Dudley–Winthrop family

Red v. Black The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is full of symbolism especially in regards to the use of the colors red and black. This symbolism is important to the story and how we perceive the characters in it. Hawthorne uses color association throughout the novel to help accentuate the importance or meaning of a person, event, or object. Red symbolizes many things throughout the novel such as love, passion, lust, and sin. The most important use of red in the novel is the…

Humans constantly balance the need for freedom and the need for conformity. The Scarlet Letter poses a perspective on this matter through symbols, the wilderness is used as a symbol of free will that conflicts with the strict nature of society. This conflict is conveyed through the characters of the story who go against the Puritan society’s laws and ideals. Nature in The Scarlet Letter represents freedom from the constraints of society; nature’s influences on Arthur, Hester, and especially…

It tells the story of Hester Prynne , a young woman accused of adultery. As a punishment for this, she was forced to stand in the town scaffold, in front of of the whole toenspeople, with a scarlet letter "A" on her breast. Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter", aside from being a romance novel, is also a Historical-Fiction. A Historical novel is set in an earlier historical period that features a plot shaped by historical circumstances. The novel begins with an account of how the book was…

Society vs. Intuition: Which is Right to Follow? Societal influence on people is a highly discussed topic today, and evidently was in the past, as Nathaniel Hawthorne makes comments on how society should affect people in The Scarlet Letter. This book is about a woman named Hester Prynne, who is condemned to wearing a scarlet letter A by the Puritan society, in which she lives. The symbol being explored is the way Hawthorne uses nature throughout the novel. Nature is found everywhere, no matter…

What does the Prison Represent. From the scarlet letter I have choosen to write about the symbol prison. The prison represents a closed society, no escape front the letter, and harassment. You know this because you have seen it in multiple situations through out the book. The prison represents a closed society because the puritans lived in a closed society. The puritans did not allow anyone to join their society. So the prison itself is like a society. It has closed gates with people…

Throughout the Scarlet Letter the effects of sin are greatly noted. Nathaniel Hawthorne has made it apparent that sin effects the mind, body, and soul. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale revel throughout the novel that they make faulty decisions. Both Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are consumed with either guilt or hatred. Though Hester shows no physical deformities she is still effected by sin. The only difference is that her mind and soul are effected, instead of her physical appearance. Although…

Shame for you Sins In The Scarlet Letter the main themes of the story are sin, guilt, and shame. Shame has a way of punishing oneself. Shame may be an extreme form of punishment, but in the book it worked, and it had a lasting effect on the characters. In The Scarlet Letter the characters of Hester and Dimmesdale show that shame as a form of punishment is good for the individual and the people around them. In our society today, many things such as racism, slavery, and sexism that were once…

William Shakespeare once said that “some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.” Hester Prynne is marked with a symbol of adultery. In the beginning of the novel, Hester is humiliated on the scaffold and her iniquitous actions ruin her public image. Puritan society marks Hester with the scarlet letter to demonstrate the communities’ strict moral standards. The public appearance of the scarlet letter alienates her from society and the symbol forces her to recognize her sins. However, Hester…

Reverend Dimmesdale’s Transformation in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays Reverend Dimmesdale as a man who cowardly strays away from the truth and cannot manage the shame that he has brought upon himself in The Scarlet Letter. In a moment of vulnerability, Dimmesdale falls in love with Hester Prynne who then bores his child, even though they are not married. In the eyes of this puritanical community, Hester has sinned against God. To punish her, the heads of the town force her to…

In The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is a sinner of adultery. Hester has to wear the Scarlett “A” among her bosom. This letter “A” stands for adultery, this symbolizes when a man and a woman have a baby when they are not married. This sin is strongly looked down upon in the Puritan society. Hester has used her sin to become an overall stronger person. She has raised a daughter among a society that vigorously stood against her. Hester has proven too many characters within…