1. Identify the sin of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, and trace the consequences of that sin on the person’s life and character.
2. Explain the symbolic significance of each of the following items: Light and dark; The scaffold; The rosebush and weeds; The letter “A”; The forest; The town
3. Some literary critics argue that Hester Prynne is one of American Literature’s first feminists. Agree or disagree with this assertion using specific examples from the text.
4. Explain Hawthorne's view on human nature regarding passion. Justify your response.
5. Hawthorne uses real historical figures in this text, including Governor Bellingham, John Wilson, and Ann Hibbins. Conduct some research on these figures. Provide a brief summary of each person and explain how they add authenticity to Hawthorne's work.
6. Conduct research on the figure of Anne Hutchinson. It has been said that Hester Prynne may be modeled after the historical figure of Anne Hutchinson. In what ways are these two women similar? Explain using details from the text.
7. Describe Hawthorne’s use of dramatic irony, and cite specific examples to support your response.
8. How does Hester’s attitude change from the first moment she emerges from the jail through the last scene of the novel. What major events assist in her transformation?
2. Explain the symbolic significance of each of the following items: Light and dark; The scaffold; The rosebush and weeds; The letter “A”; The forest; The town
3. Some literary critics argue that Hester Prynne is one of American Literature’s first feminists. Agree or disagree with this assertion using specific examples from the text.
4. Explain Hawthorne's view on human nature regarding passion. Justify your response.
5. Hawthorne uses real historical figures in this text, including Governor Bellingham, John Wilson, and Ann Hibbins. Conduct some research on these figures. Provide a brief summary of each person and explain how they add authenticity to Hawthorne's work.
6. Conduct research on the figure of Anne Hutchinson. It has been said that Hester Prynne may be modeled after the historical figure of Anne Hutchinson. In what ways are these two women similar? Explain using details from the text.
7. Describe Hawthorne’s use of dramatic irony, and cite specific examples to support your response.
8. How does Hester’s attitude change from the first moment she emerges from the jail through the last scene of the novel. What major events assist in her transformation?
1. Hester and Dimmesdale both fell to temptation and committed adultery, which both led to their own individual experiences. Hester wore her scarlet letter and gave back to the community and reformed her image while ignoring other's opinions of her, meanwhile Dimmesdale hid from the public eye punishing himself by carving a letter A into his chest so that he could feel her pain. He eventually was driven to insanity and ended up having a breakdown during the election day ceremony tearing open his shirt and then dying meanwhile Hester grew to be a well-respected woman until she met him in death. Chillingworth's sin was lying and to a certain degree borderline torture, he began by renaming himself after he supposedly died while traveling from England to America. After he discovered his wife wasn't loyal to him he sought out the father to Pearl and found Reverend Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale wasn't looking too good because he was stricken by grief because he knew he was guilty so Chillingworth became his physician. Chillingworth kept him alive until he found out his secret and from then on he plotted and prolonged his very painful life that way he could feel the misery he caused. After Dimmesdale passed Chillingworth had nothing left to live for and died a lonely death and gave all of his items to Pearl.
ReplyDelete2. Light and dark are pretty obvious along with the town and the forest, the forest and darkness are like chaos and the unknown, you'll never know what is going to happen. Meanwhile, the light and the town you can see everything and there are laws dictating what you can and can't do which rules out chaos. The scaffold served as a means for humiliation or major events throughout the story, initially Hester's punishment was there and then Dimmesdale met with her there at night and finally that's where Dimmesdale died. It could either be the connection between Hester and Dimmesdale or just as a means for public laughter. The rosebush and weeds serve as a symbolic reference to salvation or there's always something brighter just beyond the door. You're currently "in the weeds" meaning that you're in a bad place like the prison, but because you came in from the outside you saw the good in life or the "rosebush" and for you to continue you need to become a better person and open up that prison door and see the rosebush. The letter A symbolized Hester's anguish throughout the story until she reclaimed it as her own. Initially a punishment, it took its own life and started developing its own story eventually coming to the meaning of able and a way for women to respect Hester for what she went through.
3. I agree that Hester could be a first or second wave feminist, but not a third wave feminist. Hester does not cause chaos like third wave feminism by targeting anything bad in the world and instantly attacking it, rather she deals with what life throws at her. She had the letter A thrown at her and instead of giving up she continued to develop into a better person because of it. She didn't let the letter own her, but rather she owned that letter and redefined what it truly meant to wear that letter, a source of pride and respect.
4. Hawthorne seemed to view the narrative on passion to be if someone wants something they will lust after it similar to how Hester's relationship with Reverend Dimmesdale was. Whether it be her or him that initiated the relationship one had to lust for the other meaning they gave into their bad passion, not to be mistaken for good passion. They sexually lusted for one another which resulted in Pearl coming into the world.
You explained your thoughts very well. And I do especially agree about your point of the different waves of feminism and how Hester was actually a symbol for equal rights and not an attacker of the community. I also appreciate the detail you went into when explaining all of your points, you were very thorough and that is a good thing. All of your comments have been very good and up to high standards, well done.
Delete5. Reverend John Wilson was a preacher during the time period of the fictional Hester Prynne and the historical figure Anne Hutchinson. This adds a source of validity because it shows that there was a source of conflict between him and the people he preached against, like Anne Hutchinson. Governor Bellingham followed in suit voting to remove Anne Hutchinson from the Massachusetts Bay Colony while he was in office. Ann Hibbins was a "witch" prior to the Salem Witch Trials and thus was hung for it, following similarly to the role that she played in the Scarlet Letter as the public crazy witch lady. There is only one problem with this and it's that she was married to Governor Bellingham and was widowed by him but seemingly in the book they had no relation like that whatsoever. The men had prior issues with strong women and thus it gives them history and prone behavior towards them so it is no surprise they would be so quick to judgement.
ReplyDelete6. Anne Hutchinson and Hester Prynne were both revolutionary women for their time period by revolting against the Puritan belief system and empowering women. Hester and Anne both had very strong religious conviction towards their own idea of what is sin and what the church preaching's mean. Hester believed that the only father of her child was God and that's the only father Pearl will ever know. Anne had a similar ideology preaching that all that is required to get into heaven is that you have a strong relationship with God, which is contradictory to Puritan beliefs. The political leaders during that time period disliked Anne and Hester's ideas so they decided to work to persecute them, which is making them a martyr for their beliefs and only helped them gain popularity. Anne used this to preach towards women and Hester became a source of wisdom and respect within her community. The power executed on the both of them backfired and ended up making them even more powerful than they already were. So, I do dare to say that yes with the running similarities that Hester Prynne was based off of Anne Hutchinson, much less to mention within the first five chapters of the book they mention she passed by the same rosebush Anne did.
7. Hawthorne had many great examples of dramatic irony such as the pain in Reverend Dimmesdale's chest being his own scarlet letter. Hester has a similar pain throughout the story whenever people stare at it or Pearl throws flowers at it but her guilt doesn't kill her. Dimmesdale's pain is too much and he has to confess his sins on the scaffold, which is where Hester first wore her scarlet letter and so did Dimmesdale. Prior to Dimmesdale tearing open his shirt and revealing his letter Chillingworth discovers it and snickers to himself because he now knew who it was adding to the suspense, but the readers didn't know fully what was on his chest. When Ann Hibbins claims that the devil has a way to mark people publicly so that all can see it adds to the foreshadowing that was already started by Chillingworth which leads to the final payoff that kills Dimmesdale.
8. Hester has gone from a meek and humble girl into a flourishing woman who isn't afraid to say what needs to be said. She was silenced by Chillingworth, told by the whole town that she's essentially a whore, left with a child to care for on her own and on top of that her husband isn't willing to speak up about him having an affair with her until it's too late. She had her negative experiences but let's not forget about the positives like when Pearl was the bond between her and Dimmesdale while on the scaffold holding hands or in the woods when they had decided to run away together. Cheesy am I right? It's giving me midsummer night's dream flashbacks. Ultimately, she decided she wanted to be her own person with her own opinions, which lead to respect from other women in the community.
I enjoyed reading all of your responses, however, the eighth response was my favorite. I agree with your thoughts and am excited to read more of your works this year.
DeleteWell done. I enjoy how you use your language to keep the monotony to a minimum.
Delete1. Dimmesdale and Hester both committed the sin of adultery. Hester owned up to her sin and wore the scarlet letter A on her chest. Dimmesdale was afraid of what the people might think of him and keeps a secret, however, it eats away at him until he carves the letter A into his own chest to feel the pain of Hester. Hester became a respected woman while Dimmesdale was his own worst enemy and ripped his shirt open on Election Day to show the letter A on his chest, where he faced his death. Chillingworths sin was a hunger for power and revenge. He did everything he could to find his unloyal wife’s mate and get revenge. He later died after Dimmesdales death because he no longer could get the revenge he was looking for.
ReplyDelete2. The symbolic significance of light and dark can be summed up as good and evil. In the dark, there is no direction and there is fear and a loss of hope. In light, there is a clear path of choices and happiness if that’s the way one chooses to see it. The scaffold represents a form of punishment and the exposure to the public in a form of humiliation. We are introduced to the rose bush in the first chapter and see it represents a beautiful blossom. However, the thorns represent sin that later blossom into roses, which represent Pearl. The letter “A” could symbolize the agony Hester went through that later turned her into a respected woman. The forest and town can be compared to light and dark because in the forest there is a wide space to get lost in and you will not know what is coming next. A town can symbolize an area where there are set rules to follow and where there is light and choices to make. Throughout this book there were many symbolic qualities in each chapter.
3. I agree that Hester could be categorized as a feminist, however, rather than blaming sin and crime on others, she takes it on to herself and develops into a better person because of it. For example, when she was forced to wear the letter A, she did not give up on herself, but kept going and became a stronger person.
4. Hawthorne’s view on human nature regarding passion simply can be concluded as when someone wants someone or something they will not stop until they get it. They become tempted and lust for what they desire. For example, Hester and Dimmesdale fell into temptation, which resulted in having a child together.
5. Throughout the book we see the narrator wants us to believe the story is true. A way he tries to prove it is by using characters that were once alive. Governor Bellingham served as governor and appeared a few times in the book. John Wilson was a reverend and judged Hester. Ann Hibbins was a witch in the book and after research I learned she was executed for witchcraft in real life.
6. After research I learned that Anne Hutchinson was a religious woman banished by the puritans. Hester committed adultery and was also banished by the Puritans. Anne and Hester were both outcasts and judged. Both are also considered feminists.
7. Hawthorne uses dramatic irony throughout The Scarlet Letter multiple times. For example, it is ironic that the respected preacher is actually the sinner and father of Hester’s child. It is ironic that a precious child is a product of sin. Dimmesdale sharing the pain with Hester when he carves the letter A into his chest can also fall under this category.
8. Hester’s character goes through a long period of change and mental growth throughout the story. She begins as a reserved, humble character and grows into a strong woman who is respected and self loving. She went through hell and rose up to the top. After being humiliated, she grew into a strong woman respected by the people in her community.
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on each question. I thought it was interesting how you went with that Hester could be considered a feminist. I personally went with she could not be titled a feminist. I can’t wait to hear more on why you think this in class this year! Thanks for sharing. Great job!
DeleteI agree with the way you see Hester as a strong woman. However, I do not think that these qualities make her a feminist. I think that they make her independent and respectable. I appreciate many of your other responses and think that we are on the same page with many other topics.
Delete1. Hester and Dimmesdale sins were committing adultery. They both carried the burden of this sin, she unfortunately faced many consequences and he faced the guilt. Hester was not only punished by carrying the Scarlet Letter. No matter where she went or what she did, people were always mocking her, calling her names, and trying to put her down. However, throughout the book she found herself. She always stayed positive and was always there for people no matter what they did or said. She became a more Christ-like figure. Dimmesdale faced a more secretive punishment from his sin. He carried what felt like a Scarlet Letter of guilt on his chest. He soon carved an “A” in his chest to feel her pain. He also got the wrath of temptation from Chillingworth for a long period of time as well. The two were at one point both publicly embarrassed. Chillingworth’s sin was pointing out someone else’s sin through lying. Chillingworth lied about who he was and what he did until he found out what he was looking for in the beginning.
ReplyDelete2. Like most books, the Scarlet Letter had a lot of symbolism. The first one seems to be the most popular symbolism in books. Light and dark. In many novels, light and dark portrays good and evil. This is what I understood it to be in this book as well. Hester had it all from the looks to religion. Yet, when she committed this sin she lost herself and the happiness she used to have. This is what I called the light. She then soon went into the dark. After committing the sin of Adultery, she lost the person she used to be, she was so unhappy with herself, an even the community made a point to talk about her. When I think of dark I picture a rainy day. When I think of light i picture a sunny day. Throughout the book I feel like Hester went from being in the “nice weather” all the time to nothing but “rainy days”. The next symbolism is the scaffold. When I pictured the scaffold I picture it to be like a stage. I pictured her to be on something like where we would watch our favorite artist sing. Yet, it wasn’t for happiness it was for humiliation. In the beginning, Hester was there to be publicly humiliated. Eventually, Hester looked at the scaffold to be a place to look back on and realize where she started becoming herself. It took her to be publicly humiliated to find who she really was. The next symbolism is the rose bush. In the beginning of the book, the author mention Ann Hutchinson. Ann was sent to jail because she wanted others to focus on their own relationships with God instead of the words that the ministers were preaching. I thought it was interesting how the rose bush was by the entrance of the jail. The book mentioned that it was to remind the prisoner that there is hope. The rose bush to me symbolized Gods presence. The next symbolism is the weeds. The weeds to me represented someone like Dimmesdale having the life completely sucked out of him. Dead. Like a criminal. The weeds represented the sins, criminals, and the dark. The letter “A” was to show the townspeople what impurity looks like. To Hester, it was the beginning letter of her sin, now called an Adulterer. The letter that she wore for her punishment. To Chillingworth, it made him more angry and ruined. It reminded him what his wife had done. To Dimmesdale, it reminded him the sin he had committed, which continued to make him feel guilty. By the end of the book, I believe the letter reminded Hester how much stronger she has become. It was no longer a very upsetting thing for her to see. The forest was symbolic to freedom and privacy. Hester looked at the forest as a place to escape the chaos she has created. Where as the town was the opposite. It was like a movie where you were expected to act a certain way and constantly being judged.
3. I looked up the definition of a feminist. I got “a person who supports feminism”. So I looked up the definition of feminism. I then got “the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes”. Therefore, I believe Hester was not a feminist figure. The first example of this is she keeps the names of the men a secret. If she was a feminist looking for equality she would have voiced the names so they would receive the same punishment that she had. Another example is, she never hides the Scarlet letter, instead she wears it and continues to do good for others. If she was going for the feminist side, she would have taken the letter off and begin to rebel against the Puritans. She also raises a child on her own and does all the women work that was expected from women back then. Therefore, I believe she was not feminist.
ReplyDelete4. I believe Hawthorne has a strong outlook on human nature regarding passion. To me passion is an emotion that cannot be given to you but is gained throughout time. Throughout the book each character has a passion yet some lead to different outcomes. Hester’s passion is of her love towards Pearl. She fights for Pearl through the entire book. Chillingworth has a passion for revenge. He continues to try to find out who the man was that got Hester pregnant. Passion can be positive or negative. However, it is apart of human nature.
I find your perspective on Hester not being a feminist fascinating. Your statement on her keeping the men a secret is true, but you also have to remember that she loves or loved Dimmesdale at one point and thus would expect the same out of him, that is not revealing her name if the tables were turned. The letter is a sign of punishment deemed worthy by the legal system of her time, which is more than fair because normally she would have been hung along with Dimmesdale if they were discovered. From your perspective I do not believe she would taken it off but rather took it into her own hands to make it equal. Although yes she did do the typical roles of a woman during that time period, she redefined the definition of the letter at the same time, a new feat for her time period. I would not use the definition of feminism, but rather egalitarianism especially if you believe that everyone should be treated equally.
Delete5. John Wilson was a Puritan preacher at the First Church of Boston from 1630 to his death in 1667. He went out of his way to help people in the community and also taught the correct way to live as a Puritan. Therefore, he was well known and well liked throughout the community. He was an important role in the story due to his knowledge on how the Puritans lived. Ann Hibbins was a very wealthy widow who was hung publicly for witch craft. She had three sons. In the book and in history, she was accused of being a witch. This made the book feel more realistic for the reader. Governor Bellingham was a governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He had one son, yet was married twice. Like Ann, he gave the book a realistic feeling. He was not the nicest man, yet he ran the community. He appeared in the beginning of the book when they were trying to punish Hester and again when they decided if Pearl should or should not be taken from her. Hawthorne seemed to respect him in a way.
ReplyDelete6. Anne Hutchinson disagreed with some of the religious views of the Puritans. Due to being a midwife, she was able to have meetings with many women in the society. In these meetings, religion was discussed and taught and the roles of women were even mentioned. Anne soon spoke out against what she thought was wrong in the Puritan religion. One thing she believed was she didn’t need a minister to gain revelation. To Puritans, this was wrong, and she was soon banished from Boston. The two women were first widely accepted by the society and then rejected by all. Both of them were punished due to the Puritan religion.
7. Throughout the entire book dramatic irony was used. One example is how Chillingworth does not know for sure that Dimmesdale is the father of Hester’s daughter. This situation gives the book a great climax. It allows the reader to have something to look forward to. Due to this one issue, the reader gets to experience how Dimmesdale responds to the incident, how Hester reacts, what Chillingworth does, and the final outcome. Throughout this entire process more dramatic irony is used. Another example, is how the preacher who is supposed to be teaching the correct way to live in the Puritan religion, is the sinner of the story.
8. Hester begins the book being put into jail and publicly punished for her sin. Here she is embarrassed and ashamed. She literally went from showing her beauty to hiding everything. She never lets out Dimmesdale’s name, yet his guilt gets to him. This starts to show how Hester is a very altruistic person. Hester then walks the streets of the city with the Scarlet Letter on her chest. Each day she gets starred down, called names, and questioned about everything. She begins to let it not bother her anymore. You can tell she is building strength by not letting everyone’s comments get to her. Yet, by the end of she becomes a more powerful, confident women. In my opinion she realized that she is on her own with her daughter Pearl. I started to notice that she accepts and begins to start standing up for what she believes in. Then again, can it get any worse?
I agree with your statements on the development of Hester throughout the story, you could say it is an allegory eluding towards transitioning from a preteen to a teen into an adult and finally accepting who you are.
Delete1) Hester's sin was that of adultery. It led her to leave her past life behind and lead a new one of selfless works and to show she was more than just a sinner. Ultimately, it could be taken to have actually been a good thing for her. Dimmesdale's sin led him to his own great decline in health. He became a rather sad old man. But he finally had overcome it to redeem himself adn rest in peace. Chillingworth was overtook by the thought of revenge, he spent years just for the hope of getting it. It turned him into a representation of the devil.
ReplyDelete2) Light and dark is a common symbol for good and bad, God and the devil. The scaffold served as a reminder of the place that could put many to shame but also was a place of new beginnings and justice. The rosebush could be the good offspring of holy ones, and the weeds were the filthy growth of tainted soil of where the evil ones are. The letter A was once a symbol of shame and sin, but became that of new life and strong will, and eventually was a symbol of love and perseverance. The forest was a place where the devil worked, to lead people to do his work , it was the dark of the unknown and mysterious. The town was a place where the laws were ever present, the town was a stereotypical place that was critical of sinners and outcasts.
3) I would agree with that statement, because, at a time where women were just civil servants to the men. She lived on her own and didn't need to rely on a man. She held her own and was her own person. She said Pearl would be raised without a father, because she didn't need a man to instill the idea of bravery and strength into Pearl.
4) He seems to suggest that passion a good thing and one which people should strive for. Following what one is passionate about is a good idea no matter the difficulties in doing so. That, however, should not be misunderstood for saying to break the vows of marriage just because one wants to.
5) Richard Bellingham was a liberal politician but conservative in religion. He added authenticity by being a real person which adds some more background onto the story and setting of the time. John Wilson worked as a captain or in congress for most of his life. He acted as a contrast to the compassionate nature of Dimmesdale, he was strict and believed in harsh punishment. Ann Hibbins was thought to be a witch and a follower of dark ways. She is a temptation from the devil to turn from problems and a reminder that there is always some evil in the world.
6) Anne Hutchinson was religious woman and guide. She and Hester are certainly similar in that they both helped others who needed it. But they both also had opinions of their own and weren't afraid to speak out about them.
7) Dramatic irony is a great thing to use in writing. Hawthorne showed it several times. It was apparent in the end when Dimmesdale was completely taken aback by the knowledge of Chillingworth's identity. It was crazy to see how hard it affected him when we knew it all along. Pearl's behavior throughout the story was also ironic, when they met with the elders about the possession of Pearl and she was kind of rude to them was not what I would've expected. I would've thought that Hester got her to be on her best behavior. But her own personality was certainly a good insight to what she has become as a person.
8) At first, Hester could not have been much more than scared of what would happen to her, how it would affect her, and what would become of her lover and her husband. But she faced her sentence with bravery, she was strong. In the end, she could see the good in life, she helped people, she made some friends, she was a beacon of hope. The scarlet letter was one big thing that changed her, it was a teacher of how she could become a better person and repent for her sins. Her secret of Chillingworth's identity also made her strong because she kept it secret and made it though the hardships. What once was a shamed woman, became a message to others to be your own person and persevere.
This is extremely well written and you defend all your point very well. They are all backed by factual information from the book. Great job.
Delete1.All of their sins are extremely closely related in what they did, but it has how things ended that makes them different. Hester who received the scarlet letter for adultery ended up being a strong character at the end. She embraced the scarlet letter and the punishment and used it to get stronger. Dimmesdale who tried to hide his sin felt physical pain. As he continued to hide his sin his health continued to worsen until his point of death. Chillingworth lied to his community and hid his sin from them. He knew he was wrong but did not want to be judge different because of what he did. He eventually had nothing to live for because everyone left him and died a lonely death.
ReplyDelete2.Their is many form o symbolism throughout the Scarlets Letter. One form of symbolism is the light and the darkness. This symbolizes the good and evil of the world. Another form of symbolism is the rosebush and weeds. These could be symbols of the good and bad people of the society. The weeds of the society try to choke out the rosebushes. The scaffold is a symbol of punishment, but could also be a symbol new beginnings. Hester received both and punishment and a new beginning in this spot. The letter A could possibly symbolize the beginning. From this letter Hester received a nw beginning. The forest can represent a safe spot, while the town could represent the rough and cruel people.
3. I would not say that Hester is a feminist. She seems to be a very quite and laid back women. She does not like to get involved in other people’s business. An example this could be when she does not turn in the other men. I believe if she was a feminist she would get them involved, which could add to her feminist acts.
4.Hathorne’s view on human passion I believe is that when someone wants something they will do anything to get it. An example of this from the book would be Hester and Dimmesdale. They both lusted for each other and ended up breaking many rules so they could be together.
5.I believe Hathorne added really people to the story to give the reader the feeling that this story actually happened. Readers could relate to them and know actually factual information about them. In the story they were all used as their actual profession. John Wilson was a preacher, Ann Hibbins was a witch, and Governor Bellingham was a governor and judge.
6.Hester and Anne Hutchinson have many similarities. They were both banished from their Puritan community. Anne had disagreed with some of the views o the Puritans. They were both great public figures and attempted to teach their society a lesson. Hester had taught her society quietly with the scarlet letter attached to her chest. Anne was a bigger public figure and thought people through teachings and word of mouth.
7.Throughout the story Hathorne has many points of dramatic irony. At the beginning of the story Dimmesdale is the person that gives Hester her punishment, which is ironic because he is the person that had sinned with Hester. Another point of irony is that Dimmesdale, the preacher, is the person that has been involved with the sin the whole time.
8.When Hester first step out of jail she seems depressed and lonely. She does not know what to expect, and how people will treat her with the scarlet letter on her chest. As the story progresses she learned to accept the scarlet letter. In the last scene she has accepted the scarlet letter and so has everyone else in the society. After seven years she was able to return to the society and be treated the same way she did before.
I enjoyed reading about how you disagreed with Hester being a feminist, it was a different perspective. There is not much that I would change to what you said. You did a great job.
DeleteYou have many interesting points in your blog. It is neat how you came to the conclusion that Hester was not a feminist. I also liked your symbolic relationships with the items and places found in the novel. Everything you have written seems strongly backed up and truthful. I am pleased by your work.
Delete1. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth all were given sins to bear throughout the novel “The Scarlet Letter”. Hester Prynne’s sin was that she cheated one her husband and had sex outside of marriage. Dimmesdale’s sin was fairly similar to Hester’s. Reverend Dimmesdale had sex with Hester outside of marriage and kept a secret. The secret was not so much the sin but it dug him into a deeper hole which caused him to lie. Roger Chillingworth’s sin was that he was purposely torturing Reverend Dimmesdale within the book. It was like he was killing Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale.
ReplyDelete2. There are plenty of examples of symbolism in “The Scarlet Letter”. Starting with the dark and light. The darkness obviously was supposed to be them going into the darkness of their sin. They mentioned darkness when characters are doing something that is self destructive or chaotic. The light is supposed to mean that they are doing something that is going to help them grow as a character in a constructive way. The scaffold is used to bring the whole story together. Going from where we meet Hester and Pearl to where we find out that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl all the way to the demise of Dimmesdale. The scaffold shows the slow bonding of Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Hester. The rosebush could have a couple example of symbolism. The rosebush could stand for a glimpse of hope in a dark tunnel, the choking weed. The rosebush could also stand for Hester and her kind caring nature. The weed could be drawn in comparison to Roger Chillingworth, a man who harms everything in his way and tears every ounce of goodness from people’s lives. The letter “A” started as a shameful meaning and than flourished into a symbol of an “able” person. Hester and her scarlet letter became a place where all women could go for advice. The forest is similar to the darkness; it was a place for people meet up before something was going to take the turn for the worst in the book. Finally, the town—it was like the light, a place for all people to be. Everyone was out in the open, with no place to hide.
3. In my opinion, Hester Prynne is a feminist. Hester is not a third wave feminist like we have today. I believe that Hester is a feminist because at a time when men were the breadwinners, she still was able to manage bringing home money to provide for her daughter and herself. I think that it is shameful the way be are using the word ‘feminist’ nowadays. A feminist is someone, like Hester, who is strong and independent as well as helpful and kind.
ReplyDelete4. Throughout “The Scarlet Letter” Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates passion in different ways. An obvious example of passion would be the passion between Dimmesdale and Hester. Another example of passion Hawthorn writes about is the passion between Hester and her daughter Pearl. Hester would do anything for her daughter Pearl. On a less positive note, they have passion for their sins. If they did not have passion then there would be no reason for them to do it.
5. Within Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, “The Scarlet Letter”, there are references to multiple historical figures. Ann Hibbins was a historical figure that people claimed was a ‘witch’, and because of this Anne was hung. Ann Hibbins’ hanging was mentioned within the book. Ann Hibbins was also the crazy women in the town in “The Scarlet Letter”. Governor Bellingham died, leaving Ann Hibbins as a widow. John Wilson was a preacher during this time period. The historical figures add to the story to make the story and the characters more realistic.
6. There are many comparisons between Anne Hutchinson and our main character Hester Prynne. Anne Hutchinson and Hester Prynne were outcasts from their Puritan society. They were both made fun of and embarrassed because of things they did to reject the Puritan teachings. They were both originally religious Puritan people but struggled to agree with everything that the community set forth for the people to follow. Hester and Anne were also two independent individuals who stood up for what they believed was right.
7. The literary device of dramatic irony is scattered all throughout “The Scarlet Letter”. The example of dramatic irony that stands out most in “The Scarlet Letter” was that of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale’s letter “A”. Hester Prynne was given the letter “A” as a sign that she was an adulterous. “On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter “A”” page 60, was the first time the scarlet letter was mentioned. Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale were the ones who conceived Pearl. Dimmesdale than carved the letter “A” into his own skin to show as a sign of penance or reconciliation. On page 238 Dimmesdale showed this mark to the towns people moments before death. “”...on his own breast, and that even this, his own stigma, is no more than the type of what has seared his inmost heart!...With a convulsive motion, he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed.”Another time is the beginning of “The Scarlet Letter” Dimmesdale was the one who was looking down on Hester and her new baby. By the end we come to find that he is wrapped up in the sin along side Hester. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale’s life comes to a close with him standing as an equal with his daughter Pearl and her mother. Hawthorne uses dramatic irony to add dimension to his writing. In this case, the irony makes the writing.
ReplyDelete8. Hester Prynne developed throughout the book. We first find her and her daughter Pearl come through the jail doors. She seemed to be sad and humiliated. The letter “A” helped Hester develop the virtue of humility. Next, Hester’s position as an outcast taught her to become independent and see the value in herself as a woman and a mother. She learned how to be a strong single mother that protects her daughter above all else. She learns how to deal with living with both her husband and the man she cheated with her husband on. At the end of the book she is the women all the other women within the Puritan town look up to. “The Scarlet Letter” is a book that slowly showed how a young and scared women developed into a strong, independent women.
I am in love with your answer to question 7. I did not even think to look at those views! Now you got me thinking about other ways he used dramatic irony. Awesome job, Grace!
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ReplyDelete1.) Hester’s sin was adultery. Because of her sin, she was required to wear the scarlet letter “A” on her chest for the rest of her life. Although people associated her with the letter, there was much more to be said. She was treated terribly for her sin, but she did not let that affect her ability to do good works. Throughout her life, Hester gained many good traits that could only have been found with the letter on her chest.
ReplyDeleteArthur Dimmesdale committed the sins of adultery and hypocrisy. Dimmesdale was a priest who preached against sin, which made his situation all the worse when he refused to confess his sin of adultery. Dimmesdale’s conscience ate him away for many years, causing him to wither away. At the hour of his death, Arthur realized the only way he could find solace was by confessing his sin to the entire town. The withered character of Arthur Dimmesdale cleaned his conscience and his heart just before he died, giving him peace.
Chillingworth committed revenge against the man who committed adultery with his wife. On the day when Chillingworth saw his wife being punished for adultery, he made a vow to discover the man who stole his wife’s love. His commitment to spend his life looking to hurt someone caused Chillingworth to forget who he truly was. He began to wither away because of his constant desire to induce revenge.
2.) Light and darkness have much symbolic significance in The Scarlet Letter. Darkness represents evil and hiding. It was what kept the secrets hidden from the public. Light represents the good. Secrets were opened up in the light of the day. Dimmesdale hid his secret while on the scaffold in the dark, but let his secret free in the light of day with everyone present.
The scaffold represents the shame that is produced from sin. It is a place where one is ridiculed. In Dimmesdale’s case, it was the only place to save himself from dying with a sinful heart.
The rose bush and the weeds represent something truly important. The rose bush represents morality and its beauty. The weeds represent sin and its ugliness. It is important to understand this because of the significance the plants play in certain parts of the book.
The letter “A” could symbolize many things. I could mean “Adulterer” or “Able.” It could also symbolize Hester’s relationship with Pearl after they were separated.
The forest was a secretive place. It could represent freedom from the laws that bound the people of society.
The town as another significant part of the story. It was where everyone was required to follow the laws. It is the opposite of what the forest represents.
The symbolic representations found in the novel can help provide a deeper understanding.
3.) Hester Prynne could easily be considered one of America’s first feminists. She was not reliant on a man to provide an income for herself and her daughter. She did it herself through her needlework. Hester also used her scarlet letter as a passport to take her where no other woman had ever adventured. Hester’s pioneering actions as a woman in society could definitely land her the title of a feminist.
4.) Hawthorn has a strong interest regarding passion. Hawthorn wrote that passion is what shapes the lives of individuals and the environment they live in. He used the emotions of love and hate to play a major role within the story. He also mentioned that the emotions of love and hate are fundamentally the same. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s view regarding passion is well though and interesting.
I really enjoyed reading your answers to these questions, especially your answers in the symbolism question. Your thoughts made me think of so,e of these topics in a different way. Your answers were also very well written.
Delete5.) The characters Governor Bellingham, John Wilson, and Ann Hibbins were real historical figures. In the story, Governor Bellingham was a stern and aged man. As it turns out, Bellingham was a real person who served six terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This makes is seem like it could have been possible for Hester to be a real person through her interactions with the governor in the book.
ReplyDeleteReverend John Wilson played the character of a scholarly man who was quick to judge. In reality, John Wilson was a Puritan priest who moved from England to New England. In truth, the book placed Wilson in a similar line of work to what he actually did in reality.
Ann Hibbins was a lady executed by hanging for witchcraft. In The Scarlet Letter, she was a lady who would periodically go to the woods for witch parties. She was even called a witch-lady in the book. The resemblance of Ann Hibbins in the book and in reality is astonishing.
The real historical figures found in The Scarlet Letter were used in order to create a sense of truthfulness in the story.
6.) Ann Hutchinson was a Puritan spiritual leader in the New England colonies. She was a major figure in the female equality movement. She is considered one of the first feminists in America. Like Hutchinson, Hester stood up for female rights. They both took steps that other women had never taken before. Hester worked to give more empowerment to women. She fought against the higher power when she wanted her daughter to stay with her. She also worked to provide for herself and her daughter. Both Ann Hutchinson and Hester Prynne took steps for the betterment of women’s rights.
7.) Dramatic irony is found throughout The Scarlet Letter. During the story, there is irony every time a member of society scorns Hester and praises Dimmesdale. Both of these characters committed the sin of adultery, but the members of the community only knew one of the offenders: Hester. It was also ironic how Dimmesdale had the duty of persecuting Hester on the scaffold because he committed the crime with her. Dramatic irony is ever present in many scenes of Hawthorne’s work.
8.) At the very beginning of the novel, Hester emerged from the jail with a feeling of shame. At the very end of the novel, Hester had a sense of accomplishment and peace that had come from the many life events she had experienced. Between those two scenes, much had occurred to change her emotions. After her humiliation, Hester knew that she was not alone. She had to take care of her daughter, who was her world. Another pivotal point that changed Hester’s life was when Arthur Dimmesdale came clean about his sin in front of the entire town. Dimmesdale’s act brought a sense of respect back to the lady who had lost it many years before. After all of the drama, Pearl had moved to Europe using the wealth she had inherited from Chillingworth. As for Hester, she moved right back into her cottage where she lived as a respected woman with much dignity.
I enjoy the first example of dramatic irony that you talked about in the book with both Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne being guilty and yet the public ridiculed Hester and were praising Dimmesdale, even when he was vaguely saying he was not pure in his heart. Great job in this blog.
Delete1. Hester, Dimmsdale, and Chillingworth all had their own sins to bear that drug them down throughout the whole book. Hester and Dimmsdale had both committed adultery and Chillingworth had tortured Dimmesdale until he went crazy. The consequences of Hester telling the public about her sin were brutal in a public way. She was laughed at and publicly humiliated. Dimmsdale who decided not to tell about his sins, had his own consequences which were mental. These mental consequences drove him to the point of insanity. Chillingworth was after Dimmesdale for so long, that he had lost his own personality. He was too focused on someone else that he lost his true identity and his consequence was that.
ReplyDelete2. Light and Dark can be used to symbolize many things, but the most significant thing is goodness and sin.The light represents the sin that happens where everyone can see who is committing the act and the dark represents sins that happen in the dark or secretly, like the mystery of who Hester's second lover was.
The scaffold represents a place where one owns up to their sins and the regret begins to rush in. For Dimmesdale, is is a place that will save him from all of the thoughts trapped inside his head if he would stop being a coward.
The rosebush and weeds symbolize beauty and ugliness. These symbols are to be kept in mind to think of the beauty and ugliness of every day life.
The letter A at the beginning was used to symbolize the sin that Hester committed and the shame she was supposed to carry with her. As the book went on, it began to symbolize new things such as a new beginning for Hester's life and the love she had for her daughter, even after they were separated.
The forest was a place where peace and freedom was shown. A place where everyone could get outside of the surveillance and harsh judgment of the townspeople.
The town symbolizes the busyness and the laws of the authority that were to be followed unless hard punishments were enforced.
3. I think that Hester could be titled one of the first feminists in American Literature because this was a period where women were seen as servants to men and were not respected as they should be. Hester was on her own, raising her daughter on her own without the help of a man. Hester was a strong woman who believed in herself and knew that she could do anything she wanted.
Your answers to the questions were written very well and you did a nice job. However, I do not believe she could be titled as a feminist because she did not fight for the equality of men and women.
Delete4. Hawthorne's view on human nature and passion seems to be that everyone has passion, weather strong or weak, everyone has it. He gave every main character in the book a passion. Hester's passion was to stay close to her daughter no matter what happened, Chillingworth's passion was to fine his wife's other lover, and Dimmesdale's passion was to hide the fact that he is the true father and have his real mental state back.
ReplyDelete5.Through the whole book, Hawthorn gives hints and ideas that the whole story was non-fiction, and in some parts it may have been a stretch, these situations happened in old Puritan societies. One way Nathaniel Hawthorne attempts to demonstrate this is by the addition of characters who were once living individuals. these characters are Senator Bellingham, John Wilson, and Ann Hibbins. Senator Bellingham shown as a representative in numerous circumstances, and does little in the book, but show up a couple of times and exist. He is initially used to advance the truth of the story. John Wilson was likewise genuine, and was a governor. The book recommends that he is old and however he judges Hester, he really has no right to. The most interesting and repeating character must be Ann Hibbins. In the book she is a witch, and in reality, was brought out to be one. In the book she is used to show someone who has fallen into Satan's temptations, but is accepted by the public, but Hester, who has also committed a sin, isn't. Anne in the book is extremely open about her sins, however as she is identified with the senator, the town chooses not to see.
6. Ann Hutchinson was a Puritan woman who was against the authority ran by elderly males. She formed groups to threaten the groups of men who were mistreating whomever they felt like doing so. Like Ann, Hester stood up for women's rights and began to push in a forward direction for present and future women.
7. Dramatic Irony is used in creative ways throughout The Scarlet Letter. One example of this is that Hester's daughter was created through sinful actions. Another one is that the father of the child, Dimmesdale, was a well respected preacher. The most dramatic incident is that Dimmesdale was in charge of placing Hester on the scaffold, after he committed the crime with her.
8. In the first scene when Hester walks out of the jail, she is sad and lonely. She feels ashamed for what she has done. t the end of the book, she had accepted the letter she wore on her chest as a part of who she was. She knew she was never going to get rid of it, so she allowed it to become a part of her. Her biggest transformation points were when the father of the daughter confessed to the whole town that he was the father, and when her daughter moved to Europe.
1. "The Scarlet Letter" is a book that is based off of the sins committed by the majority of its' characters. The three main characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, have committed sins that the story heavily focuses heavily on and describes the consequences behind them. Hester and Dimmesdale committed the major sin of adultery, but both suffered completely different consequences. Hester was publicly condemned, humiliated, and was constantly reminded of her mistake by the punishment of wearing the scarlet "A" on her chest. However, readers soon learn that these unfortunate events never put a damper on Miss Prynne's attitude, as she always held her head high and turned the other cheek. As for Dimmesdale, he suffered from his consequences in secret. He did, in fact, allow the guilt to eventually get to him, and this changed his character drastically. Finally, Chillingworth's sin consisted mainly of lying. He lied about his identity and was too caught up in his own greed to even see how he was hurting other people. He became a bitter, self-centered man and remained this way for his entire life.
ReplyDelete2. In my opinion, the symbolism of light and dark in the story of "The Scarlet Letter" refers back to Hester because she found light in the darkness which is what no other character was able to do. This comparison also fits well with John 1:5, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
Next, the scaffold resembles importance. Every scene that took place on the scaffold was in relation to a major point being highlighted by the author.
As for the rosebush and the weeds, a rosebush symbolizes something beautiful and elegant, but as for weeds they symbolize something scattered and not appealing.
The letter "A" plainly represents the sin of adultery, but it has an even better meeting. At the beginning of the story it was a window of embarrassment for Hester, but by the end she thought of it as a window of a fresh start.
The forest served as a peaceful and safe getaway. It was here that the story's characters could escape from everyday life and just take everything in on their own in private.
Lastly, the town was a place of chaos and constant cruelty. Everything was under surveillance and the townspeople were extremely quick to judge.
3. I disagree with the opinion of Hester Prynne being one of the first feminists in American Literature for the simple fact that she was not fighting for equality of women and men, but just for the chance to raise her child and live her own life the way she so pleased. Hester never wished to be equivalent to men. The story explains that Miss Prynne was independent on raising her daughter and did not need a man's assistance, but this does not make her a feminist. In my perspective, Hester was just a confident woman who was very determined to do anything she set her mind to.
4. There is a fine line between passion and obsession, and I think this is what Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to highlight throughout the book. It is human nature to be passionate about something, whether that be music, sports, school, etc.. However, sometimes people can take it a bit too far and being to have an obsession. An obsession is way more intensive than a passion.
I love your answers and they are very well written. Although, I had not thought of a passion being almost the same as an obsession if taken to far. It was a different view that really got my mind working.
Delete5. The way Hawthorne uses real people as his characters in "The Scarlet Letter" shows great authenticity. Governor Bellingham was not only a governor in the story, but also served six months as a governor in Massachusetts. This correlation gives a more realistic touch to the storyline. As for Reverend John Wilson, in "The Scarlet Letter" he comes off as a sweet and kind guy, but he sticks to Puritan rule. In real life he was actually a clergyman in Massachusetts and severed as a pastor in the first church in Boston. His background with the church and politics gives a clear explanation about his personality presented within the text. Finally, Ann Hibbins was a lady who was always up to no good and was constantly accused of witchcraft in the story, but her real-life story actually matches up quite well. Miss Hibbins was hung in 1659 on the account of witchcraft. It is easy to see that Mr. Hawthorne wanted to bring some of the real word into his tale and make it seem as real as possible.
ReplyDelete6. Anne Hutchinson and Hester Prynne are both extremely similar. They both moved to a new area and then committed a crime not ling after their arrival which then upset the Puritan rule. They were known as the outsets of town. Anne then fled the town and could not face her sins such as Hester did. Both women suffered the same trauma in their lives, but handled them differently.
7. Dramatic irony is a literary device that is used throughout "The Scarlet Letter." One example is when Dimmesdale scolds Hester about announcing her sin publicly and telling her that she must state the other adulterer, even though he knew it was him. In addition, another form of dramatic irony takes place when Chillingworth volunteers to be Dimmesdale's doctor. The reader knew that he was actually Hester's husband, but not all of the characters in the story were aware.
8. At the beginning of the book, Hester came off of as a shy type of person. Her attitude was not very outgoing. She seemed to just go with the flow and accept anything that was put on her plate. The men in the story took advantage of her and knew that she was easy to push around. However, towards the end of "The Scarlet Letter" Hester finally finds who she is and is a more confident and independent woman than ever before. She was now strong and rebellious. A major event that took place that I think definitely aided in this gradual attitude alteration was the scarlet letter itself. At first it was something to be ashamed of, but by the end it became a piece of her and was the biggest life lesson ever taught.
1. Hester and Dimmesdale both let temptation override their own self-control and committed adultery. Their decision had many consequences; one being the conception of their daughter, Pearl. The townspeople saw Pearl as an illegitimate child because she was born to a woman who had relations with a man other than her husband. One of Hester’s personal consequences was to have a scarlet letter “A” displayed on her chest for everyone to see. She endured many years of exclusion and people showing disgust directed towards her and her child. Hester endured her punishment publicly, but Dimmesdale, however, decided to remain behind closed doors. He allowed Hester to deal with the consequences completely by herself because he was too nervous it would ruin his pristine reputation. Eventually, Dimmesdale broke down after his Election Day sermon on the scaffold in front of the whole town. He exclaims that he is like Hester in the way that he also has a mark of disgrace, like the scarlet letter. After ripping away his garments, he reveals a letter “A” carved into his chest so he could share the consequences with Hester. Chillingworth resorts to lying and abuse as his sins. He used a fake identity and let the townspeople believe he was there for good instead of revenge. He slowly tortured Dimmesdale as blackmail to find out the truth about the paternity of Pearl. When Dimmesdale died, Chillingworth had no object to portray his revenge on, so he slowly withered away and died and left his money for Pearl.
ReplyDelete2. In many types of literature, darkness is often projected as something negative. For example, it could be used as reference to evil, the unknown, or death. On the other hand, light is often used to make reference to life, hope, or goodness. They can be simply put as good and evil. The rosebush and the weeds could be classified together, much like the lightness and darkness. The rosebush represents the beauty that can still exist during hardships. The weeds are considered to be the hardships. The scaffold also has a simple explanation like lightness and darkness, which could be both sin and redemption. In the story, it is the original sight of Hester’s initial exploitation. However, it is where Dimmesdale admits to the sin he has committed with Hester. Much like the scaffold, the scarlet “A” begins as a symbol of shame but eventually gains a different meaning. It becomes part of her identity and becomes a symbol of strength for her. The forest can be a symbol of release for Hester throughout the story. This is where she meets with Dimmesdale and tells him about Chillingworth’s identity. The town could be another representation of light in the story. The twin is civilized and out in the open, however, the forest is dark and mysterious.
3. I do not believe that Hester Prynne could be considered a feminist of American Literature. A feminist is someone who believes in equality of both of the sexes, but I do not think she displays that belief. If she was a feminist, I think she would want Dimmesdale and Chillingworth to share the blame with her, but instead she takes all of the blame upon herself. She would want to expose the men so they could equally suffer the consequences, however, she does not do that. For that reason, I do not believe she could be classified as a feminist.
4. During the time period of which the book has taken place, passion was rather limited. Throughout the story, Hester’s caring nature for Dimmesdale becomes apparent. However, she never admits her love, or even feelings, for him because it is always generally assumed. Their love would not have been accepted considering their history of adultery.
5. Hawthorne used the identities of real people because he wanted the story to seem more realistic and believable. He used the real characters Governor Bellingham, John Wilson, and Ann Hibbins. Governor Bellingham was the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was the colonial magistrate and a lawyer. He voted for the eviction of Anne Hutchinson. Reverend John Wilson was a Puritan minister who, much like Governor Bellingham, supported the removal of Anne Hutchinson. He also attended the execution of Mary Dryer for continuously going against Puritan laws. Ann Hibbins is another woman who was executed during that time period. She was the third to be killed for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials.
ReplyDelete6. Anne Hutchinson was a woman who disagreed with the preachings of the Church of England, which, unsurprisingly, caused much controversy. She did not believe that someone’s soul could simply be renewed through simple good deeds, instead of by the grace of God. Her beliefs led her to the point of which she would host meetings after Church and would tell the townspeople her own personal explanation of the Mass. Her meetings eventually drew in such a large crowd that officials grew worried about her theological influence she had over the people. In order to minimize her power, they accused her of heresy and put her on trial. Anne is similar to Hester Prynne in the way that they both disagreed with teachings of the Church and took matters into their own hands to change what they did not like.
7. Hawthorne was obviously a big fan of the use of dramatic irony. He proves it when he introduces Dimmesdale as the man who plays the role of both a highly religious minister and the man who Hester Prynne has an affair with. He goes completely what he teaches as a religious man. He is also the man that carved an “A” into his chest to share the pain and disgrace with Hester only after she endured it all completely by herself. Dimmesdale is also the man who was taken care of by Hester’s husband. In a strange turn of events, Chillingworth was unaware of Dimmesdale’s true identity for a while.
8. Hester’s personality and attitude completely go under a full change in the story. She begins as a woman who accepts the harsh criticism and she let everyone around beat her down to nearly nothing. She kept her mouth shut and refused to utter a word about the way she was treated. Throughout the story, with the help of Dimmesdale and Pearl, she becomes a woman who holds strength and courage. She learns to ignore the hateful comments and eventually finds her place in society. With Dimmesdale and Pearl by her side, she became a stronger person, the person she always wanted to be.
I agree that Hester changed greatly throughout the story. She became a strong willed woman and lived her life as she wanted it, even with the hate of others on her back.
Delete1. There are many sinners within this story. Hester, Chillingsworth, and Dimmesdale each have their own demons. Their sins would affect their lives and character. Hester Prynne comitted the great sin of adultery. This made her an outcast in society. She changed her appearance, from beautiful and extravagant, to plain and simple. She hid her beauty and was humbled by her experiences of her early life. She was an honest person and although she comitted such a big sin, she tried to reconcile herself with God and everyone in the community. Chillingsworth was a man who sought out what he couldn’t have. He wanted to know the deepest and darkest secrets of people, especially Dimmesdale. He partly destroyed Dimmesdale which is a sin that is hard to be forgiven. He lived his life searching for more, always wanting and never being satisfied. He was a leech of a man and caused suffering for many. Dimmesdale also had comitted a sin. He had an affair with Hester Prynne and even after she conceived his child, he could not admit his wrong doing to himself or others. This caused him to lead a life of despair. He was saddened by his actions and slowly destroyed himself until he admitted what he had done. All these characters committed sins that effected their lives greatly.
ReplyDelete2. The many symbols mean a range of things. Light and dark shows the contrast of good and bad. The light is the goodness in the world, the dark is the exact opposite. The scaffold represents the constant humiliation in Hester’s life. She is always sticking out from the crowd and is shown off like a prize pig. The rose bush and weeds depict the beauty of life and the ugly parts of it. The rose bush gives a bright and beautiful vibe to the story, but the weeds show how life can be bothersome and hard to deal with at times. The letter “A” represents Hester’s bravery. She withstood her humiliation and dealt with the hard things in life with a brave attitude. The letter just further proved her resilience. The forest represents understanding. It gave Hester a way to be herself and learn about herself and her secrets. The town could be a dark place. Everyone was to hide their secrets and only do what is set in the rules of society. The many symbols shine light on aspects of the story.
3. Hester Prynne could very well be described as the first feminist. She had a very strong character and took upon herself all of her responsibilities. She stood up for herself and did what was right for her life and lived in a way that was independent of the help of a man. She lived alone with her daughter and took very good care of each of them.
4. Hawthorne’s view on human nature regarding passion is a different view. He shows that lust and love can easily be confused. Hester lusted after a man and conceived his child. Her husband, whom she loved, was a bit harder to understand. His view of passion also shows how desire can overcome what is right in God’s eyes. Her desire to make love with another man, and her decision to do so, proves that desire is very overpowering. His view of passion shows how true love and lust can be.
5. There are some real historic figures in The Scarlet Letter. Governor Bellingham was a real governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He later died in office which shows his consistency in his work, in real life and in the story. He worked for his town and tried to do what was politically correct, which is how many governors were at the time. Reverend John Wilson was another character who was also a real person. He had many opinions on religion and political views, which he stood for firmly. This shows how reverends of the time followed what they believed to be correct. And one last character, Ann Hibbins, was a known witch. She showed how at the time, people believed in the supernatural. They truly believed she was a witch and made her an outcast in society. She was later executed for her actions. All of these characters show how many things took place in real life and ass a sense of realism to the story.
6. Hester Prynne could very well be modeled after the historical figure Anne Hutchinson. Both of these women were of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early years of America. These two also committed sins considered terrible during the times, adultery and heresy. They both were given trials within their towns and banished from the community. They were outcasts of society and it can be said that Hester Prynne greatly represents Anne Hutchinson.
ReplyDelete7. One example of dramatic irony within The Scarlet Letter is the fact that the reader learns that the father of Hester’s child is indeed Reverend Dimmesdale. Hawthorne uses this irony to give a better understanding to the reader of how certain elements of the story are changed by knowing this secret. The fact that Dimmesdale is the father of Hester’s child adds a more powerful story line to The Scarlet Letter. Knowing that Dimmesdale is a respected minister of the town and has been involved with Hester creates drama for the readers to indulge in.
8. When Hester first emerges from the jail in the town, she is humiliated but ready to take on her punishment with the bravery she has been given. At the end of the story, she has come to understand her wrongdoings but is not ashamed of them. She knows what is done is in the past and she has to move on from there. She lives out the rest of her life as an independent and strong woman.
Your points were thought out and well-written! Your thought of feminism was different and I enjoyed reading what you had to say.
Delete1. Hester's sin was adultery, as it is the easiest to point out, as it's the center point of the entire book. The consequences of that is Pearl, and being shunned by everyone. Pearl utrns out to be a good thing for Hester, having a companion in her struggles. Dimmesdale is also adultery, but is shown that it is later in the book. His consequences is him have a guilty heart and can't tell anyone, as he would most likely be executed for this. This ends up killing him in the very end, and is the climax of book. Chillingworth's is the torturing of Dimmesdale. This is the only thing that kept Chillingworth alive, is trying to get revenge on Dimmesdale. After Dimmesdale dies though, he dies too soon after. His consequence was him becoming evil and malevolent. He used to be a nice, humane scholar, but after his findings on Dimmesdale, he quickly turned.
ReplyDelete2.The light and dark is quite obviously the forest and the town. The forest being dark, where Hester was sent to because fo her sins. The light being town, where everything is shown and told. In this case, light isn't good, not is the dark bad. The light, for Hester at the beginning of the book, was bad. They are equal and neutral overall. The scaffold is representative of son being shown. It's where Hester's sin was shown, and at the end of the book, where Dimmesdale's sin was shown. The second meeting on the scaffolding was where Hester and Dimmesdale where combined, and shown they're equal sins. The rosebush and weeds are symbolic or something good coming from something bad. From Hester's sin came Pearl, an intelligent, awesome little girl. It is the light for Hester's life, giving her something to work for. The "A" symbolizes the power of people's thoughts on others. Without that letter, Hester would've been accepted into society, instead, that letter destroyed her and her life. The forest represents darkness and sin. This is obvious as Hester went to reside there after they gave her the scarlet letter. The town is representative of society and purity. All the people live in the town and all follow the strict rules of the Puritans, thus they think that they are pure, holy people.
3. I do agree that Hester is one of the first feminist. First off, she showed that she could stand be herself, without ant help. Second, she raised a child without any help. This is very hard, even in today's world. Third, she showed integrity in keeping the secrets of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. This, to me, shows that she is very strong mentally. She also faces the entire town at the beginning of the book, and doesn't even break down to our knowledge, showing her strength mentally again. She is all around tough character, that also has sin, showing that she's not a perfect person. I like that she acknowledges it to, instead of ingoring her sin, as some people do, showing that she's not afraid of the truth either.
4. Hawthorne's view is that if a person has a passion, it will eat away at them until they get it. It was shown in Chillingworth having a passion for revenge on Dimmesdale, and it changed him until he got it, when he did get it, he lost all meaning and passed away a short time later.
5. Hawthorne tries to create a suspension of disbelief to the reader, trying to make them believe things actually happened. In real life, Governor Bellingham was a real governor, and signed the papers for colonization. John Wilson was a reverend that believed strongly in Puritan beliefs. Ann Hibbins also was believed to be a witch in real life, and was killed for it in 1656.
6. Anne Huchtinson and Hester Prynne were both women that committed adultery and we're not liked by the Puritans. Anne spoke against them, while Hester instead took it and helped people. They both were also from the same colony and thus goes them strong parallels to each other.
ReplyDelete7. Dramatic irony is used plenty throughout the book. A white quite large one is the pain in Dimmesdale chest being his scarlet letter on his chest. Another large one is Pearl being a child, often viewed as being a gift from God, come from sin. It allows for the story to be more interesting and engaging to the reader
8. Hester coming straight from the jail was weak, and afraid of everything. By the end of the book, she is strong, independent, and powerful. She's not afraid of anything by the end of the book, as she's seen everything thrown at her. She was first strengthen by facing the entire village right after coming out of the jail. She is also strengthen by the way people treat her and Pearl, thorwing rocks and mud at them. Also, Pearl helps Hester become strong, making her take care of her by herself. Her shunning by the people don't help either.
Dimmesdale and Hester birth commuted adultry and Chillingworth was power hungry man who never thought about others. Dimmesdale never confessed his sin, which caused him to keep thinking about it, which caused to have mental relapses. Hester owned up to her actions and wore the A with pride,because she knew she did the right thing. Chillingworth tried to get revenge, but ultimately failed because of the death of Dimmesdale.
ReplyDeleteLight and dark can obviously represent good and evil. The light can obviously show the good and dark can show evil. To myself, the light could also represent happiness, which can be shown by being happier once a day that is sunny, rather than a rainy day. The scaffold represents the punishment and humiliation that Hester received because of her actions. The rose bush shows the beauty of each and every character, while the thorns show the flaws that all characters show. The A shows the agony and pain after Hester sinned, but grew into a strong women. The forest and town shows the openness of the light and the town shows the toughness of the dark and how there is not much room to see.
Hester is a feminist because she stuck up for what she believes in and always showed her strong will to do things. This may give women who read this book can take this as a lesson to always be strong in what they believe.
Hawthorne showed the passion of the book through lust, which may not have been the best but got the idea across. It showed that if you were so lustful and passionate about something to go get it, which Dimmesdale and Hester were because of their affair.
Bellingham was actually a governor, and appeared as one throughout the book. Wilson was appearing as a judge in the story, but was a reverend in real life. Hibbins a witch in the story and real life.
Hutchinson and Hester have a similarity that made or break the. They were both banished for the Puritan community. They were hugely judged ams comsiedered feminists by many people.
Dramatic irony is a large part used throughout the book. Dimmesdale feels the pain after the Scarlett letter being carved into his chest and Pearl being views as a gift from God.
Hester was seen as weak and very dependent on others. Then, she was viwed as a strong woman who could do anything on her own. She strengthened people along the way, as well has Pearl helping her become strong.
1. Hester's sin is two-fold. The first part is her sin against her husband, having relations with Dimmesdale. The result of this sin is the ostracizing of Hester and Pearl and the decline of Dimmesdale's health. Hester's other sin is keeping the truth from her husband. This results in Chillingworth's vengeful behavior. Dimmesdale's sin is his failure to tell the truth to himself and others about his feelings and actions associated with Hester. This results in Chillingworth's vengeful behavior and his declining health. This also plays a part in Hester's punishment. Chillingworth's sin is revenge. This is a detriment to every character involved and results in his premature death, Dimmesdale's premature death, and Hester's effective exile and guilt.
ReplyDelete2. Light and Dark: This is representative of each characters struggle with themselves and their situations. The Scaffold: This represents each character coming to terms with reality and their struggle to handle it. It also represents how their lives and situations are put on a sort of display for the town to ridicule instead of assist. The Rosebush and Weeds: These represent the sins and secrets of all who enter. The Rosebush is especially relevant because a rosebush looks beautiful and inviting, until you find the thorns. This could also represent Hester's entrapment under the label of the scarlet letter, the weeds, and her salvation she seeks to find in Dimmesdale and Europe, the rosebush. "A": This letter represents everything that Hester experiences, from shame to love. It is an incredibly powerful symbol. The town: The town is Hester's prison. She can't escape until she tells the truth, but even then, she can't leave.
3. I don't agree that he was the first feminist because that implies that her situation is unique to women. This is disingenuous because the exact same thing would have been done to Dimmesdale. However, I will agree that she represents a set of people who choose to define themselves, regardless of other people, and for that, she is a pioneer.
4. I believe Hawthorne's view on passion is that it can't be controlled indefinitely. The way he uses Hester by putting the letter on her and saying she is an example of what not to be, but proceeding to create the story with her being correct and others being wrong tells me that he understands that you can't control human nature.
5. Governor Bellingham was a real governor and this fact adds a sense of realism to Hester's punishment. John Wilson was a minister who, at the time, was in conflict with Anne Hutchinson over a religious ordeal. This creates the credibility that he would find issue with Hester and Dimmesdale's actions. Ann Hibbins was a witch who was the third to be hanged in the Puritan society. Ann represents one of the many hypocrisies on the Puritan society.
6. I believe these two are considered to be similar because they both fight for freedom from their situations. Anne fought for religious tolerance and Hester fought for freedom from the scarlet letter and for the ability to raise Pearl correctly. Similarly, both families were devastated in some way with only one surviving member. With Anne, it was her daughter, and Hester is the only mentioned survivor.
7. Dramatic irony is fairly obvious throughout this story. It is found with Dimmesdale sin while being a minister, as well as the fact that Pearl's father, who Chillingworth was hunting, was with him the whole time.
8. Hester goes from trying to make the best of her situation to trying to escape it at all costs. There are two main events that progress this, the time she stands on the scaffold with Dimmesdale and Pearl, and when they are all in the forest. These are the main events that progress the story.
I agree with your response. I wil enjoy reading and debating about your blog posts in the future.
Delete1. Hester committed the sin of adultery. As a consequence, she was publicly humiliated and seen as an outcast by the public for her whole life. Despite all of this, she helped the poor and raised her daughter the best she could. Dimmesdale also committed the sin of adultery. Because he did not confess his sin until the end of his life, he lived with guilt and bitterness. His mental health failed, as well as his physical health. Chillingworth sinned by seeking revenge and trying to destroy Dimmesdale. Because Chillingworth became obsessed with destroying Dimmesdale, he became bitter, had no faith, and selfish.
ReplyDelete2. In “The Scarlet Letter,” dark represents sin, while light represents what is good and pure. The narrator mentions that Hester is never seen in the sun because of her sin, but Pearl is often mentioned playing and dancing in sunlight while she is away from her mother. The scaffold represents Hester’s punishment and shame in the beginning, but turns to her salvation in the end with Dimmesdale and Pearl. The rosebush symbolizes both Hester’s sin and Pearl’s beauty. The sharp thorns of Hester’s sin that continuously poke at her and the beauty that came from the sin (Pearl) are depicted by the image of a rosebush. The weeds that grow from people’s graves represent sins that were not confessed. The letter “A” symbolizes the sin that Hester committed and the shame she carries daily. Over time it resembles her being “able” to do good from her sin. The red color symbolizes sin and evil. The forest represents what is hidden and secretive, while the city represents what is familiar and known. Everything that happens in the city is seen by someone, while what happens in the forest can be kept a secret. The heavy symbolism in “The Scarlet Letter” made it an interesting read.
3. Hester showed some qualities of female independence by proving she could raise Pearl by herself and did not need a man in her life. However, because she did not advocate women’s rights or demand equal treatment to the men in her life, I do not see her as a feminist.
4. Throughout the story, each character fights for something they are passionate about until the get it. Hawthorne must believe that it is human nature to fight for what we are passionate about. Hester fights to keep Pearl, and Chillingworth fights to destroy Dimmesdale.
5. Governor Bellingham was the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1600’s who was not for his harsh personality. John Wilson was a minister during the same time period as Governor Bellingham held office, and in the same location. Ann Hibbins is recorded to have lived in the same place and time as Bellingham and Wilson. She is noted to have been killed for witchcraft. Witchcraft was mentioned multiple times in “The Scarlet Letter,” adding to the authenticity of the story. The time period, and personal history of these figures adds to what makes Hawthorne’s work authentic.
6. Both Anne Hutchinson and Hester Prynne were punished for going against Puritan law. However, they were both strong women that were outcasts in society. In the beginning of the novel, Anne Hutchinson is mentioned to have walked over the spot in which the rosebush grew. The symbolism of a rosebush is use used frequently in “The Scarlett Letter.”
7. Hawthorne’s use of dramatic irony made this story very enjoyable. He used it multiple times throughout the story in order to “keep nothing from the reader,” a concept of writing mentioned early in the story. Two major instances of dramatic irony come to mind. The reader discovered that Dimmesdale was the father of Pearl far earlier than Chillingworth and the community did. The community did not know until moments before his death that Dimmesdale carried a mortal sin. The irony of this was present in several occasions when faithful people sought out the minister for his holy advice and praised him for his faithfulness. The reader also knew Chillingworth was Hester’s husband before Dimmesdale knew the truth behind his care-giver. The use of dramatic irony makes the novel very enjoyable.
ReplyDelete8. Hester probably went through the most personal development of every character. In the beginning we saw her as a quiet, humiliated woman who cradled her infant child while she was mocked. As the story progressed, Hester developed strength and was known for helping others. She saw good in her daughter and was passionate about helping people. Major events that assisted her transformation include her public humiliation, and the scarlet letter.
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ReplyDelete1. In a way, sin is its own punishment, but that does not mean that there will be further consequences as a result of sin. Throughout the story, some characters are caught in the act of committing sin. Hester Prynne’s sin was none other than adultery and lust. Her consequences result in a scarlet letter “A” placed on her chest that she was to wear each day and being seen as an outcast throughout the community. Reverend Dimmesdale's sin was quite similar to Hester's, but his consequences resulted differently. Dimmesdale commits various sins such as the sin of adultery, the sin of bearing false witness, and the sin of pride. First, he has relations with Hester, then he hides his sin, which shows that he lacks the strength to confess what he did, and finally he continues to express goodness through the work of God. Since he had no desire to confess the sin, the guilt from it actually began to affect his health. Lastly, the sin of Roger Chillingworth was seeking revenge in order to destroy Arthur Dimmesdale. Quite contrary to what Chillingworth intends, Dimmesdale reaches a serene state, whereas Chillingworth eats away at his own soul and tries to make the best out of the mess he creates.
ReplyDelete2. There are a variety of symbolic aspects throughout the course of the book. Some of these items include light and dark, the scaffold, the rosebush and weeds, the letter “A”, the forest, and the town. The symbolism for light and dark could represent good and evil. In the beginning, the prison cell where Hester stayed was dark and dreary. Whereas, when she was taken out of the cell, the sun beat down on her. Also, Pearl mentions the “Black Man” which is associated with darkness and evil. For the second symbolic aspect mentioned, the scaffold is seen in a few parts of the book. The scaffold can be interpreted as exposure. Hester stood on the scaffold as she was exposed and ridiculed in front of the public, since she was strong enough to not let her guilt show through. Later on, Dimmesdale is mentioned going to the scaffold while it was dark, since he was too weak to reveal his guilt. Lastly, Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl are all mentioned present at the scaffold as Dimmesdale exposes his weakest self to them as he falls asleep to eternal rest. Another symbolic aspect are the rosebush and the weeds. The rosebush represents beauty and purity. Whereas, the weeds represent bitterness and temptation. Hester tries to remain pure, but temptation pulls at her which leads to her committed sin. Next, the letter “A” changes meanings as the story advances. It once stood as a symbol of shame and embarrassment, but Hester eventually uses it to strengthen her well-being. She used this different outlook to get ahold of a fresh start and become anew. Lastly, the forest and the town have some symbolic aspects to them as well. To the townspeople, the forest is viewed as a dark and unsafe area where wild things roam. As for Dimmesdale and Hester, the forest is seen as a safe area where their family can come together as one without being ridiculed. Whereas, the town is a place of ridicule. One wrong move and everyone is there to voice their opinion. There are various symbolic aspects and meanings both hidden and apparent as the story evolves.
3. Personally, I do not believe that Hester Prynne can be considered one of American Literature’s first feminists. A feminist is someone who shares a common goal to achieve social equality of genders. Hester did not try to equalize herself with any man, but rather better her well-being to be a suitable mother. She was not concerned with any political or social status between herself and a male. Therefore, I do not think Hester Prynne can be considered a feminist.
4. Hawthorne’s view on human nature regarding passion is present throughout the story. It is human instinct to fight for what one thinks or believes in. Hester tries her hardest and convives Dimmesdale to let her raise Pearl. Just as, Chillingworth has a burning passion to eradicate Dimmesdale. There are various sorts of passion expressed.
5. Governor Bellingham represents the once real Richard Bellingham who was a colonial magistrate and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid 1600s. Mistress Hibbins represents the once real Ann Hibbins who was executed for witchcraft is 1656. She was noted to be the third hanged witch in Boston. Lastly, Mr. Wilson stands as the once real John Wilson who was a Puritan minister and political figure. These characters give the story a real sense of what time was like during Hester Prynne’s scandal. Hawthorne’s examples of these characters give readers a better understanding of what Puritan life was all about.
ReplyDelete6. Anne Hutchinson was known as a Puritan spiritual adviser. She is mentioned in The Scarlet Letter for her concurrence with the roses outside the prison in which Hester was being held for the crime of adultery. Anne Hutchinson is seen as a parallel to Hester because she was chastised for heresy, but can be described as a saint. However, Hester was ridiculed for adultery, but she is capable and some describe her as angelic. Both of these women were seen as sinners and outcasts towards the members of Boston society in which they lived.
7. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne provides examples of dramatic irony. One instance includes the audience knowing that Dimmesdale is the father to Hester’s daughter, Pearl. Hester takes Pearl to the governor’s house to see if he will allow her to raise Pearl. At first, the governor notices the rambunctious behavior of Pearl and says that she should be taken elsewhere to be raised. Quickly disagreeing with this, Dimmesdale says that Hester is suited enough to raise the child on her own. The readers know that Pearl is his daughter, but the governor and Chillingworth are completely unknowledgeable of this. The audience is left to figure out whether or not he will become a suspect of his doings.
8. From the moment Hester emerged from her jail cell, she felt ashamed as she clutched her child closer to her and showed herself to the public. At the end of the novel, she becomes brave and strong enough to hold herself better than she could before. Through the works of Dimmesdale and Pearl, she was able to build herself up again and show people who she truly is. The receiving and releasing of the letter “A” change Hester’s whole demeanor throughout the novel.
Chillingworth committed a sin of lying and the sin of harassment of another’s mind. The consequences of his sins were that he lost all purpose to his life because all he cared about was getting Dimmesdale to feel terrible about himself. He became obsessed with revenge and missed out on so many other great things life has to offer. Hester and Dimmesdale committed the sin of adultery together but both had different consequences for the same sin. Unlike Hester, Dimmesdale did not accept the punishments of his sin and lived with the guilt that eventually killed him. He became a weak and unhealthy character because of his sin and the guilt associated with it. Hester on the other had accepted the punishments of her sin and wore the scarlet letter. However, she moved past her sin and didn’t let it define who she was. She moved on with her life by helping others and getting involved in the community. She became a strong and determined character that took care of herself.
ReplyDeleteThe symbolic reference of light and dark represents good and evil just as it does in the Bible. In darkness people fear but in the light they can see all the happiness around them. Sins often occur in the dark or are kept in the dark as secrets. When good things happen people want to shine a light on them so everyone knows. The forest and the town go hand in hand with the light and dark. They are the two places where good and evil happen. The town is the place where rules are in place to keep people good while the forest is where bad things happen and rules are disregarded. The scaffold is the place where punishments happen through the booK. It is a place where, like Jesus, Hester was publicly humiliated and is the place where major events happened through the story like Dimmesdale’s death. It symbolizes bringing things to light so they are no longer hidden. The rose bush and weeds are a symbolic reference that there is still hope to change your life around. If you are stuck “in the weeds” you can still eventually one day blossom with no weeds to strangle you and become a beautiful flower. The rose stands for the beauty in life but the weeds are the sins and bad influences that try to strangle that beauty. Obviously the letter “A” stands for adultery, the sin Hester had committed. However it also symbolizes how sin can separate us from others.
I do not believe Hester was one of the first feminist because she was not one to raise herself up or complain about the equality of men and women. She, at any point, could have ratted out either of the two men to get an equal punishment but she didn’t. She, in my opinion, did not give off the vibe of being a feminist maybe just because of all the other craziness that was happening in her life. Many may argue about this but if she was a feminist, it wasn’t your typical one. She was obedient to the rules developed by the men without a fight. She quietly accepted it even if she disagreed..
Everyone feels passion in their lives whether it be for extreme sports, math, or ,as is the case in the book, sexual passions towards someone else. I believe Hawthorne’s view on passion was that it engulfs the mind and alters a person’s judgement. Hester and Dimmesdale both had such a strong sexual passion that they fell into their temptations. But passions don’t always spark over positive things. People may say that Chillingworth had a passion to destroy the life of Dimmesdale. In these cases passion leads to bad things but sometimes passion can lead to good things too. For example, Hester had a passion to give her daughter, Pearl the best life possible. In conclusion, his view on passion in human nature is that a passion can take over a mind until it is fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book a few historical people appear. The first was John Wilson who was a Puritan preacher during these times. Next, was Governor Bellingham who was a judge and of course a governor during the same period. Finally, there was Anne Hibbins who was put to death durning this time for being accused of witchcraft. All of these characters bring authenticity because they are real people with real accounts from those times. Including these people gives credibility to his description of the way society was back then.
Anne Hutchinson and Hester were very similar women because they both had their own opinions and were not afraid to speak about them. Because of this they both were outsiders of their towns. Also they both were strong women who argued against Puritan teachings. They tried to teach the people in their towns a different way and show there were exceptions to the very strict rules. This threatened the leaders because some of the town folk agreed with these women.
In a lot of. books, there is some irony. In this book, it can be found in many place but some are quite apparent. For example, Hester having an affair with Dimmesdale, the preacher, is ironic because it makes him a hypocrite for not following what he believes. It is also ironic because he is the one who is in charge of Hester punishments even though he was part of the reason for her sin. They both committed the same sin but the town shuns Hester and holds Dimmesdale in the highest regard.
Hester is now a strong independent woman that speaks her mind but it was not this way when we first met her. In the beginning of the book she was scared and ashamed after being humiliated because of her sin. As the book progresses she becomes strong through all of her struggles such as receiving the letter. The letter was her teacher as stated in a previous question. The letter is the reason she decided to change from timid to a strong woman who speaks her mind like we know by the end. Her struggles also taught her to be more understanding of what others are going through. This new understanding leads her to become compassionate and help others. She becomes kinder and less self centered because of what she went through.
I enjoyed how you instituted the situation into a real life problem. Relating the passion in the story to the passion what we as a society experience every day. It was easy to read when put into a real world point of view.
Delete1. Hester and Dimmesdale committed the sin of adultery while Chillingworth could not help but wish bad on Dimmesdale through having his revenge against him. Due to their sin of adultery, Hester had to raise a child on her own and was forced to wear the scarlet letter as a way of identifying herself to the people of the town. Also, Mr. Dimmesdale suffered greatly throughout his life, especially in regards to his struggle to confess his sin and come clean. Roger Chillingworth’s sin caused him to live a life of darkness and he eventually became completely consumed by the need for the ruin of another’s soul.
ReplyDelete2. When talking about light and dark, it can most naturally be linked to good and evil, as Jesus is known to be the light of the world. The scaffold can be seen as being linked to confession or perhaps judgment day, with the person’s true life exposed. The rose bush can be seen as a sign of hope among the weeds of sin. The letter “A” most likely can symbolize the choices that a person makes in their life which may have a certain impact in the beginning, but changes their life into who they will become over time. The forest can be thought of as a safe haven among the real world in the town.
3. Hester Prynne can be seen as a feminist through her rebellious nature. She chose not to reveal the name of the father of her child. Also, Hester fought for her rights as a mother to keep Pearl and raise the child on her own.
4. Throughout the book, Hawthorne’s view of passion seems to be shown as more of a forgivable sin. He tries to show that in a way Hester and Dimmesdale did not have as much control over what they did in comparison to Chillingworth.
5. Governor Bellingham served as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony multiple times. He gives authenticity to Hawthorne’s work because he is involved in the debate on whether Hester should be allowed to raise Pearl, which is a real topic of discussion that may have gone on in that time period. John Wilson was one of Boston’s elder clergymen. Wilson gave a more strict and Puritan view of everything in the matter of raising Pearl. Lastly, Ann Hibbins is the sister of Governor Bellingham. She was a widow and was thought of as a witch. This gives authenticity to the story as it shows a side of hidden evil within the Puritan settlement.
6. Hester Prynne can be seen as having similarities to Ann Hutchinson because Ann was banished and excommunicated by the Puritans. In a similar way, both Hester Prynne and Ann Hutchinson were punished for religious reasons, as there was no separation of church and state.
7. Hawthorne’s use of dramatic irony can be found multiple times throughout the story. Mr. Dimmesdale was a Puritan minister who was contradicting what he taught to the people of the colony. Also, Pearl is seen as having a rich and luxuriant beauty about her which can be dramatic irony as she was the product of sin.
8. In the beginning of the novel, Hester was very ashamed of her crime and was more on the reserved side. However, as the story goes on, she becomes more confident and rebellious. The scarlet letter gives her important lessons about being true and the ability to have enough generosity to help others in life.
I am very impressed with your way of thinking. I liked how you dug deeper into the symbolism part of the book. Also, you did very detailed research on many aspects of the story. Very well written!
Delete1. Hester Prynne committed the sin of committing adultery while being a married woman. ?Hester ends up having a child. She is also branded with a scarlet letter allowing everyone to know what she had done. Her life was ultimately altered forever because she constantly had to deal with what she did in all aspects of her life. But she stayed strong in order to overcome different difficulties. Dimmsdale also committed adultery as he carried out the affair with Hester. Major consequences he felt were guilt for the things he had done. This guilt became to much for Dimmsdale that he could not survive it. Roger Chillingsworth committed the sin of becoming obsessed with getting revenge for what had happened to him. The consequences became that this controlled every once of himself. Chillingsworth also lied and deceived in order to get what he wanted.
ReplyDelete2. One significant factor about the novel is the signs that are focused on and what they mean. Light essentially means the good that there is. Whereas dark means evelin. Light and dark play a big factor because many situations involve both aspects. The scaffold came up many times in the novel as a representation of where things were revealed. When there was no more running from the truth people would face the scaffold. The rosebush and weeds can be understood as things may look a lot better on the outside than what it really is. There is beauty and ugly in any situations but it is up to you to decide what matters. The letter “A” consistently represents adultery which Hester and Dimmsdale committed. The forest ports us the image of the unknown and can tend to be frightening. The town on the other hand, can be viewed as as safe to the people and can give comfort.
3. Hester Prynne was a very strong, independent and resilient woman. Although she upheld good qualities does not mean she is a feminist. She did not have much focus on becoming equal or earning rights. She was concerned more about herself and her actions than all women. She could be an important figure to women, but she was not necessarily a feminist.
4.I believe Hawthorne illustrates passion as something that is nearly impossible to control. Passion is something that everyone has. What those passions are varies but sometimes they consume you. It is our human nature to have passion but too much passion can occur and be an issue.
5. Hawthorne’s act of adding historical figures was very smart. Governor Bellingham was able to give the a realistic approach to show the situation especially regarding the decision of whether or not Hester could keep Pearl. This was the case because he was a lawyer and governed Massachusetts Bay Colony. John Wilson also was incorporated with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was a Puritan Minister. Wilson is relevant because he represents the reglious significance. He was more harsh on Hester for her actions because of her sins. Ann Hibbins was hung to death from witchcraft. Similar to Ann, Hester receives cruel behavior for things she has done. These characters give a good idea of what society was like at this time.
ReplyDelete6. Anne Hutchinson was an early feminist who fought for equality for women. She held meetings and gatherings to unite women. Anne was eventually excommunicated, which is similar to a punishment which was given to Hester. More similarities between the two is the stood up for themselves and their beliefs. They were both very strong women.
7. Dramatic irony is very important to literature as it makes it more interesting in many different aspects. Hawthorne incorporates this quite a but throughout the story. One example is that Dimmsdale was viewed as a wonderful man to the whole town or even an “angel”. But little did anyone know that he had committed a huge sin, and was the father of Pearl, Hester’s child.
8. The moment Hester emerged from jail she was a very scared and reserved person. She was ashamed of her sin she committed, and was constantly reminded by everyone and her scarlet letter. By the end of the novel she developed into a very string, dependent and fearless women. Hester had to go through very hard times in order to developevintobthe person she became.
1. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all characters who have sinned throughout the book. First off, Hester’s most prominent sin that sets the whole tone of the book is adultery. This sin completely changes her life in making her an outcast, forcing her to be publicly mocked, and giving her Pearl. However, this experience made her stronger and braver throughout the book. Like Hester, Dimmesdale’s most notable sin is adultery. This guilt and sin changes him throughout the book by consuming his life with guilt. This eventually leads to the decline of his physical and mental healths. Finally, Chillingworth’s sin is the sin of malice, or vengeance. This sin consumes his life and completely changes his character throughout the course of the book. In the beginning of the book, Chillingworth was described by Hester as quiet and thoughtful. He later transformed into a obsessive monster. The consequences of each character’s sins were that their lives were completely changed.
ReplyDelete2. There are many symbolic references throughout the book. Light and dark have a similar representation to that of good and evil. The symbolism of light and dark can be taken a step further to apply it to Puritan society. The Puritan rules and customs can be thought to be the darkness, while the knowledge outside of the Puritan beliefs can be said to be the light. The scaffold symbolizes punishment and atonement in the Puritan beliefs. The rose bush and weeds can be said to symbolize life and death, with the rose bush being life outside of the Puritan society and the weeds being life within the Puritan society. The letter A can be said to symbolize public punishment. The forest symbolizes the area between oppression (the town) and chaos (the real world). The forest is shown as more of a dream or the opposite of reality. The town symbolizes harsh structure, rules, and oppression apart from the reality of the real world.
3. It can be argued that Hester Prynne is one of literature’s first feminists. I believe this is true. Throughout the book she had tremendous courage especially when she chooses to keep her child instead of giving in to the town’s wishes of giving Pearl to another family. Hester held on to her beliefs and didn’t let society or anyone sway them much like modern feminists of today.
4. Hawthorne’s views of human nature regarding passion are quite interesting. Through his work, Hawthorne shows that passion is a part of human nature just like the necessity to do wrong. Throughout the book and Hester’s sins, he elaborates this by showing that her sin of passion wasn’t truly as bad as the characters made it out to be. In all, I think that Hawthorne chalked up human passion and the sins of human passion something akin to human error.
5. In my opinion Governor Bellingham, John Wilson, and Ann Hibbins are all intertwined much like the characters in the Scarlet Letter. Reverend John Wilson was a preacher similar to Dimmesdale. In my opinion, Governor Bellingham can be seen similar to Chillingworth in that he was an influential public figure who fought to remove Anne Hutchinson from Massachusetts like Chillingworth fought to undermine Dimmesdale. The last connection is looser, but Ann Hibbins can be shown to be connected to Hester. Ann Hibbins was a witch and eventually executed for her sins of witchcraft. Much like Hester, she was publicly punished for her crimes. All of these people add authenticity to Hawthorne’s work because they help back up the issues of that time period with historical figures similar to Hawthorne’s fictional characters.
ReplyDelete6. Anne Hutchinson and Hester Prynne are both very similar. Anne Hutchinson was like a revolutionary of her time. She opposed the strict Puritan beliefs and culture much like Hester Prynne did. They both stood up for their ideal system of beliefs that strongly contradicted the beliefs of the early Puritans. They refused to let society influence their thoughts and actions. Both Anne Hutchinson and Hester Prynne also were thought of as outcasts and banished from society.
7. Throughout the book, Hawthorne uses many accounts of dramatic irony to illustrate a message behind the point. One such instance of dramatic irony in the book was when Dimmesdale, a renowned and beloved preacher, played a part in Hester’s sin and had to try her on the scaffold. This caused him to feel the pain in his chest that aligned with Hester’s letter. Another example of dramatic irony within The Scarlet Letter is that such a sinful and disgraceful act created Pearl. Pearl brought so much goodness to the atmosphere of the town and the lives of Hester and Dimmesdale, causing them to re-examine the beliefs of their society.
8. Hester undergoes major character changes throughout the the book. From the first moment when she emerges from the prison doors, she isn’t entirely weak, but she is still weaker in the fact that she is still mostly adhered to the Puritan society and beliefs. She confirmed to society and the identity it gave her as a sinner. At the end of the book, Hester transforms into a strong, respected character who adheres more to her own beliefs and ideals rather than becoming what society would approve of. Major events that assist in her transformation include the punishment of wearing the scarlet letter to the the scenes with Dimmesdale at the end of the book. Hester goes through a lot of trials through the book, but because of them, she becomes a better person in the end.
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ReplyDeleteThe sin of both Hester and Dimmesdale, was, of course, adultery. Both dealt with their sin differently. Hester spent the rest of her life doing good works and living a model life to atone for her sin, while Dimmesdale spent the rest of his life covering up his sin which lead to his demise. Chillingworth’s sin was disguising himself and inflicting emotional torture upon Dimmesdale. This did him no favors and he died alone, leaving all of his things to Pearl in his will.
ReplyDeleteLight and dark show the contrast of good and evil. The scaffold is a place where people’s sins are put out into the open, where people make their judgements. The significance of the rosebud and the weeds is that the weeds are the sin choking the beauty and life out of a person, much like the lives of the characters in the book. The letter “A” functions both as a sign of her sin to greater society and as a teacher to Hester to help her lessen her pride. The forest has long been associated with secrecy and the unknown, long before “The Scarlet Letter”. It is no different in the book, while the town is associated with the society and order of Puritan society.
As someone who self identifies as a feminist, I do not really see Hester as a feminist. Certainly not a modern, third wave feminist, and not really a first wave feminist. Yes, she supported herself and her daughter, but if we look closer we can see that women have been doing this since the dawn of humanity itself. She never really does anything to help to advance the rights of women other than herself or her daughter. Compared to other first wave feminist of the day, for example Mary Wollstonecraft and Elizabeth Blackwell, Hester is a pitiful comparison.
Hawthorne regards passion as an integral part of the human being, but he also states that it can lead to sin. He thinks that passion is important to of our way of life, but when used in the wrong way, can lead to a great amount of suffering, which can be shown in the lives of the main characters.
1.Hester and Dimmesdale both committed adultery. Hester was dealt was some punishments such as, public humiliation, and being an outcast. Chillingworth drove Dimmesdale pretty much insane. I would say the sin had a positive impact on Hester, she did not let it define her, she learned from it. In the end she helped the poor and sick. Dimmesdale just tried to make himself look better, he didn’t want to think bad of him, the guilt he had was eating away at him, and made him suffer. Chillingworth always wanted to get revenge he always wanted to seek more vengeance. He would do anything to get what he wanted.
ReplyDelete2. In the book, light and dark represents the good and the bad. The good, which is God and all that is pure. Dark, them devil and all that is evil. The scaffold is the place where the sins were shown, where the people would make judgement. The rosebush and the weeds. The rosebush I believe symbolizes sins. The thorns on a rosebush, shows sin. However, when you hear, “every rose has its thorn” I believe shows renewal, as it did in Hester. I think the weeds symbolize fear. The symbol “A” changed through the story, in the beginning it is a mark of the sin Hester commited, adultery. In the end it turns into something better, a second chance. The forest is a symbol of the devil, the place where he works, the town goes along with the light, where God is.
3. I think you could argue that Hester was one of the first feminists. She was not reliant on a man to bring food to the table, she raised a child by herself, showed everyone she was capable to do anything by herself. However the main goal of a feminist is to support equal rights and she really didn’t do that. Either way she was a strong women people could look up to.
4.Hawthornes regards to passion is that if someone wants something, they will destroy whatever is in there way until they achieve it. As in the book Chillingworth did anything to get to Dimmesdale until he got what he desired.
5.Governor Bellingham served as a governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and he makes the story seem more real, since he actually lived. John Wilson was the oldest clergyman of Boston and was a great scholar. Ann Hibbins was a person who was killed for witchcraft before the Salem witch trials. He added these people to make the story seem more realistic.
6.Anne Hutchinson was a Puritan spiritual adviser. Anne was also an early feminist, as people think Hester was as well. They both were strong women who stood up for themselves, and disputed some of the Puritan ideas. This made the two women seem similar.
7.Hawthorne uses dramatic irony a couple times. The one that was most obvious was Dimmesdale sin, while he was also a minister. Another is when Dimmesdale feels the pain of the scarlet letter on his chest.
8. In the beginning Hester was a sinner who committed adultery. She was a more reserved and quiet person. However in the end she showed her true strengths, by being able to not depend on a man, and by being able to raise a child be herself. She showed she was a strong independent women.
5. Governor Bellingham was the governor of Massachusetts, who was a controversial figure during his time. He held sentiments that were quite progressive for Puritan society at the time, while also holding onto prejudices common in his religion. He was most known for helping draw up important documents for the colony of Massachusetts, which later became the basis for the government of America. Ann Hibbins was a women who was hanged for witchcraft in Boston. The whole accusation of witchcraft came about after she acted hostile to some carpenters who she accused of cheating her. John Wilson was a Puritan minister who became famous for his hatred for those who did not share his strict views on Puritanism. All of this shows that Hawthorne conducted his research and knew well the characters, and the setting that he was writing.
ReplyDeleteAnne Hutchinson was a preacher who broke from the Puritan church and helped start the colony of Rhode Island. Anne started a controversy when she began to argue with the different preachers of the day. The Puritans were so upset with Anne and her followers that they banished them from colony. They started the Rhode Island Colony as a haven for religious freedom. She became a symbol for religious freedom in early America. Both her as Hester defined Puritan rule and both were given some sort of respect in their respective communities. They both had unusual positions in Puritan society, Anne was a woman preacher who stood up authority and Hester held her own unusual position. Both of them dared to defy the strict Puritan authority, which unites them.
Hawthorne use of dramatic irony is something that he is famous for. My favorite example is early on when Hester is on the scaffold holding Pearl, and Hawthorne makes the connection between the Madonna and Child art motif. Mary, the mother of God, is considered the holiest woman in Christianity, while Hester Prynne is definitely not. My other favorite is that one is that Dimmesdale was one of the most saintly men of the colony and he is the one who committed the sin of adultery with Hester. Dramatic irony is a strong theme in this book.
Hester is at her lowest point coming out of the jail cell, but she doesn’t let it show. She acts very haughty and proud, but inside she is hurting. She then conforms to what the community wants her be. That is because of her shaming in the public scaffold. Later, on she gathers her pride and manages to speak her mind to Chillingworth and plan her escape with Dimmesdale. This is because she has gathered her pride and now holds a place in the community.
1. Both, Dimmesdale and Hester’s main sin comitted was adultrey. Their disloyal actions caused them intense regret and eventually provoked neglect of responsibility for both characters. More specifically Hester was faced with punishment for her sins, as well as self guilt. However, Hester made moral decisions and committed positive deeds in order to make up for her past actions. Dimmesdale reacted oppositely compared to Hester. Instead of repenting he simply tried to forget about his sins he committed and eventually his downfall was primarily caused by his intense guilt. Chillingworth’s main sin was wrath. He spent the majority of his life seeking revenge which also caused his downfall, similar to Dimmesdale.
ReplyDelete2. Symbolism was a major aspect in this particular book. Light and dark simply represented good and evil. An example of this would be, God and His works would be considered the light, while the devil and temptation would be considered the dark. The scaffold I believe represents punishment, particularly punishment ruled by Puritan society. The rose bush symbolizes baptism, renewal, and beauty. The weeds however are similar to sin and shows how sin can be so close to something bright and beautiful. The letter “A” has a complex meaning. The letter “A” can be recongnised as Hester’s sins or she can look at it and see her strength and repentance. The forest is a good representation of all things mysterious, dark, and/or evil. The town, symbolizes isolation, punishment, and sin. This is especially true because of the time period of which the story was written.
3.Although Hester is a strong female lead in the story, I definitely would disagree with the statement that Hester is one of American Literature’s first feminists. This is mainly because Hester never spoke about equality or about the rights of men compared to women. I don’t think being a strong independent woman necessarily allows you to be labeled a famenist.
4. Hawthorne wisely states that passion is almost a necessity to human life but if used unjustly may lead to sin. I completely agree with virtually his entire view. I do think that all people seek passion but I also believe that when passion becomes unmoral or unjust it can become a sin.
5. Governor Bellingham is comparable to Chillingworth, seeing as they are both controversial thinkers. Also, it is obvious that Governor Bellingham commited many sins out of hate in his lifetime as well. John Wilson was the eldest clergyman of Boston and was very intelligent in his time. By mentioning him in the story, Hawthorne made his story genuinely realistic to the readers. Ann Hibbins was famously executed for witchcraft. She was tried as a witch after she had just won a lawsuit against her carpenters. Out of wrath, the carpenters labeled her a witch. The sin of the carpenters cost Anne her life. Hawthorne mentioning Anne in the story gives the story an authentic feel as well.
ReplyDelete6. Ann Hutchinson is popular for speaking her mind when woman weren’t given a voice to speak their opinions. She was most famous for speaking of the role of women in Puritan society. I think it is ethical to suggest that Hester’s character may have been modeled after Anne Hutchinson. Hester was also known for fighting for what she believed in. Also, she stood by her morals even if it wasn’t the popular opinion.
7. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader is informed with information that characters in the book are not aware of. This happened frequently in the Scarlet Letter. For example, throughout most of the book the reader is aware that Dimmesdale is the father of Hester’s child, but both Chillingworth and the rest of the community in the story are not aware of this. Also, Chillingworth states that he hopes Hester and Pearl will be shown mercy, but later in the book he suggests that he wants Hester to suffer the consequences, Hester is completely unaware of his change of heart.
8. When Hester first emerges from the jail she is ashamed and hurt. However, by the end of the book she is proud of herself and she is strong. She feels this way because she has accepted herself and her past sins. After she accepts herself she is able to repent and be saved by God.
1. The common theme of sin in this story is adultery. Both Hester Prynne and Dimmesdale committed this consequential act. They both handled their sin very differently. Hester was humiliated by wearing a scarlet “A” on her chest and Dimmesdale was forced within chaos coming from within. Hester handled her punishment very positively, as she used her mistakes as a learned lesson. On the other hand, Dimmesdale let his actions get the best of him as it ultimately led to his demise. Another sinner in the story was Chillingworth. His mind got the best of him as he plotted revenge on everyone who wronged him. He did not handle the situation well at all and ultimately played the role as the evil character.
ReplyDelete2. Symbolism plays a big role in the story and Hawethorne does a great job placing throughout. The essence of light and dark symbolizes the good and the evil throughout the story. The scaffold is symbolizing the exposure of sin and the embarrassment that goes along with it. The rose bush symbolizes life. The thorns are the bad parts of life such as sin. The pedals symbolize the good things in life like love and kindness. The weeds symbolizes a fork in the road. It shows that things can be going so well and suddenly that can all change. The scarlet “A” is meant to symbolize humiliation and it is meant to teach a lesson. The forest symbolizes the unknown. The town, a lot like the scaffold, also symbolizes humiliation and punishment. Hawethorne was very strategic when instituting symbolism into the story.
3. I disagree with the fact that Hester was one of America’s first feminists. I believe this because she didn’t choose to have any of this happen to her. This admiration only occurred because of the sin she committed. When you think of feminists, you think of people who speak publicly about equality, live a admirable life, and can be seen as a role model. You simply can’t put Hester into the same catergory as those type of people.
4. It seems to me that Hawethorne view passion as something that results due to prior action. For example, Hester finally showed passion toward her life only after she committed adultery and wore the scarlet letter. It appears as if he believes passion comes as a result of something that affected someone’s past.
5. Mr. Bellingham was a very powerful historical figure who was the governor of Massachusetts. His role in this story was vital because it made it out to be very realistic and truthful even though it was fictional. John Wilson was a very liberal reverend who was strong and true to his opinion. He served as someone to be the counterpart of Dimmesdale. Ann Hibbins was, in the nicest way possible, very strange. She was said to practice witchcraft and was seen as someone with great evil inside them. Coincidentally she served as a witch in the story.
ReplyDelete6. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t believe Hester Prynne deserves to be seen as an activist or a feminist. However, she was indeed someone who stuck true to her beliefs and refused to be denied. The same can be said about Ann Hutchinson. Both of these women were very adamant about what they believed in. The also never let their past define them. Hutchinson wanted to forget her past that involved being treated without equality, and sought to bring women’s rights to the forefront. Whereas Hester wanted to forget her sinful past and be able to learn from her mistakes.
7. Hawethorne was very good at placing dramatic irony throughout the story. Dramatic Irony can best be described as irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play. One major example of this in the story is the dilemma between Dimmesdale and Hester. Dimmesdale was the man who was to be responsible for placing Hester onto the scaffold when, in fact, he was as guilty for sin as she was.
ReplyDelete8. Hester Prynne is almost a completely different person from the moment she walks out of jail up until the end of the story. She starts out being embarrassed and humiliated just like the people of the town feel like she deserves to be. However, as the story goes on she uses her embarrassment as a lesson learned. She embraces the letter on her chest and uses it almost as a sense of motivation. She really turned her life around, going from an embarrassment to a proud woman.