Anne Fadiman

Overcoming Sin and Shame Nathaniel Hawthorne conveys the theme of overcoming sin and shame by benevolent actions and deeds in The Scarlet Letter through the use of different symbols like the scarlet letter, Pearl, and the forest. Hester’s scarlet letter “A” starts off with being a symbol of sin, shame, and wrong doing but, by the end of the novel turned into a symbol of her identity that people came to respect. Pearl is like a living symbol of Hester’s scarlet letter where at first was the…

Sin and guilt are two recurring themes not only found in The Minister’s Black Veil, but are also recurring themes found in many works by Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter is one of Hawthorne’s most famous writings and it is closely related to the theme of sin, specifically sin in secrecy, as proven to be true in Hawthorne’s The Minister’s Black Veil. The Scarlet Letter is also based during the Puritan time period therefore, sin is something that mostly all individuals frown upon and punishment is…

The Mysterious Being! The first chapter of “The Scarlet Letter” sets in motion the rest of the story in a few aspects including; the setting, an imagined world, and hidden in the text, is Mother Nature. Something that one may overlook throughout simple daily life is the gift, protection, and unforgiveable powers of nature. However, when the society of man dishes out a harsh, unwanted fate to someone while turning their back in disappointment, such as the Puritan Society did to Hester Prynne,…

The Diary of Anne Frank : Movie V.S. Play Last week, our class viewed the Anne Frank movie, shortly after finishing reading the play. Anne Frank was and still is one of the most famous victims of the Holocaust, a dark and bleak time in human history. Many people know of her time spent in the “Annex”, the attic above her father’s office. But many people don’t know of her life before, or maybe even after she was arrested from the Annex. The last week, we studied the life of this young girl in…

"On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A" ( Hawthorne 45). In the book, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is a woman convicted of adultery and who must wear the letter A upon her chest for her sin. The reader may assume that Hester is a coward who refuses to show her face in town after this incident but instead, Hester is a strong leader because of her ability to be honest about her sin…

King Louis IX is a French King that reigned in the 13th century. He became king at a very young age. Louis was raised by a very godly mother. He was a very kind-hearted king. His actions were quite unexpected from a king. He was very Christian and his actions matched both his personality and beliefs. King Louis IX’s life was fully dedicated to God, thus making him a great king (Delmore). Louis was born on April 25, 1215 in the castle of Poissy near Paris. He was crowned king at age twelve,…

Throughout The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne faced an adultery scandal. While reading the novel you discover that towards the end the meaning of her sin has changed. Hester committed a sin with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and had a baby. Once that sin was committed she has to wear the letter ‘A’ on her chest and face public humiliation. In a small town in Boston it's wrong to have interactions with someone while you are married. Fortunately for Hester, her and Dimmesdale perpetrated this sin and…

In this riveting novel, Nathaniel Hawthorne explored the ideas of Adultery and he chose different quotes to express the meanings of the story. In this quote they are talking about the puritan prisoners and how they were when they were in prison and not just that but there are roses growing just beside the door and its explaining that even though they are prisoners there’s still roses growing near the door. Hester Prynne wears the scarlet letter for being accused of sleeping with a married man;…

The Scarlet Letter as Hypocritical Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet letter is a book of great symbolism. This book is about how society treats, and punishes a woman who have committed adultery. The plot of the book that follows the life of the main character, Hester and her daughter, Pearl. In the meantime, there are a few other main characters that are play a big role in hester’s life. These characters are the preacher of the town, Dimmesdale, and the doctor of the town, Chillingworth.…

Nathaniel Hawthorne in his novel, The Scarlet Letter, portrays the life of a sinner in a Puritan society. He displays how self and public guilt can deteriorate a human. Hawthorne uses the characters Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and The Reverend Dimmesdale to show that allenation and shame result in deterioration of one’s self. Hester Prynne is the first character Hawthorne presents as a sinner. Hester Prynne is publically shamed and alienated by the town because of her sin. Hester Prynne…