Scarlet Letter Rhetorical Analysis

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 essay, “On The Scarlet Letter,” D.H. Lawrence provokes Nathaniel Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester Prynne as a miraculous hero. Throughout the whole essay, he implies that Hester Prynne is a shameless transgressor, who only cares for herself. Hester Prynne is shamed by Lawrence for her atrocious actions. Lawrence provides several writing techniques in his essay including biblical allusion, degrading diction, and hyperbole, to prove that Hester Prynne is a wicked sinner.

Hawthorne's Hester Prynne is the underdog protagonist that the reader cannot help but want to succeed. She is flawed but her flaws are outshone by her good heart and spirit. This shamed and humiliated woman is the one the reader, with the help of Hawthorne’s descriptions, wants to support. This sinful woman, with a child from wedlock, a diabolical “husband”, and a secretive lover is the motivating force that drives the reader to continue on with The Scarlet Letter. The language, descriptions, and plot of The Scarlet Letter show that Hawthorne believes the reader should look past gender stereotypes because not everything is what is

Lawrence’s use of abrupt syntax supports his views on Hester because it acts as a quick list of insults. Equally important, it provides the reader with direct reasons as to why Hester should be berated in the novel. Since Lawrence suspects that the complications in the novel begin with

In his work “On the Scarlet Letter,” D.H. Lawrence addresses the controversial character of Hester Prynne. He is just one of many critics who have analyzed Nathaniel Hawthorne’s fictional character, where some look to her as a hero and others blatantly shame her for her sin. Lawrence makes up the latter of this crowd, and is able to prove his case in a very meaningful manner. The critic believes that Hawthorne sugarcoats Hester’s image, and tries to make it look as if she is the victim of the tale. Disregarding this sympathy, he addresses the root cause of her sin rather than its consequences. As he writes, he uses a multitude of literary techniques to help convince readers of Hester’s seemingly evil character, using descriptive diction, a

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 classic biblical allusions Lawrence interwoven in his essay appeal to people’s knowledge and makes a lasting connection that the audience automatically already relate to. Lawrence uses the story of Mary Magdalen and calls Hester Prynne “another Magdalene” essentially using biblical terms to allude that the heroine of the novel is a prostitute (D.H.Lawrence). People specially in the time in which Lawrence wrote his paper people knew their bible well so by referencing to Mary Magdalene he shows people Hester Prynne’s true colors. This powerful allusion persuades people because of the connotation behind the reference he makes. Moreover, he takes the story of Cain and Abel and applies it to the Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne throughout the story changes the meaning of the Scarlet Letter to mean able but, Lawrence takes it a step farther and changes it to Abel. The name is used in place of the word

He proves that Hester does not in any way define a pure woman and that she should not be held highly because she has nothing to be exalted for. Lawrence’s use of brief syntax throughout his writing shows how abruptly he managed to prove Hester’s character as

Anyone who has read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is familiar with the letter “A” adorning Hester Prynne’s bosom. This demonstration of her crime is described by the townspeople as “a mark of shame upon her bosom.” Although it remains the common conception of the citizens that the demonic symbol represents the passionate sin of Adultery it is, however, not the case. The reader must allow it to remain abaft in their mind that nowhere in The Scarlet Letter does Hawthorne use the words “Adultery” or “Adulteress”. The lack of textual evidence ALLOWSdifferent meanings to be attributed to the value of the “A” upon deeper analysis. Throughout the novel, the “A” has a tendency to symbolize Hawthorne’s Ambiguous tone

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne to provide an audience with ethical lessons. Caught for committing adultery, the protagonist of the novel transforms her life through dealing with her punishment.  Using symbolism and evident themes, the author clarifies the meaning of his work, which is to teach a moral lesson, making him a “contemporary” author.

Although disabled by their mutual feelings of guilt and isolation, the troubled characters of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s positively renowned novel The Scarlet Letter, share an intimate connection. Hawthorne skillfully presents this idea in the beginning of his novel’s 17th chapter, using elements such as figurative language and rhetorical devices.

Lawrence’s selection of choppy syntax communicates his stance on Hester Prynne. Through concise alliteration, such as “Adulteress! The great Alpha. Alpha! Adulteress!

D.H. Lawrence writes a response to Hester Prynne in his essay, On The Scarlet Letter. He uses his piece to condemn Hester’s adulterous action and to shed light on what he believes is her true character. The author effectively achieves his purpose of focussing on Hester’s crime of adultery and conveying her in a negative spotlight by integrating allusions to prominent figures, creating a sarcastic tone, and using repetition.

Lawrence incorporates sarcastic tone in his essay to belittle Hester because she is not worthy of a respected name. Hester is degraded because she is shameful to all women. Lawrence sarcastically says to put her “upon the scaffold and worship her there” (Lawrence). The author wants his readers to envision another side of Hester.

Lawrence’s use of concise syntax throughout the passage helps convey his claim by providing his argument about Hester Prynne and sin in short, easy to understand sentences. For example, in line 17, he implies that Hester Prynne’s objective is “to seduce a man. To have everybody know. To keep up appearances of purity” (Lawrence). By using concise sentences, Lawrence gets his point across to the reader by simplifying his argument so the reader can easily recognize and understand it. It becomes clear that by saying that Hester Prynne’s main goal is to seduce men, he implies that Hester is the sinner for purposefully seducing Dimmesdale into sin. He also explicitly states that Hester is a sinner, not a victim. By doing so, Lawrence contradicts Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester Prynne. Unlike Hawthorne, Lawrence believes that “Hester Prynne is the great nemesis of woman...Having her own back. Understanding” (Lawrence), which expresses his claim that Hester is unworthy of Hawthorne’s praise because she is a sinner