Dudley–Winthrop family

The Scarlet Letter is an intriguing book that shows you how one event in your life can make you look like a plague or unappealing. It also shows how hypocritical people can be. Throughout most of the book the people sin, but they assume it’s alright since Hester’s is worse. This helps develop the story, symbols, and theme that is displayed throughout the book. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter using a descriptive, narrative style. Hawthorne chose this style to intricately explain a…

John Winthrop, a previous governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, once said “For we must [...] be a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world” (A Model of Christian Charity). Winthrop’s words exhibit the overwhelmingly theocratic and idyllic environment that fostered intolerance to dissidence of…

In John Demos’ book A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony, the author breaks down the long standing conceptions of life in Plymouth Colony that it was a place filled with religious fanaticism and strict social order. As Demos argues, this was not entirely the case. Through his interpretations of surviving colonial records, Demos shows that the colonists were faced with common issues such as: adultery, divorce, murder and even domestic abuse. They also exhibited acts of…

Many authors use symbolism to portray themes throughout a novel. This occurred in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, The Scarlet Letter. The book took place during the Puritan time period which lasted from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries. The Scarlet Letter is about the main character, Hester Prynne, who commited the crime of adultery. She was publicly shame punished by the community for the felony which she was involved in. The symbols used in this novel were crucial in reinforcing the central…

European royalty is taken out on Hester and her child. During the seventeenth century, most European royalty was Catholic. In The Scarlet Letter, the reader finds out that Hester was once of royalty, but her family lost their wealth. She was then married off to a rich man who payed the family a large…

Speech #1 Edward R. Murrow, a CBS reporter and war correspondent delivered a report from Buchenwald, Germany on April 16, 1945. He delivered this dialect upon seeing the atrocities committed by the Germans towards the Jews. He addresses the American people, describing the scene he had witnessed at this labor camp, which he found the scene to be so unbelievable that he is rendered speechless many times through out his speech. Murrow’s outrage is so apparent through-out his account, that it is…

Moreover, another characteristic of romanticism that connects to the three stories “The Scarlet Letter”, “The Minister’s Black Veil”, and “The Devil and Tom Walker” is individualism. Individualism is shown throughout these stories in different ways. In the story “The Scarlet Letter”, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows individuality in Hester. He showed Hester’s individualism by making her the only one to wear the scarlet letter “A” and also making her different from everyone else. Even though the letter…

Symbolism has been in human history since the very beginning, especially in books and poems. It is a way to teach and reach a better understanding of our world or an idea. Nathaniel Hawthorne provides many examples of symbolism in his novel, The Scarlet Letter. Every character provides a different idea, but they are all related and share the topic of sin. You might ask what the scarlet letter, the central symbol of the book, could mean. The Scarlet Letter was a symbol that right after you see it…

2 In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is introduced to the reader as a woman who has committed adultery, a very serious sin in the eyes of her Puritan community. In order to punish her, the town makes her stand upon a “scaffolding on the pillory, an infant on her arm” as they stare with judgement(41). Hester must also wear a scarlet “A”, representing her sin. It lies on her chest “fantastically embroidered with gold thread” showcasing her sins (41). The over zealous…

John Calvin once said, “A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.” In other words, if you sin and don't confess, you are a coward. This describes Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale was afraid his actions would make him hated. He wallowed in his pain privately, unlike Hester and Pearl, who suffered publicly. Through Dimmesdale, Hawthorne taught us the importance of being truthful, especially to yourself. Although he…