The Scarlet Letter Essay

A character within a novel can either change positively or negatively. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, author Nathaniel Hawthorne makes use of character development technique to show how each individual changes as the novel progresses. Through the description of a character from the beginning and their development at the end of the novel, the character becomes real. This is apparent in the transgression of Hester Prynne and Pearl in the short novel. Although Pearl is portrayed to have been…

A symbol is a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. In the book The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbols to play a major role to get a deeper understanding for the characters. In the book, Pearl is the symbol of negative and positive in Hester’s life; an extension of Hester herself. Pearl has different personalities corresponding to the setting or suspense in the story. Her personalities change so…

Throughout the first nineteen Chapters of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes The Prisoner’s Dilemma within Hester Prynne and Roger Chillingworth’s relationship. Hawthorne avers his knowledge of the dilemma through the chapters titled “The Interview” (Ch 4), as well as “Hester and the Physician” (Ch 14). Both of these chapters regard the relationship between Hester and Roger. The Prisoner’s Dilemma is a hypothetical idea encompassing four matrix scenarios. In each scenario two…

English 10 H 11 January 2016 The Scarlet Letter: Symbolism Symbolism is a topic that is widely concealed throughout the chapter of The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne uses such symbolism in a way to give the reader a better understanding of the book. Some symbols relatively have a limited range of meanings, but could be simplified to stand for only one thing (Foster 98). Throughout The Scarlet Letter, symbols including character names, the letter “A” found on Hester’s bosom, and…

changed, is when she takes off the scarlet letter, her personality has changed, and when Hester learns what she did was wrong and accepts what she had done. The first way in which Hester changes is when she takes off the scarlet letter. Hester takes off the scarlet letter when she and Dimmesdale are in the forest. They talk about leaving with Pearl. When they’re talking about it Hester says, “Let us not look back”. So once she said that she removes the scarlet letter and gets tossed into a…

Scarlet Letter reminds me of Othello and Macbeth. I have heard of Scarlet letter. However, I never get to read it during high school. I am shocked and surprised after reading it. Scarlet letter, Othello, and Macbeth fall into the categories of vengeance, depiction, and justice. From my perspective, Othello own jealousy lead him to sin against his wife. While Macbeth own pride, envy, greed, wrath, lust and jealousy lead him to sin against King Duncan. I love Othello and Macbeth because I was able…

the scarlet letter and it is because of this one letter that Hester's life is changed. In the beginning chapters, the letter is taken as a label of punishment and sin. Hester Prynne bears the label of the letter upon her chest and she stands as a label of an outcast in front of society. She is wearing this symbol to burden her with punishment throughout her life. She stands on a plank where her punishment is given,’’Thus she will be a living sermon against sin, until the ignominious letter be…

Journal Entry 1 The Scarlet Letter: Topic and Description and Detail, Chapters 1-6 In my personal opinion, the first six chapters of the book are a little too obvious. I think that the author put too much detail into the story leaving little room for guessing at what will happen in the future. The first chapter contained little substance but large amounts of detail hinting that Puritan society had imprisoned someone socially and literally. In the second chapter, we learn of a woman Hester…

Pearl is “the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a millionfold the power of retribution…” (p64) As a symbol of her sin, Hester dresses up Pearl to look nice just like she does to the scarlet letter itself. This is Hester’s way of overcoming her tribulation, she is, nevertheless, constantly aware of her shortcomings… “Thou must gather thine own sunshine. I have none to give thee!” (p54) As time passes, Hester’s endurance and determination shines through. Many…

If a teacher were to ask a student if Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, should stay in the curriculum, the student might answer with a vexed look and a stern ‘no’. Some readers would express frustration with the antique writing style and the overly intricate plot. Even some people from Hawthorne’s time were distracted and unable to recognize Hawthorne’s actual denotation. E.P. Whipple, a nineteenth century essayist and literary critic, wrote “There is a profound philosophy underlying…