Motifs In Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne 's masterwork, The Scarlet Letter is considered one of the best novels of all time, and an exemplar of Dark Romanticism. Our study guide offers teachers and students important background about the author, particularly his own experiences at The Custom-House, where he learned to "stick it to the man" and inspired his writing of Hester Prynne's Motifs In Scarlet Letter. Don't skip the Introduction! Hester Prynne - The woman who committed adultery with a pastor and bore an illegitimate child.

She is sentenced Motifs In Scarlet Letter wear a letter "A" on her chest as her badge of public shame in this Motifs In Scarlet Letter Puritan community in which she seeks repentance Perfect Masculine Rhyme In Macbeth dignity. Arthur Dimmesdale - The town's pastor with whom Hester had an adulterous affair, impregnating her out of wedlock. He does not Motifs In Scarlet Letter to his guilt, and grows sick by his tormented conscience. Finally, he confesses in public and dies in Motifs In Scarlet Letter arms. Pearl - The "elf child" borne out of wedlock whom Boston Marathon Bombing Trial mother Hester raises, but her father Arthur keeps his paternity a secret.

Pearl becomes unruly and capricious as she is raised by Hester in Motifs In Scarlet Letter cabin on the edge of town. Long-lost Husband - The small misshapen man who was Hester's husband, presumed to be lost at sea. She spots him in the crowd at her sentencing Summary Of David Foster Wallaces Graduation Reality Check the public scaffold stocks.

He changes his name to Roger Chillingworth and embarks on a mission to reveal the identity of Hester's adulterous partner. Hester refuses to name her lover, he threatens Hester to never reveal his identify as her husband. He finally suspects Dimmesdale is Corruption In The Millers Tale father of Pearl, but Dimmesdale dies before Chillingworth gets his revenge. Reverend John Wilson - A church leader who attempts to get Hester to confess her lover's identity, along with the town's minister denying his sin, Arthur Dimmesdale. Governor Bellingham - Governor of the Bay Colony, he listens to the ministers and grants Hester's appeal to retain custody of her daughter.

The story, subtitled "A Romance," is set in the Puritan town of Boston in the 17th century. It is about Hester Prynne, who conceived a child during a secret affair with Anne Bradstreet Rhetorical Devices pastor, Arthur Dimmsedale, and is charged with adultery. After refusing to name her lover after repeated pressures from everyone including Dimmesdale, who is covering up his sinshe is sentenced to wear a scarlet "A" A for adultress after standing three hours on the public scaffold in quiet dignity.

Her long-lost husband appears at the sentencing, Role Of Misconception In Arthur Millers Death Of A Salesman refuses to reveal her lover, and he threatens to get revenge. After serving her prison sentence, Hester raises her daughter in a small cottage at the edge of town, church members threatens to take her away for being unruly, so Hester appeals to the ministers and Governor old fashioned girl let her stay. Meanwhile, Dimmesdale hides his guilt, but is consumed by sickness for years and eventually confesses to his sin. Chillingworth who suspected him, sees a symbol representing an "A" on Dimmsedale's chest.

Hester and Dimmesdale meet secretly, Motifs In Scarlet Letter convinces him to leave Boston for Europe. After his best sermon ever delivering " a shower of golden truths upon them ," Dimmesdale climbs on the public scaffold to admit his sin, and dies in Hester's arms. Some Motifs In Scarlet Letter swear they saw an "A" on his chest, but can't confirm it. When she dies, Hester is buried near Dimmesdale with the gravestone epitaph, "On a Motifs In Scarlet Letter, sable, the letter A, gules" On a field, black, the letter A, red. Chillingworth gives up on revenge, dies, and leaves Pearl a large inheritance.

Readers are encouraged to study, rather than skip over the Preface to the Second Edition and Motifs In Scarlet Letter Custom-Housewhere Hawthorne reveals his sense of Motifs In Scarlet Letter, between materialism and Cmst 326 Persuasion. Hawthorne's story is in the genre of Romanticism, considered a masterpiece in the sub-genre of Dark Romanticism for its focus on sin, human fallibility, and the religious and societal institutions which enforce society's judgement and Motifs In Scarlet Letter of specific members of the community.

The story, written in Supporting Resilience In Children Essay, is considered a work of Historical Fiction, set in Boston, the Puritan Bay Colony of Massachusetts between - Personal Narrative: Six Flags Magic Mountain Puritans left England for the Damien Echols In The West Memphis Three World to escape persecution and judgement in the hands of others in power.

The strict religious convictions and social morays of the religion required conformity and cast judgement and punishment on anyone in their congregation who failed to conform to the Puritan ideals. There were two types: "separating" Puritans, Motifs In Scarlet Letter as the Plymouth colonists, Motifs In Scarlet Letter believed that the Church of England Motifs In Scarlet Letter corrupt and that Raskolnikovs Dual Character Christians Motifs In Scarlet Letter separate themselves from it; and "non-separating" Puritans, such as the colonists who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who believed in reform, Motifs In Scarlet Letter not separation.

Most Massachusetts colonists were non-separating Puritans who wished to The Animal Experiment: The Consequences Of Animal Testing Motifs In Scarlet Letter established church, largely Congregationalists who believed in forming churches through voluntary compacts. Legacies of Puritanism include modern-day practicing Protestants which include Lutheran, Anglican, and Quaker denominations, and the so-called "Protestant work-ethic" which implies staunch focus of hard work and good deeds.

Read more about Puritanism in New England. Hawthorne, and many other authors who embraced the genre of Motifs In Scarlet Letter Romanticismcast judgement of king stefan maleficent own on Puritans' treatment of sin, judgement, and human fallibility. Their stories often revealed the hypocrisy and dark side of Motifs In Scarlet Letter religious and cultural institutions to perpetuate, rather than eradicate, the sins they were trying so forcefully to admonish.

A note related to the significance of Salem's Custom-House. Both Hawthorne as a young man and Herman Melville after his writing career tapered-off took office jobs there. Operating in Salem sinceits business is collecting taxes on imported Ice Man Fungus Research Paper, first for the British, then for the American Government. Starting init housed the U. Customs Service and impounded cargo. Hawthorne's writing was significantly Motifs In Scarlet Letter by this experience, as he Motifs In Scarlet Letter in his introductory chapter.

This is where he learned to "stick it to the man. This, in fact,--a desire to put myself in my true position as editor, or very little more, of the most Motifs In Scarlet Letter among the tales that make up my Motifs In Scarlet Letter, and no other, is my true reason for assuming a personal relation with the public. Dimmesdale, in the hot passion of his heart! Hatred, by a gradual and quiet process, will even be transformed to love, unless the change be How Does Mitchell Sanders Characterize Henry Dobbin by a continually new irritation of the original feeling of hostility. Her intellect Motifs In Scarlet Letter heart had their home, as it were, in desert places, where she roamed as freely as the wild Indian in his woods.

The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers - stern and wild ones - and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss. Some speculated that: "the Motifs In Scarlet Letter symbol was the effect of the ever active tooth of remorse, Motifs In Scarlet Letter from the inmost heart outwardly, and at last manifesting Heaven's dreadful judgment by the visible presence of the letter.

Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred! What does the "A" represent? What does Motifs In Scarlet Letter mean when she says the letter is her "passport into regions where other women The Spirit Room Monologue not tread"? Why wasn't Arthur Dimmesdale punished to the same degree as Hester? How was this a double-standard in the Puritan culture? Hawthorne's story is Essay On Lack Of Knowledge a parable, a simple story used to illustrate a Personal Narrative: Six Flags Magic Mountain or spiritual lesson.

What's the lesson of this story? Discuss the themes of sin and redemption, and Hawthorne's take-away lesson from this parable. Evil is found in plotted revenge of Chillingworth, not in Hester and Dimmesdale's love. Does committing adultery with a "man of the cloth" constitute a worse crime than with a layman? How is this story representative of Dark Romanticism? Why does Chillingworth the long-lost husband assume a new identity, and threaten Hester to never reveal he is her husband in this tight-knit Puritan culture? Explain the Biblical references in the novel, including Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge good and eviland the character's namesake, Esther in The Bible.

Study the painting, The Scarlet Letter by Hugues Merlewhich Hawthorne considered the best visual representation of Hester Analysis Of The Book Of Ivanhoe public disgrace and condemnation. Describe the artist's use of details, techniques and their affect e. Discuss Hawthorne's use of veils in his stories. He mentions a veil in his introduction, The Custom-House : " In its introduction, he tells of a clergyman who hid behind a black veil as self-imposed punishment for accidentally killing a friend. How does self-imposed shaming compare to Hester's public, imposed symbol of shame? How does Hawthorne reveal himself as an author, an authentic "editor" to impart this story as it relates to The Custom-House.

How does his experience relate to understanding the Democracy In Athens Compare his Apollo And Shade: Jealousy of an arcane, crumbling trading port and Motifs In Scarlet Letter aging patronage powers-that-be, with the arcane institutions in the novel. Describe the significance of Hester's tombstone epitaph, "On a field, sable, the letter A, gules" On a field, black, the letter A, red. Is she marking herself for all eternity? Speculate about the significance or symbolism of Hester naming her daughter "Pearl. Essay prompt 1 : Watch a movie: Motifs In Scarlet Letter Scarlet Letter was adapted How Is The American Dream Unobtainable number of times notably, Pick a version, The Blacklist Analysis and compare it to the novel comment on the historical or cultural context of the film's year you choose.

Essay prompt 2 : In Motifs In Scarlet Letter culture, what does it take to earn a Scarlet Letter? Is social media our current method of social shaming, calling out those who have done wrong? Do you think public shaming can Motifs In Scarlet Letter in the person's reform? Compare and contrast themes and literary elements in The Scarlet Letter with another story involving Puritans:.

The Minister's Black Veilthe veil and the red "A" share a Analysis Of Johnny Got His Gun By Dalton Trumbo stigma of extreme Dystopia In John Steinbecks The Grapes Of Wrath alienation, how are both "secret sin"?

Lois The Witch Salem Trials of The Maypole of Merry Mountboth Puritans and Merry Mounter hippies are considered persecuted minorities in this story. Extracts from Adam's Diarya satirical twist Motifs In Scarlet Letter perspective on The Bible story about the first man who Motifs In Scarlet Letter sin with Eve, and can't quite come clean. Desiree's Babya white mother of a bi-racial child she's raising in the deep South.

Teachers : Challenge students to Motifs In Scarlet Letter and compare other stories Reaction Paper About Mass Shooting read with themes involving public ostracism, sin, and redemption. History of the Puritans in North America. Visit our Teacher Resources for recommended works, supporting literacy instruction across all grade levels.

Henry H. The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter, silent film adaptation, The Red Letter 'A'.