critic may think that this refers to the white and black divide that had formed at the time that this piece was written.

“I was chained between two nations” Throughout the novel, chains was mention variously. Figuratively of course. Chains, in the novel, is suppose to represent her inability to choose her own opinion, whether it’s being a loyalist or a patriot. She is stuck between her two choices to choose because they both promise something that she desires; freedom. It was unclear as to which side she will choose, as her opinions changes throughout the novel. In the beginning, she was a patriot. her friend, Curzon, promised her that if she becomes a spy for them against the Locktons, (who were loyalists), then she and her sister will receive freedom. She does what she was told, and acted as a spy, and gave many important information to Patriots. But the patriots didn’t keep their own end of the deal. Isabel soon believes that even if the colonies become independent from Britain, slaves will

One simile I found in this passage is " But methinks, dear Sir, you look pale; as if the ravel through the wilderness had been too sore for you."

The speaker then introduces nature as a female entity, which coincides with the perception of “Mother Nature.” as a female entity. “And from the fields the flowers and plants allure, / Where nature was most plain and pure” (3-4). The words “plain and pure” imply that nature, in its original, untouched state, has a sort of purity associated with a virgin maiden. Before coming into contact with “man,” nature has a pristine and naïve characteristic. However, that will change as soon after “man” establishes a position of power over nature. Mankind traps nature within “the gardens square” (5), and he begins to change the plants, presumably by grafting them together or selectively breeding them to produce more desirable and colorful traits. This “Garden square,” with its “dead and standing pool of air” (6). could be interpreted as the cramped interior of the brothel where the women are forced to work, with four walls trapping them on every side. Later in the poem, too, the garden is referred to as a “green seraglio” (27). A seraglio is the women’s apartment area of an Ottoman palace. This was an

The author of “The Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne, utilizes a variety of rhetorical devices to reveal to the audience that he viewed Hester Prynne as a strong, beautiful woman who was confident in herself. Although Hawthorne believed Hester deserved a punishment, he thought that her crime shouldn’t get in the way of her being ashamed to continue living her life. The author shows Hester’s remarkable character by describing her inner strength, her honesty, her compassion, and her defiance. It is known through the novel that the author holds women in high esteem and they should be respected. Hawthorne communicated his attitude toward Hester Prynne by explaining her physical appearance, showing dialogue between other characters, and using

In the stories of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the antagonist characters display parallel story lines through their searches for the enemy. Roger Chillingworth, the former husband of Hester Prynne and the antagonist of The Scarlet Letter, works against his wife in order to find her untold second lover. Frankenstein is a contrasting story in which an unnamed monster is the antagonist towards his human creator, Dr. Frankenstein. Yet despite quite different story lines, the two characters possess traits that exibit parallels between them. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Roger Chillingworth displays the startling passionate characteristics of an unwavering drive to seek out his foe, madness as his focus on his search takes over his entire being, and terrible anguish when his task is unexpectedly over, all of which are reflected in the daemon created at the hand of Dr. Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley 's novel Frankenstein.