Summary Of Nathaniel Hawthorne 's ' The Scarlet Letter '

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,

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.

Throughout, “The Scarlet Letter,” Hawthorne is able to enhance the plot by intricately incorporating symbols which represent a deeper meaning. One of which, is the infamous, and ambiguous, scarlet letter that lays upon the bosom of Hester Prynne. In the beginning of the book, the audience is immediately introduced to the scarlet letter as a symbol of shame and adultery. The narrator describes the Puritan society as very judgemental and harsh. Comments like, “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die,” creates this negative and unwelcoming atmosphere which surrounds Hester for a majority of the book. From then on, the Puritans constantly refer to the

Though never forced to don a branding like the letter “A” in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, people in modern society are always remembered along with their act of wrongdoing. However, the subjects of the public judgement may not see their choices as immoral. People shame for a difference in beliefs and morals. For instance, Kim Kardashian, a popular reality TV star attained her own personal fame by making a sex tape with rapper Ray J, and, consequently, was shamed in the headlines. Despite the bashing, Kim did not see why her act was deemed shameful. Kim acts as a modern day Hester Prynne because she underwent the same humiliation from her society.

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

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the opening sections of his book, The Scarlet Letter, with a distinct purpose in his mind.Hawthorne aim to to expose the reader to key concepts that would assist in their further understanding of the remaining chapters .To do so Hawthorn developed the a complex mood within the setting and characterizing Hester and displaying her complex mentality in trying to overcome sin. By utilizing diction, imagery, and tone Hawthorne was able to expose the reader into the world of The Scarlet Letter.

Once upon a time, there was a dear little girl called Scarlet who was loved by everyone who looked at her, but most of all by her mother, and there was nothing that she would not have given to the child. On Scarlet’s sixth birthday, her mother suddenly fell ill and soon passed away. Scarlet’s father, being unable to resign and accept the reality, quit his job as a hired herdsman and started hunting in order to distract himself from his grief. He could hardly bear to catch a glimpse of Scarlet’s sight, for she resembled her mother too much. Thus, he neglected his daughter and spent most of his time hunting out in the woods. For this reason, his mother, Scarlet’s grandmother, decided to come and live with them. Grandmother’s permanent stay was

Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the most contemporary American writers of all time, was the great nephew of Judge Hathorne. Who was one of the prime judges of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. Although Nathaniel hated his uncle for his efforts during the horrific trials, he became obsessed with his ideals of puritanism. Through these ideals he became a anti-transcendentalist; someone who believes that naturally we are born evil and society is the only thing that keeps us from provoking chaos. Therefore, Hawthorne’s novels, The Minister’s Black Veil and The Scarlet Letter were both set in puritan towns in the 1600’s, even though he was alive in the 18th century. The Scarlet Letter, which Hawthorne is best known for, is a fictional story

Symbolism is a tool often used by authors to express a deeper meaning in order to help understand the work. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses this tool in order to develop the characters in a more complex way. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to uncover the true nature and emotions of the main characters Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl.

The Scarlet Letter: A romance published in 1850, a book of fiction in a historical setting, written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist, dark romantic, and short story writer. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, to Nathaniel Hawthorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. He includes tone, mood, and style into this story. While reading I questioned Nathaniel’s purpose for writing such a tragic tale of shame, deceit, and redemption. Hawthorne's purpose for writing The Scarlet Letter was so he could reveal the life and hypocrisy of the Puritan communities back in those days.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, The Scarlet Letter, society is a big influence on the plot and the development of its characters. Society’s view and reaction toward sin greatly affects characters and the plot.

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.

Forms and Symbolism of “The Scarlet Letter” The crime of adultery goes as far back as the time of Abraham, who was the first recorded adulterer in the Bible. Throughout the years, there were various different forms of punishment for adultery, many of them being death. Punishment also came in the form of public humiliation, which is demonstrated in Nathaniel Hawthorne's book, “The Scarlet Letter” in which a young woman, her name being Hester Prynne, was accused of adultery whilst her husband was away.

“Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted for too long a series of generations in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes may be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth.” (23)-Nameless narrator’s narration