Drapier's Letters

Nathaniel Hawthorne writes a parable set in a small town in Milford, New England during the 16th century. His decision to go with a Puritan town plays a crucial role in understanding the story’s message. The Puritans were known for their obsession with sin and their effort to eliminate it from their lives through strict moral codes. Hawthorne can stress the importance of the message through by utilizing a town whose beliefs with contradict from the message. Therefore, allowing readers to really…

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…

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of the book “The Scarlet Letter”, introduces two themes throughout the book through a variety of people. He uses the authoritarian people such as the religious leaders, the court people, as well as the people in her community and village, and her husband. These people demonstrate a form of judgement as well as humanity towards Hester and her little girl Pearl. Hawthorne gives the story of Hester, a young married woman, who was discovered to have committed adultery…

The Real Meanings of the Scarlet Letter Many people are labeled and publicly judge by things they do. Others live with a hidden guilt. This is what happens in “The Scarlet Letter”, with Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester’s letter represents adultery but eventually it represents her change and what she is able to do. Dimmesdale’s letter isn’t visible but he does carry his own letter and he accepts it. In the Scarlet Letter, Hester’s letter represents adultery and sin. Marcus, Fred H…

the book The Scarlet Letter but does not pay attention to certain things that mean more than what it says. Everything you read could mean more than just words in a book, which is why you should pay more attention and read between the lines. There are many symbols in The Scarlet Letter with different meanings that represents more. To the Puritans the letter “A” represents adultery but in the book it had different meanings. For example, in the beginning of the book, the letter “A” represents…

deemed unforgivable by society’s standards. However, it is not the sin that determines the way the person lives their life, instead it is the way that they go about handling the situation that surrounds them. In Nathaniel Hawthorne 's, The Scarlet Letter, a young woman named, Hester Prynne, committed adultery which stunned the pious community of Boston, MA. Arthur Dimmesdale, the idolized pastor of the church, was the secret lover of Hester Prynne, and the father of her girl child, Pearl. The…

The Conflicting Meanings of Marriage in The Scarlet Letter On a frigid December morning, I awoke from the night drenched in sweat, screaming inside. I told myself it was just a dream, but I knew it was my harsh reality. I was living the perfect life, or so it seemed, an extravagant house, a new car, and a husband with enough money to buy me any luxury I desired. I was trapped, I was a good Christian woman who had everything but happiness, and my marriage was not simply a handbag I could return…

and actions, but also pushes the misperceptions held by their society towards these two characters. This contrast further proves that people are often misjudged by appearance or a singular action/first impression. Through the symbol of the Scarlet Letter, Hester is shown as a confident and powerful character who stands out, but through the eyes of her society she is seen as sinful and disrespectful character who is easy to pity and judge. Hester’s A is described as “...artistically done, and…

Owning up to the truth is a difficult task that most people struggle to do. It is often easier for humans to hide their wrongdoings from their peers, rather than being truthful. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, both main characters, Dimmesdale and Hester commit an act that is regarded by their peers, the Puritans, as a sin. The Puritans were a Protestant religious group that sailed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in order to practice their religion in peace. They had strict moral and…

Essentially, the quote means “On a black field, the letter A in red”. The symbolism in this quote is that even though Hester has gone to her grave, the guilt of the sin she committed will be with her forever. My overall feeling on the novel is that I thought it fascinating how the one forbidden act of passion…