Anne Fadiman

With as much as literature and entertainment have evolved in the past 400 years since the honored genius William Shakespeare popularized theatre and genres such as the Tragedy and Comedy, people still remember his work by reading and seeing it performed from time to time. People are even shown techniques he pioneered on his own such as words he invented and comic relief. In the play Macbeth, it has been debated for years about the value of the Porter’s scene and whether or not it is comic relief…

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is set during Puritan times, the main character is a female named Hester Prynne. Hester is accused of adultery, and is sentenced to a life of shame, so she is forced to wear a scarlet ‘A’ on her bosom. Through The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne demonstrates that the very condition of being human makes one vulnerable to hypocrisy. Although Puritan laws ban a show of wealth through physical items, such as fancy clothing, there are many instances of which…

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s romantic novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is forced by Puritan leaders in Boston to wear the letter “A” across her chest as a punishment for her sin of adultery. Despite the isolation and humiliation she experiences in the town, Hester decides that this punishment is not enough, so she executes acts of penance. These acts add to her embarrassment, however, it is her own decision to punish herself. Hester is able to express herself in many ways, proving that the…

Over 500 books have been written about the Holocaust. Sara Young has written one of them, My Enemy’s Cradle. A Jewish girl loses her German cousin to attempted abortion and uses her identity to save her own baby. This taught me to love with all you have and focus on the good in life. Cyrla has always wanted to be Anneke. When Anneke gets pregnant, she sees no other way out. Anneke attempts abortion and bleeds to death. Cyrla, who is Jewish, uses Anneke’s German papers to help save her own life.…

In The Scarlet Letter, there are three main characters that go by the names: Pearl, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Pearl is the daughter of Hester Prynne, who committed adultery with Dimmesdale, therefore, she must wear a scarlet “A” on her breast. Chillingworth is the true husband of Hester Prynne and he may have some darker secrets than anyone had thought. All three of these names have their own cases of symbolism that is carried on throughout the whole novel. To begin with, Pearl is the…

Arthur Dimmesdale is a perpetually conflicted character throughout The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne presents a Puritan ideology that strives for sinless community, making strict and unforgiving. As a reverend predicated on teaching and following these laws, they come to define Dimmesdale’s character. Dimmesdale feels confined to the ironclad rules of the Puritan society; however, he embraces it and deems it necessary for his well being. Although, as the book progresses,…

In The Shadow Of The Abbey – St Margaret's In spite of being actually dominated by the main part of Westminster Abbey just toward the south, St Margaret's Church is one of London's most intriguing religious structures. St Margaret's Church was one of the ever-introduce points of interest of Pepys' life in London, and was the place he wedded Elizabeth in 1655. The Parish church of the Palace of Westminster, St Margaret's was finished in 1523 – it's tower is a bit more youthful, at only 226…

was sent by the French king to protect relations with Henry VIII, who was in an uproar, planning to break away from the pope in Rome and the Catholic church. Dinteville had little to do in English court of Henry VIII other than wait for the pregnant Anne Boleyn to marry and become queen of England, which brought about the English Reformation in following year. In the spring of 1533, when spirits were low, Dinteville’s friend Georges de Selve, a bishop and ambassador who had represented France…

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts Puritan society's view of sin as unforgivable and in need of punishment. Although the Puritans' attitude toward sin is to take disciplinary actions, the punishments are often unfair and cruel which makes it a bad society. For the first example, the punishment for adultery is typically death with few exceptions. Hester Prynne had committed the sin of adultery, but because her husband was presumed dead she was spared and forced to wear a letter…

According to recorded history and fact, there was never a woman who had the brilliance of Shakespeare during his time. This could be for several reasons; one being that women were not schooled as men were at the time, and another that even though they may have tried to follow the path to brilliance, they were forced into the stereotypical and traditional life of a housewife (at the time). A third is the fact that the frustration of not being able to engage in their genius drove them to madness…