The Social Disintegration of Morality

The foundation of my essay was birthed through an idea written on the prompt, to question whether or not Theology was too Strict a basis for Governing. In my essay, I am going to focus on the Evolution (or De-evolution) of morality and a need for God in Society. Based on how people are judged and the social ladder in a God-Fearing community such as the one featured in The Scarlet Letter, and how the same things are determined in a society such as modern day, middle-class America, I will examine why Theology wanes from public importance. Today, the national anthem is banned from schools because God is mentioned, where as in a Puritan Boston, everyone believes in God and small steps from the Straight and Narrow are scorned upon. Is it the better living condition and comfortability that slowly Graduated the masses against religion? Is it that science now can explain almost all natural phenomena, whereas in the past, anything not understood would be contributed to an act of God? If I have completely missed the point of the essay (which I have a nagging feeling that I did), please tell me.

Public vs. Private Shame

I wanted to explore the idea of public shame, such as Hester’s, versus private shame, such as Dimmesdale’s. Which is worse? Hester’s sin is open to the public, and therefore she has to face it head on. She is forced to be reclusive and an outcast for her entire life. Hester is the “bad example,” the person who everyone does not want to be. People are unable to look past her sin of adultery and constantly judge her for it. She is forced to stand up on the scaffold for the mere purpose of ridicule. The ironic part is that Hester is not sure what she did was so wrong. She didn’t love Chillingworth, she loved Dimmesdale. She still thinks “sinful” thoughts and agrees with her punishment.
Dimmesdale, on the other hand, lives with the burden of hidden guilt. His sin was just as bad as Hester’s, yet now it has become worse because he is lying to the public. As an eloquent minister, Dimmesdale is admired by the community as a saint-like figure. If they had known he should have been on a scale with Hester, they would have viewed him completely opposite. Dimmesdale knows this, which is why he is too much of a coward to admit his sins. He is scared of losing everything he has worked for, yet with each passing day the internal pain increases, killing him. The fact that Dimmesdale has to live as if he was not the father of Pearl means he has to lie to himself and everyone else, always. However, because Dimmesdale’s guilty secret is inside, he is treated as if it weren’t present and has to act accordingly. Dimmesdale is therefore the biggest hypocrite of the novel as well. He knows all this, yet refuses to change anything.
Dimmesdale’s private shame means he suffers alone whereas honest Hester, although an outcast, has a few supporters. She is also a trustworthy idol for women who have done, or thought about doing, the same type of thing. They feel comfortable around her and can even seek advice. Hester has Pearl, the blessing that came from the situation, while Dimmesdale is forced to abandon his daughter. His emotional pain is so much that he even whips himself until the physical pain covers up his aching heart.
For them to feel any kid of shame, they must have a conscience sense of right and wrong. Right and wrong is generally decided by the majority. Hester feels her actions weren’t completely unreasonable, while the majority looks to her as the worst possible sinner. Therefore, Hester is forced to be shameful and believe her actions were that of Satan. Dimmesdale, being a minister, knows the Bible front and back. He knows how important his honesty is, yet he is the biggest liar of them all. Because Dimmesdale knows what is right, he understands how wrong his actions are.

Essay Topic

I am going to talk about the main influences of Hester in her transformation from the ashamed mother to the able mother in the end. I'm going to show how each of the influences(there are a lot to choose from, Pearl, Dimmesdale, Nature, Love) affect Hester in their own way, coming to a conclusion of the one that had to most affect. Each thing has its own effect on Hester(Pearl's influence keeps Hester on the bright side of life) and changes what happens in the seven years of shame. I will explain a lot of influences in some detail, but only the obvious ones in the extreme. In the intro, I will state what I think is the main influence, and tell of others and their importance. My bodies will explain each influnce, with the "main" one last and to sum up the others. The conclusion is a conclusion, its is a repeat pretty much

In my essay topic I am going to write about how Pearl is Hester, only Pearl holds no bound. She does what she wants. In the part where they are walking to the Governor's Mansion and the kids start throwing mud at them. Hester just tries to shake it off and keep going like nothing happened, while Pearl tries to scare off, and successfully makes them go away. I want to use that one, I think when Hester takes off the scarlet letter secretly Hester wants the letter back on. She says that she feels naked and Pearl asks her to put it back on.

Davis has an idea!

Hawthorne sparked my interest yet again, with the theme of transcendentalism. Because I am a strong believer of this philosophy, as I wrote about in my last essay, I am going to explain how it is such a powerful theme in this novel. Although I will share how this general theme influences Hawthorne's novel, I will also break down all of the specific transcendental values that are hidden in the book, such as nature's influence on Hester as an individual, the difference between the connection of the puritan community with Hester and her connection with nature. I may also talk about the transcendentalist theme of "nature in the individual". For this I will talk about how Hawthorne created each character with a distinct personality to help convey his transcendentalist beliefs. I will conclude my essay in an explanation that Hawthorne surpasses all of his counterparts by going farther than the usual transcendentalist values, and actually throwing feminism into the book to add another level of thought for the reader.

Davis has an idea

religion versus love

Why does religion exist?
What is its purpose?
And then, do we really need it?

The etimology of Religion itself explain the contraddiction that hides behind the common view that people has of it : in fact its origin may come from the verb to tie, to constrain men to the divine or to the community (because of the shared beliefs) or to separate, to move them away from the earthbound profane and reach the sacred.
Now, what Religion does is to move away the human part of our beings but what we really think about it is that it should free us, direct us to those which are the best choices for ourselfs and for the others too, but then how could it do this if its separating us from our main features? how could it help us growing as individuals if it tie us to the community or to a divinity?

Did Hester do a really bad thing having sex with a man that she loved?
Was it a sin to have a baby who was just the consequence of their love?
Is love natural or a sin?
Does love drive us away from god, or does it drive us cloeser?
Is god love, isn't he?


Then why Religion has to condemn love?

That's my question, and my topic too.

essay topic.

The Scarlet Letter has a strong relationship between the events that happen and the time or place where they happen. The setting of the book is really important to some of the books themes. the things that take place in the woods or in nature are more private, true and pure than the things that take place in society. Hester and Dimsdale are able to meet and truly be their selves in nature. they cant even be seen together in public. in society they dont have any connection with each other. the only relationship they are able to have in society is minister and diciple. there is also a difference between the things that happen between day and night. during the day hester and dimsdale struggle to even make eye contact with eachother but at night they can stand upon the scaffold together with no consequence.

quote

“Mother,” said [Pearl], “was that the same minister that kissed me by the brook?”
“Hold thy peace, dear little Pearl!” whispered her mother. “We must not always talk in the market-place of what happens to us in the forest.”

Nature vs. Society

My essay's topic is Nature vs. Society. I will be talking about the significance of the sunshine, the roses, why she lets her hair down, the "devils playground" and how nature loves Pearl (the wolf). Heaster feels more confertable and free while in nature, Pearl is more accepted, ETC.

Emilys Idea

I was thinking about writing my paper on the 4 main characters: Hester, Dimmsdale, Pearl and Chillingworth and how we can look at there actions in the book to improve society today. One example would be how Dimmsdale deals with hiding his sin, confessing and holding back his emotions. Another would be how Chillingworth uses Dimmsdale for revenge, and how in the end revenge ends up killing himself. Lastly I can use Hester and what she symbols as a women and how she wants to improve the gender role. Then i will talk about how Pearl overcomes her devilish self to grow up and be a well of mom.
One passage i was going to use is on page 44. "The very nature of the opposite sex.. which has become nature, is to be essential modified, before women can assume a fair and suitable position."
I would like some other ideas if you guys have some too?

My Paper

My paper is going to be about who is the true sinner. Yes it's abivious that Hester wears the answer to this on her chest, but the true sinner might not be so public about their sins. As arthur hides his secrets behind a mask, his guilt builds. Chillingworth also has his sins and guilt throughout the book. So who is the true sinner?

Scarlet Letter Essay- Love/Hate

For my essay, I would like to elaborate and further explore the idea of love and hate in the novel. To kick it off, I want to use the quote, "It is a curious subject of observation and inquiry, whether hatred and love be not the same thing at the bottom. Each, in its utmost development, supposes a high degree of intimacy and heart-knowledge; each renders one individual dependent for the food of his affections and spiritual life upon another; each leaves the passionate lover, or the no less passitonate hater, forlorn and desolate by the withdrawal of his object." When I was reading this, I was struck by the intellectual power of this statement. I feel like anyone can relate to this. There are always going to people you like and dislike, but to love and hate are such powerful emotions that truly do require dependence on the other loved/hated subject. I want to go into depth with the relationship between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, mainly Chillingworth's hate towards Dimmesdale. I also want to delve into the bonds between Hester and Dimmesdale and how their love towards each other was/affected the plot. This quote was very inspirational and the minute I read it I knew I wanted to look further into the relationships in the book.

Pre-Pearl vs Post Pearl

I am thinking of writing about Pearl and her additude before Dimmsdale's death and after. Before she was a wiley elf child who was an outcast of society and had to be her own best friend, and she was always faifull to her mother. When she first met Dimmsdale out of soiciety and he kissed her on the head she ran to the brook so she could scrub it clean. But when he was dying on the scaffold and finally admitted his crimes Preal kissed him on the lips and even started to cry. This also goes with before, it seemed like she didn't care for other human's, but things that were free and wild she didn't want to hurt. In the future she knows human happiness and love and not being ashamed or an outcast all the time. As Hawthorne says on page 155, "the naughty child picked up her apron full of pebbles, and, crepping from rock to rock after these small seafowl, displayed remarkable dexterity in pelting them. One little gray bird, with a white breast, Pearl was almost sure, had been hit by a pebble, and fluttered away with a broken wing. But then the elf chilf sighed , and gave up her sport; because it grieved her to have done harm to a little being that was as wild as the sea breeze, or as wild as Pearl." Pearl has a true compation for nature before, and also a hatred for society. She liked to pick fights with children and would make an A for herself out of seaweed, the very thing nobody wants. But after Dimmsdale's death, after the promise, she got married and had children, with (for what we know) no adultry. This shows she had to conform to society a little bit, even if she was still attached to nature.

Shame

I was thinking of writing about if shame is a good punishment. In some ways it is a good punishment because everybody knows what you did and its embarrassing. On the other hand if the person doesn't care what people think then the punishment isn't affective. Shame is a feeling, and feelings come from ones self. Different people have different feelings, so the punishment of shame will effect people differently. Also you can feel shame because every one found out or because you let your self down. So shame as a punishment really depends on the person.

Scarlet Letter Essay Topic

For the essay i was thinking about writing on Pearl. She was my favorite character in the book, and Hawthorn explains her actions and thoughts with a lot of thought and detail. I'm going to start off with how Pearl is the living proof of the sin that Hester created and when they are on the scaffold she tries to hide the "A" but when she realizes that she is hiding the "A" With the living proof of the sin. Then how the town Magistrates want to take her away from Hester, but Hester refuses. Then Someone asked Pearl where she came from and being he smart ass self she says " I was plucked from the rose bush." which was located outside of the prison door. Then the Black man comes up to Hester and tells her to come into the forest and she said " she would if they took Pearl away from her. " Pearl has no real friends, she plays with imaginary people. The other kids and Adults in the community think that she is a devil child. When they are walking through town and they throw mud at them so Pearl yells at them and chases them. When they are in the forest talking to Dimmsdale Pearl asked Hester if she had any sunlight for her... this happens quite a few times in the book which I'm going to cover... I'm also going to talk about that Pearl No's more than everyone thinks she does, she is a smart girl and notices things like when Dimmsdale puts his hand on his heart, she wonders if its for the same reason that Hester has the "A"... She is one Smart, Mischievous girl that is very entertaining!

Revenge

I am thinking about writing my essay about revenge in the novel. I am thinking about including how even though revenge is supposed to end up biting the person seeking revenge in the end, this doesn't really apply to Roger Chillingworth. His revenge was really far worse for Dimsdale than Chillingworth in the end. Dimsdale had to suffer from Roger Chillingworth for seven years, during which Roger was feeding off of this pain. During this time life was perfect for Chillingworth. Chillingworth died soon after Dimsdale confessed. It cannot be said that this was punishment for Chillingworth's revenge because he was going to die soon anyway. He was an old man and the life expectancy wasn't too long in colonial boston. some other things I am thinking about including are the scenes on page 121 and on 136-138. 121 shows how excited Chillingworth is when he rips off Dimsdale's shirt and reveals the Scarlet Letter or whatever to himself. This shows how excited Chillingworth is to be able to feed off of Dimsdale's suffering. 136-138 shows how Dimsdale is suffering because of Chillingworth and how Dimsdale can't escape. Something else I am thinking about including is explaining hwo chillingworth gets revenge by showing how he tells Hester that it is better for him if they continue on suffering. by showing these examples it will show how Chillingworth is able to get a very good revenge. then I will explain how it never really comes back to hurt him because he was going to die anyway.

Scarlet Letter Essay Topic

So, right now I am still all over the place with what exactly I'm going to talk about. But I am pretty sure that my basic, overall topic will be about the symbolic representation of the "A". As I go through my paper, I can talk about how the role of the scarlet letter and the "A" has changed. First the "A" was supposed to stand for adulterer and bring shame to Hester. Hester first thinks about trying to hide the letter the first time she is on the scaffold. She strives to cover it with Pearl, until she realizes Pearl bascially is the living reason for the letter. There is no way she can hide it. Throughout the book though, Hester changes internally, but in a different way than society expects. Instead of wanting to remove the letter and be accepted again, she learns that her society is not worth joining again. She decides when she will take the letter off. She believes she will never be able to truely be herself in society with other people around. She can only be herself in the forest. There is also a giant change that happens throughout Pearl in the book. At first when she is young, many people in the society dislike her. They believe she is a demon child. Parents don't want their kids to hang out with her, because she is strange. They don't like that she doesn't have a father. She also tends to throw tantrums, and even reaches the point to where she is almost taken away from Hester by the town magistrates. But as she gets older, she tames down. In the end, she ends up married to a good, wealthy man. Also, the "A" seems to transform to able. This is more of society's views on her. She is able to gain respect, support her and Pearl, have a skill, and be a stable mother. In the eyes of the town magistrates, who sentenced Hester to wear the letter for the remainder of her lifetime, watch Hester over the years. They believe they see personal growth and allow her to take the letter off, but Hester refuses. It is like the town magistrates are rewarding her for her good behavior, but she has no desire for society's approval. The Puritan Boston society she lives in is hallow and unaccepting. The night when Dimmesdale first stands on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl, a specific scene takes part in the sky. The night Governor Winthrop passed away, a meteor went through the sky and appeared to be an "A" that stood for angel. The people who saw the meteor believed that it was a sign that the governor went to heaven. This gradual change for what the three words the "A" stood for, adulterer, able, and angel, also show a change of how the book started from a negative scene to a postive scene. Adulterer was a sin, very bad. Then it improved a little to able. Then it improved to being angel. The book really turns around from a down beginning to a happy positve ending. Kinda. Except for all the deaths.

Who is the worst sinner?

I think I may write about how Chillingworth is the worst sinner in the Scarlet Letter. I understand that he was angry regarding Hester and Dimmesdale, but he had no right to do anything he did. Hester and Dimmesdale sinned out of love, rather than Chillingworth's intentions of revenge. He kept it a secret for almost seven years, pretending to be Dimmesdale's friend and doctor. Hawthorne said, "The clergyman's shy and sensitive reserve had balked this scheme." (p. 122) Because of Dimmesdale's happy and accepting nature, Chillingworth knew he could pull this off. Obviously, Dimmesdale agrees with me and says, "We are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world... That old man's revenge has been blacker than my sin." (p.170) I guess my main argument is that Chillingworth sinned out of revenge, in comparison with Hester's sin of love. This paper willl be interesting.

Nature Verse Society

For my Scarlet Letter writing promt I want to write about Nature Verse Society in Nathaniel Hawthorne. I am planning on taking three different aspects from nature and then expanding on them and talking about what I think the author thought they portrayed. I am going to look at the rose bush, the sunshine, and the forest. I also want to take the meaning of his nature and compare it with the meaning of his society. I want to expand on the clashes and things that nature and society disagree on and maybe even some of the things they have in familiar. Then by comparing and contrasting I will decide whether Hawthorne thinks society or nature are better and why. I'm going to take passages from the forest as well as the rose bush passages and sunshine passages and compare them with each other and with passages talking about society. I want to broaden the readers view on nature on how it affects people such as Pearl, Hester, and Dimmesdale. I also want to discuss what nature means to these specific characters by taking the forest context.

3 scaffold scenes-sonja

I'm thinking about comparing and contrasting the three scaffold scenes in my paper. I could write about how different each of the scenes are, like how they each mean very different things. The first scene Hester stands with Pearl on the scaffold with the Scarlet Letter on her chest while the town stands and look at her, talking with each other and giving her shame. The second scene is of dimmesdale in his despair pretending he's telling everyone his secret. I could explain how different the two felt as they stood there. How Hester was calm and collected on the outside but really dying on the inside. Dimmesdale was letting out his despair and felt a new light inside of him even though it didn't change anything for him, his suffering still had to stay. Then the last scaffold scene, dimmesdale lets it all out. He stands with his lover and they're daughter and announces to everyone that he is the biggest sinner of all. His dark secret is finally out and he reveals his chets and whatever on it. after, he dies right there on the scaffold. He couldn't handle what had happened. All three of these scenes are very different, yet they all have huge meaning and all happen at the same place. I need to tie them together by how big of scenes they are, yet contrast them by how different the characters felt each time.

My topic

For the Scarlet Letter essay my topic is love. how there wasnt really love between chillingworth and hester and why it didnt work out because there was no love. the love between hester and dimmesdale and how that could have been taken as lust for a little but then they had a child and it could have turned into real love. and the love between hester and pearl and that there will always be love there because it is a different kind of love.

public v. private

We as readers see or understand Hester Prynn in two different ways. Her inward character is the opposite of what she acts like in public. Hester's outward character in the begging is more scared and she fears the worst. She is embarrassed and the shame brought upon her is killing her from the inside. but toward the middle and end she doesn't really mind the letter, she is so used to everyone pointing fingers at her. She is really the nicest lady in the Town. she sews stuff for the village, helps out the poor and is nice to everyone. But as the narrator tells us, she would be shamed twice as harshly if they really knew who she was. Hester talks bad about others and said that she would kill Pearl and then kill herself, because of all that she has gone through, her life sucks.
If only Hester was who she seems to be.

topic..

I will write on how vital the story is with pearl and how pearl is a symbol in every mean. Pearl is the most complex character in the story and the largest symbol. She is a living version of the Scarlet letter and without pearl no one would have known HEster had commited this crime. She is the physical consewuence to this sexual sin and even an indicator of transgression. However she is also a blessing and everyday gives Hester a reason to live and thrive. She shows Hester everyday and reminds her of the passion and the love that was used and put forth into creating the beuatiful creature of pearl herself. Pearl, is a weird child and her life really begins when she finds out who her father is. she goes on to understand the world and live a joyous life with an artistocrat still caring deeply for her mother. There are constant reminders through out the book of how she is the symbol. first on the staffol when she will hide the letter with the baby, but that defeats the purpose in itself. This symbolism carries on the entire book also when the town wishes to send pearl away from her mother, but why would they do that, pearl must remind hester everyday of this horrible sin. I think i can capture a lot through purl an indirect object which is also the very meaning of the book itself.

Hester

This is kind of all over the place. 

Hester accepted the aftermath of what she had done because she had no choice, but she accepted it grace and strength. I think she did this, not to preserve her pride, but because she had the choice between fighting it until it wore her out, or taking it as something to build her up, if anything. In letting society force her momentarily out of their bubble she was no longer constrained to their ideas of what needs to be fixed. When they are ready to accept her back into society she refuses, because she seems to have accepted it into herself, she said that if it were the letter's time to be taken off it would fall away of it's own accord. Even though Hester seems to have given up her womanhood and given into her sin. I think the loss of light Hester seems to have experienced doesn't come from the scrutiny of society or weight of the guilt. Instead I think it comes from her unrequited love for Dimmsdale, being so close but unreachable. When Hester and Dimmsdale meet in the forest and he asks to let him love her and Pearl, this is  proved because it wasn't making up her sin to society that brought her back, instead what she had done simply needed to be justified. It wasn't the forgiveness of society that let her take away the A and be ready to leave Boston. It was the love of Dimmsdale, and the promise that he would come with her.

Dimmsdale, by not accepting the punishment that would have been given by society, was constantly tortured by it. Staying immersed in society he was not able to reflect on what he had done and it, in turn, tore at him daily. This is where Hesters strength saved her, by letting society force her out of their bubble she was no longer constrained to their idea of what needed to be fixed. She was able suffer for her own belief of what she had done wrong, instead of carrying the guilt society had pushed upon her. 

I don't think it was the guilt of her sin that weighed Hester down, causing her to sacrifice her womanhood and put up her hair, or that drove her to help those in need and work tirelessly.  I think it was the unsatisfied love that remained  from her affair with Dimmsdale, and helplessness from being so close and yet unreachable to the one person who really understood her that drained her life and cast away the sunshine. I don't think it was her pride that kept her head high through it all, or that inspired her to dress Pearl lavishly like she had sewn the A she wore.

pride or fear?

"Meeting them in the street, she never raised her head to receive their greeting. If they were resolute to accost her, she laid her finger on the scarlet letter, and passed on. This might be pride, but was so like humility, that it produced all the softening influence of the latter quality on the public mind." (page 141) Is she shutting people out because she wants to grasp her pride or is she afraid or embarrassed of her past? I believe it's a mizture of both. She has been pushed away and stood out from the croud for so long that she does not want to fit in. She of corse is upset about her past but imagain being shunned by society for so long then instently being invited back as if nothing ever happened?

Davis' Mind

Although this book is a tough read and it was quite boring in the beginning, it grew on me. I constantly catch myself spacing out or not understanding what I read, so I tend to re-read many pages. As I read past the early chapters the characters seemed to interest me more and I was left at the end of each chapter wondering what would happen next, either emotions flowing between Dimmesdale and Hester and their future plans, or Chillingworth's inner feelings for Hester's mistake and his growing plans on avenging Hester's lover.

Pearl

At the beginning of chapter 14, page 147, the narrator tells the world hoe Pearl plays, "Forth peeped at her, out of th epool, with dark, glistening curlsaround her head, and an elf-smile in her eyes, the image of a little maid, whom Pearl, having no other playmate, invited to take her hand and run a race with her." I feel really bad for Pearl. She was born an unpure child, the offspring of one of the most outcast woman in the town and to a father unknown to the town. Pearl was an outcast from the start because of her mother and the fact she was a fatherless child, so she had no chance of making friends in the start. She had to be her own best friend, and I feel bad for her because no child should grow up with no friends. If you have a bad social life as a child, then the chances of you growing up to become alone are so much more likely. Also, many people think she is evil, with the looks of an angel. But I don't think that she is extremley evil, only to people who have wronged her. On page 155 the narrator says what Pearl has been doing while Hester was arguing with Roger, "the naughty child picked up her apron full of pebles, and, creeping from rock to rock after these small birds, displayed remarkable dixterity in pelting them. One little gray bird, Pearl was almost sure, had been hit by a pebble, and fluttered away with a broken wing. But then the elf-child sighed, and gave up her sport;because it grieved her to have done harm to a little being that was as wild as the sea-breeze, or as wild as Pearl herself." This proves that Pearl does have a good side to her.

scarlet letter thingy do

Scarlet Letter is a good book, but most of the time, its hard to understand. Re-reading is a must if you want to understand. The effect of the Scarlet Letter on Hester makes it fun to read, seeing her transform from an abashed widow to a brazen mother. It almost seems as if the book was meant to show people that happiness in life can come from any situation. The evil shown from Pearl kind of shows the overview of whats happen with Hester. Pearl starts off like a normal child being held and nurtured, representing Hester before the sex. Then Pearl became a soft playful joy, with a harder evil like core. This small representation of Hester adds a twist as the two characters develop separately

Dumb-de-dumb-de-da.

Hummmmm.... The Scarlet Letter is a great book about the conflicts that life sometimes faces us with. I don't understand why Hester didn't admit to Dimsedale being her lover from the beginning. It would have probably made everything better for her if she had some one to share the blame with. I also don't get why Pearl hasn't said anything if she knew who her father was. The way the book is written just messes with me. I'll be into it for about a paragraph and then although I continue to read i loos motivation to pay attention and beginning to let my mind wander. I'll turn the page an then look up from the text and wonder to myself what the hell I just read. honestly if someone went it and decided to re-write this book into simple English I would certainly be more into it.

ScArLeT LeTtER

Hester’s life in the Scarlet Letter is the worst of anyone’s. She had not sinned alone, yet she faced the public blame without support from her paramour or fellow sinners. Her husband, Chillingworth, is the one who put Hester through the pain of an unhappy marriage in the first place, and now he condemns her for abandoning him. At the time of Hester’s adultery, she is in love with Dimmesdale. Yet after she is impregnated and forced to show society her disloyal actions, Dimmesdale leaves Hester alone and joins the rest. I have sympathy for Hester. She was forced to marry a man she did not love and when he left her, she couldn’t help falling for another man. In today’s society, although it is still looked at as a sin, adultery is more common and less of a shock. Poor Hester had her lover abandon her, her husband condemn her, and the town mock her. I just wish Hester could have someone to confide in without being judged. Society’s punishment is too harsh for Hester’s actions.

Scarlet Letter

Although The Scarlet Letter is a book with wonderful symbolism and signifigance, it fails to grab my attention and hold it for longer than a couple of paragraphs. There will be points in the book where it grabs me in, enthralls me, and then takes me on a ride. But the ride doesn't last very long at all, maybe a minute or two, and then, BAM! I have lost focus, and I sit there blankly staring at my bedroom walls wondering what the hell I just read. I like some points, and feel that the book has amazing writing, I wish I could write as deeply as Nathaniel Hawthorne achieves to. But the depth, after a while, becomes extremely cumbersome. My favorite thing about the book so far is the feminism that is intertwined within the depths of the text. I also really like the symbolism of the rose bush, the open sky, and the sunshine. It really annoys me that Pearl is so utterly bratty. Her presence is extremely unnerving and I feel it hard to want good for the child when she's so obnoxious. I really love the descriptions of her though...Just not her actions. Overall, I feel the book is really deep, and has a good point, but I cannot be throughly entertained by it.

nature vs society

The Scarlet Letter so far, in my opinion, has been a very interesting read. Something that was really compelling to me was how the author portrays in his own way nature vs. society. When Hester goes into the forest it becomes a sanctuary. In the forest, Hester and Dimmesdale are able to talk as their own spirits which are free and openlly ready to portray true character from deep within. In society they cannot speak as they wouold in nature. Some of the things they talk about include Roger Chiullingworth's true identity. Also Dimmesdale was able to forgive Hester for not telling him of her husband. He said, "I do forgive you, Hester...May God forgive us both! We are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world. I though it was interesting to see Dimmesdale speak openly of what he had done as a sinner and that is why nature is so sacred. It creates this secret place for Hester and Dimmesdale, or anyone for that matter, to shed l9ight unto their deep and true feelings that they may be either too afriad or ashamed of to share with the world.

day vs night

i have noticed a strong importance in the difference between the night and the day in this book. the things that happen during the day time are very different that the things that happen at night. the book uses the sunlight to show events that are socially acceptable and the darkness shows events that need to happen under cover. the daylight can expose others to things. the punishment that hester recives is for her to wear her scarlet letter on her clothes at all times. but the only time that she actually gets publicly shamed is durring the day. everyone can see hester and her scarlett letter. the night lets things happen that not everyone knows about. for example when hester pearl and dimsdale are all out on the scaffold together. this could have never happened innocently if it was in daylight.

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"And mother, he has his hand over his heart! Is it because, when the minister wrote his name in the book, the Black Man set his mark in that place? But why does he not wear it outside his bosom, as thou dost mother?"

Pearl is told by her mom that she signed the black man's book to make her be quiet, and then when the little girl sees Dimmesdale walking through the woods she comments on how maybe he did the same thing. Which is true, both of the adults committed a sin, and Pearl notices how her mother has to wear it on the outside so everyone can see, but Dimmesdale covers it up and keeps it secret inside of him. Although Pearl thinks this on false pretence, but it shows how much she really does see.

Hester and Dimsdale are very similar hypocrites. To most people in Boston they are very good on the outside. They think that Dimsdale is a very good minister. The way he speaks inspires them all. Hester is also viewed as a good person. The people think that she has been purified by the scarlet letter. The two of them are very different on the inside than they are on the outside. Dimsdale is dying because of his secret about his affair with Hester. He is also being eaten up by the fact that he cannot help Hester and Pearl. Hester on the inside is very depressed. She has ideas about feminism that were unheard of in her time. Dimsdale’s hypocrisy is worse than Hester’s. In Boston at that period of time the citizens would have thought that Hester’s ideas were far worse than Dimsdale’s sin. Now, quite the opposite is true. Although neither would technically be considered illegal, Dimsdale hiding what he did is far worse than having ideas about feminism. This is because most people in the world give each other freedom to have their own thoughts.

Dimmesdale sucks

It is not fair for Hester to take all the blame for what happend with her and Dimmesdale. she has gone through so much pain and she has gone through it all alone. Dimmesdale is such an ass for getting Hester pregnant and then just leaving her to raise a kid and suffer humilitaion every day. Yes it happens now a days with pregnancy that males arent ready for and they leave but that is just no ok. if i was Hester i would be torturing him day to day and definitely rat him out. Hester should do everything to make his life miserable. :)

Scarlet Letter

This book is a cliff hanging mystery, because the story could end at any time but it doesn't. She could say Dimesdale did it and my husband just got back and he is in the crowd. End of story, instead it drags on and on to keep you on the edge of your seating craving for more of the story. This is relevant in so many other books and movies. A mystery keeps you wanting to watch or read when it could be solved at any moment, but it doesn't.

The Scarlet Letter Reactions

I think this book is amazing. I think it is really special how all of these recurring images keep coming back to life. The whole deal with light and dark, with roses, the Scarlet Letter itself. These images keep coming back, and at first you think, there is no way that the author can be that good. Maybe we are all over speculating. But then you see as it goes on and on, that the author, Nathaniel Hawthorn, is actually a very, very distinguished writer. And every time you see another rose pops up, or the Scarlett Letter takes a new shape, it makes you want to keep on going and read on till you see the next image that is almost an edifice in the book. And is a necessary commodity in the book.

Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter began with a whole big scene where the town magistrates displayed Hester and Pearl on the scaffold for hours. Then they ordered Hester to wear the scarlet "A" for the rest of her life. At the beginning, I thought the whole book would be about adultry and Hester raising Pearl singly and the troubles she goes through. As we read deeper into the book though, everything became more about how a single sin can affect so many. There is Pearl, who doesn't have a father. She believes she came from a rose bush. And she has a harder time growing up, because all the other people in Boston, specifically kids, tease her. Then, there is Hester's husband, Chillingworth. He seems to be hurt, but he is also realizing how it is his fault. He comes to terms with the fact that Hester is much younger than him, and very beautiful. He is the one who sent her to be alone. He realizes this at the beginning, but still goes through the whole book trying to learn who the other man is. When he finds out, he does nothing. He pretends like he doesn't know. He has all the control over the lover's life pretty much. As for the lover, Dimmesdale, he is suffering but also surviving well. His reputation as a good, pure minister strengthens throughout the book. The town's people believe he is giving his strongest sermons yet, and he is the best minister in Boston. That is on the exterior. Then, on the inside he is basically dying. His sin, because he won't confess, is taking over him. He is becoming more and more weak, and is leaving Hester to get all the shame put on her. He is too much of a coward to reveal he was the lover. So basically, the whole story talks about how the affects of Hester and Dimmesdale's affair on not only them and their love, but also on their child and Hester's husband.

MY TAKE ONTHE SCARLET LETTER

The scarlet letter is a ponderous novel. It is deep and wieghty and the main theme is hypocarcy.
Themain question I have, is that I feel that is has been over exagerrated are these sins because if she had truly no idea that her husnband was not dead,then how is it a true sin. If she truly had fallen in love and concieved a child out of passion I do not understand the circumstance to its full potential yet. I feel as if, Chillington had been there and she had willingly slept with the minister then it would have been through sin and guilt. However, I do think the biggtest sin is Dimmsdale himself. he is a weak individual that is daily torn apart, that he can not announce his actions and he lets the one he loved qand still has feeling for suffer, daily. If he was a man at all he would be able to confront himself as well as thepublic and merely take it as a learning aspect in his life. He is a good man, that did bad and clearly did learn from it. He could teach others lessons but instead he is a hyporcite that teaches people the bible and how they need to live for the right things and desire to incorp[orate good in their life and l;ive sin free and if they do sin they need to give back to society.

Hester Prynne has commited sin and been sinned greatly herself. She has a great sense of dignity and honor and she withholds it. She is a respectedfigure in my mind because she wants to help others and teach and praise still, yet she is out of luck considering MANY MANY people sin and yet she is the only one who hhas to wear a letter for her sin. Through out the book there is a great amount opf imagery much with nature because nature is the pl;ace where they can be themselves and let loose and see the devil and converse with who they really are. It is a meeting place and a signature that represents characters. I like the book. it is deep and full of thoughts and you have to put the pieces together.

My thoughts on the Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet letter is a pretty good book, Hawthorn likes to write with a lot of description and details that are sometime unnecessary, in my opinion. When you just get to the meat of the story it is very entertaining and a fun read. I don't get why Hester is dressing like a poor person and not living in her high class clothes that she used too.. I think its nice that she helps the poor and still sews but its kinda funny how no one has asked her to make there wedding dress. Its cool how Hawthorn makes the same references through out the book, Sunlight, and the rose bush. I like the sunlight reference that the sunlight is happiness and pearl asks Hester if she has any sunlight for her. I thought its also funny how pearl is a rule breaker and doesn't listen. When the magistrates asked Pearl were she came from and she said she was plucked from the rose bush, that was the perfect answer for a little girl. I hope that at the end of the book everyone confesses and Hester tells Pearl the truth about the letter.

Chillingworth

Chillingworth is the worst sinner in the Scarlet Letter. Honestly, Chillingworth is being completely unreasonable. He admitted that he was sorry for arranging the marriage. He had a sense that Hester did not love him anymore, and he should have let her go. Although Dimmesdale is lying to the whole community, Chillingworth is going behind everyone's back, pretending to be something he is not. Yes, Dimmesdale did that too, but his intentions are because he is scared. Chillingworth is being a devious back stabbing friend to Dimmesdale. Once he got the feeling that Dimmesdale was the father, he should have confronted him and told the whole community. Assuming that Hester loves Dimmesdale, she should have told Dimmesdale who Chillingworth really was. In a way, Hester is also going behind Dimmesdale's back. Maybe if she told Dimmesdale who Chillingworth really was, the community would be upset with Chillingworth for lying about their prominent minister. Overall, the Scarlet Letter has been very enjoyable to read and I am excited to continue on.

Dimsdale and Chillingworth

Throughout this book i have grown to hate Dimsdale and Roger Chillingworth. They are both like little emo old men who just complain about everything and never have anything positive to say. Dimsdale is such a whinny, pussy. He obviously isn't a real man because he dosent have the guts to reveal his secret. I hate liars and that is what Dimsdale is. Living i lie is what is tearing him away so why dosent he just tell it to everyone!!!! I mean i understand that he is a minister and he wants to keep his position. But all in all when you do something like that you have to tell for the sanity of yourself and other people. On the other hand, Roger Chillingworth is extremely corrupt and selfish. If he wasn't purposely torturing Dimsdale, then he would be an alright guy. What is more humanly corrupt then torturing someone for your own pleasure and revenge? Not to mention he is very creepy and almost devilish. Both Dimsdale and Chillingworth are tearing away at their own life's. And overall i can not stand either of them because they seem like every other depressed, whinny, sexist and "hopeless" man in this world!

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the scarlet letter- thoughts

As we read through the first few chapters i was disappointed. i thought the book was boring and was to confusing. yet as we read deeper into the book it gets better every chapter. the book has a very good plot or idea but i can't understand it unless i read it very slowly and read each chapter twice.
since we are in the heart of the book we can really start to analyzes the characters. my thoughts on Hester is that she is a good on the outside. she helps poor and treats everyone with respect. But on the inside she hates everyone and would do anything to change what the people think of her. Hester says that she would kill Pearl and then herself because she is in so much emotional pain. she really has horrible thoughts running wild in her mind.
Although Hester is having a troubled time Chillingworth is the worst sinner of them all. first her was "dead" so it was all most his fault that Hester committed the sin of adultery. She had no idea that Chillingworth was still alive. even though she wasn't married to Dimmesdale she thought she had no husband any longer. and at first Chillingworth forced Hester to marry him. now he is making Hester keep his true identity a secret. He is also torturing Dimmesdale. since he is the doctor he is "helping" Dimmesdale, because he is dieing from Shame.
overall this book is alright.